Missing Moon Rocks

Ark. Archivist Finds Missing Moon Rock, All Things 
Considered, NPR, September 26, 2011
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/26/140818261/ark-archivist-finds-missing-moon-rock

Arkansas' Missing Moon Rock Turns Up In Boxes 
Of Clinton's Memorabilia, by Mark Memmott, 
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/09/22/140706052/arkansas-missing-moon-rock-turns-up-in-boxes-of-clintons-memorabilia

Alaska man claims to have missing Apollo-era moon 
rock by Alex Sanz / KHOU 11 News
http://www.khou.com/news/Alaska-man-claims-to-have-missing-Apollo-era-moon-rock-124676664.html

Missing moon rock? Ex-governor had it: $5 million 
specimen was given to Colorado during Nixon administration 
Associated Press, 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37454964/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/missing-moon-rock-ex-governor-had-it/#.ToGykU_Swdo

Hawaiian Moon Rocks Found, Most Others Still Missing
by Alexis Madrigal, Wired Science
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/hawaiian-moon-rocks-found-most-others-still-missing/

Best wishes,

Paul H.

UARS Space junk likely hit Pacific, despite Internet hoax

Space junk likely hit Pacific, despite Internet hoax claiming 
sightings over Okotoks. Calgary Herald, September 24, 2011.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Space+junk+likely+Pacific+despite+Internet+hoax+claiming+sightings+over/5454317/story.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Acid Oceans, Not Asteroid Impacts, Contributed to Permian – Triassic Extinctions

Recent research indicates that acid oceans, not asteroid 
impacts, likely contributed to Earth’s worst mass extinction.

Go look at:

Ancient Acidic Ocean a Killer by Emily Sohn, Discovery News,
http://news.discovery.com/earth/ocean-acidification-110907.html

Acid oceans helped fuel mass extinction by Alexandra Witze, 
Science News, Sept 5, 2011, 
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/333995/title/Acid_oceans_helped_fuel_mass_extinction

The paper is:

Montenegro, A., P. Spence, K. J. Meissner, M. Eby, M. J. Melchin, and 
S. T. Johnston, 2011, Climate simulations of the Permian-Triassic 
boundary: Ocean acidification and the extinction event, 
Paleoceanography, 26, PA3207, doi:10.1029/2010PA002058.

Abstract at http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2011/2010PA002058.shtml

Dr. Peter Ward has published a book that discusses decades of
published research, which he has conducted into the Permian-
Triassic mass extinctions. It is:

Ward, P. D., 2008, Under a Green Sky. Harper-Collins Books.
242 pp. ISBN 978-0-06-163163-4

It is an excellent, entertaining, and thoughtful book about the 
Permian-Triassic mass extinctions that is well written for 
the lay public. I highly recommend it.

Related articled are:

Earth science: Lethal volcanism by Paul B. Wignall, Nature.
vol. 477, no. 7364, pp.  285–286.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7364/full/477285a.html

Large Igneous Provinces and Mass Extinctions by , David Bressan,
‎Scientific American, Sept. 16, 2011, 
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/history-of-geology/2011/09/16/large-igneous-provinces-and-mass-extinctions/

Best wishes,

Paul H.

"150,000 BP claim" or Geofact ??

In "150,000 BP claim" at:
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2011-September/079784.html
Robert wrote,

""150,000 yrs BP" isn't a typo. The reason I pointed to this website 
(http://61.128.162.70/stone/686/686.htm) and mentioned the 
supposed antiquity of the rock with the Big Dipper configuration 
was to underscore the widespread acceptance in China of this 
concept of the evolution of the position of the stars of the Big Dipper 
[as repeated in diagrams (A), (b), and (C)]. It's used in teaching 
materials, for example. Apparently, the presence of this concept 
has led to the accommodation of exaggerated claims of antiquity 
as well as more modest claims."

A geologist, who has seen various rounded pebbles and cobbles
with identical circular markings on them, I wonder what evidence
that they have for these markings as having been carved. The 
differential weathering of animal burrows in a sedimentary rock
can easily produce circular markings that are identical to the ones
that appear on the stone. The circles with connecting bar is what 
could easily be the eroded and differentially weathered cross-
section of  animals burrows (trace fossils), of which I have 
personally seen examples examples while doing field work.

One real possibility is that someone unfamiliar with how specific
types of trace fossils look like in cross-section on the eroded 
and differentially weathered surface of a stone has confused a
natural trace fossil with manmade carvings. If so, this would not
be the first time, that a nongeologist, when finding natural circular
patterns on a stone jumped to the incorrect conclusion that it
was manmade. For an example of how trace fossils have been 
confused by nongeologists with manmade artifacts can be seen 
in "Artifacts  or Geofacts? Alternative Interpretations of Items 
from the Gulf of Cambay" at;

http://members.cox.net/pyrophyllite/geofact.html

My impression of this alleged " 8000BC Big Dipper Petroglyph: 
Evolution of star positions" is that it very well might be an geofact
that has been misidentified as a petroglyph. 

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Free Guidebook About K-P (K-T) Boundary in Southeast United States

Dear Friends,

A 2007  Lafayette Geological Society guidebook, which discusses 
the Cretaceous – Paleogene (Tertiary) boundary within the 
southeastern United States is available for free as a PDF file. The 
guidebook is:

Week, B. E., 2007, K/T Boundary and Paleogene Stratigraphy
of Southwestern Alabama, Lafayette Geological Society Field 
Trip March 23-25, 2007. Lafayette Geological Society, 
Lafayette, Louisiana. 107 pp. 

The PDF file can be downloaded from:
http://lafayettegeologicalsociety.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LGSAlabamaFTGuidebook-March2007.pdf

The link to this fieldtrip guidebook is at:
http://lafayettegeologicalsociety.org/wp/?page_id=397

Yours,

Paul H.

New paper about Luizi impact structure, Congo

Dear friends,

There is a new paper about the Luizi impact structure in the Congo. 
It is;

Ferriere, L., F. G. R. Lubala, R. T. Osinski, and P. K. Kaseti, 
2011, The newly confirmed Luizi impact structure, 
Democratic Republic of Congo—Insights into central uplift 
formation and post-impact erosion. Geology. vol. 39, no. 9, 
pp. 851–854. doi:10.1130/G31990.1; 4
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/9/851
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/39/9/851.abstract

September 2011 Geology Highlights: new research posted 5 August
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-september-2011-geology-highlights-new-research-po-080911.aspx

"Because of its preservation state and the shape of the 
structure, with an inner ring, the Luizi crater also provides 
insights into the formation of mid-sized impact craters on 
Earth. Ferriere and colleagues estimate that the crater was 
made by the collision of a kilometer-wide asteroid with a 
speed of about 72,000 km per hour. However, based on 
their investigations, they can only say that the crater is 
younger than about 575 million years, the age of the rocks
that have been excavated."

Older articles are;

Collision With Huge Asteroid Caused 17 Kilometer 
Diameter Crater Found in Congo, August 9, 2011
http://crisisboom.com/2011/08/09/collision-with-huge-asteroid-caused-17-kilometer-diameter-crater-found-in-congo/

Huge Impact Crater Found in Remote Congo: Expedition 
confirms a meteor hit central Africa millions of years ago.
by Victoria Jaggard, National Geographic News, March 8, 2011

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110308-meteor-impact-crater-found-confirmed-congo-ferriere-science/
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/329/overrides/new-crater-found-dr-congo-luizi_32989_600x450.jpg

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Meteorites delivered Earth's gold

Young Earth was sprinkled with precious metals
physicsworld.com, Sept. 7, 2011‎
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/47116

Where does all the gold come from? University of 
Bristol, ‎Sept 7, 2011‎
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2011/7885.html

Meteorites delivered Earth's gold, by Leila Battison
BBC News, Sept 8, 2011‎
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14827624

The paper is:

Willbold, M., T. Elliott, and S. Moorbath, 2011, The 
tungsten isotopic composition of the Earth’s mantle 
before the terminal bombardment. Nature. vol. 477,
no. 7363, pp. 195-198. DOI: 10.1038/nature10399
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7363/full/nature10399.html

A related paper is:

Marty, B., and A. Meibom, 2007, Noble gas signature 
of the Late Heavy  Bombardment in the Earth’s
atmosphere. eEarth. vol. 2, pp. 43–49.

PDF file at:
http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/33/07/83/PDF/ee-2-43-2007.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Dinosaur Bone-Bearing K-P Tsunami Deposits, La Popa Basin, Mexico

Dear List Members,

A recent paper has an interesting description and
discussion of K-P tsunami deposits that contain 
dinosaur bones and impact ejecta. These deposits 
are part of the Delgado Sandstone Member, which 
is exposed in the La Popa Basin in north-eastern Mexico.

The paper is:

Schulte, P., J. Smit, A. Deutsch, T. Salge, A. Friese, and K. 
Beichel, 2011, Tsunami backwash deposits with Chicxulub 
impact ejecta and dinosaur remains from the Cretaceous–
Palaeogene boundary in the La Popa Basin, Mexico. Article 
first published online: 8 AUG 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2011.01274.x
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2011.01274.x/abstract

A related paper is:

Lawton, T. F., K. W. Shipley, J. L. Aschoff, K. A. Giles and
F. J. Vega, 2005, Basinward transport of Chicxulub 
ejecta by tsunami-induced backflow, La Popa basin, 
northeastern Mexico, and its implications for 
distribution of impact-related deposits flanking the 
Gulf of Mexico. Geology. vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 81-84.    
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/33/2/81.abstract

and

Lawton, T. F., F. J. Vega, K. A. Giles, and C. Rosales-
Domínguez, 2001, Stratigraphy and origin of the La Popa 
Basin, Nuevo León and Coahuila, Mexico, in C. Bartolini, 
R. T. Buffler, and A. Cantú-Chapa, eds., pp. 219-240, The 
western Gulf of Mexico Basin: Tectonics, sedimentary 
basins, and petroleum systems. Memoir no. 75, American
Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Yours,

Paul H.

Search for Irish meteorite in progress

Search for Irish meteorite worth weight in gold, Belfast
Telegraph, Belfast, ireland, September 1, 2011,
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/search-for-irish-meteorite-worth-weight-in-gold-16043949.html

"Preliminary analysis suggests it may have landed in 
Co Sligo or elsewhere in the west, Mr Moore said."

"The Republic of Ireland's National Museum is offering a 
cash reward to anyone who finds the meteorite that was 
spotted last week."

Search for meteorite in west of Ireland, RTE News,
August 31, 2011
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0831/meteor.html

"An appeal has been launched for help in locating a meteorite 
after a fireball was seen blazing across Irish skies last week."

Meteor hunt for Irish stargazers, BBC News, Aug. 31, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14733385

Astronomy Ireland, Fireball Reports
http://www.astronomy.ie/fireball.php

National Museum of Ireland
http://www.museum.ie/en/intro/natural-history.aspx
http://www.museum.ie/en/about-us.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Ireland

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Fungi Helped Destroy Forests During Mass Extinction 250 Million Years Ago

Mystery Fossils Link Fungi to Ancient Mass Extinction
by Ars Technica, Wired, August 18, 2011, 
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/08/permian-triassic-fungus/

Fungi Helped Destroy Forests During Mass Extinction 
250 Million Years Ago, RedOrbit, August 8, 2011
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/2092060/fungi_helped_destroy_forests_during_mass_extinction_250_million_years

The papers are:

Visscher, H., M. A. Sephton, and C. V. Looy, 2011, 
Fungi Helped Destroy Forests During Mass Extinction 
250 Million Years Ago. Geology. vol. 39; no. 9, 
pp. 883-886. 
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/9/883

Huang, C., J. Tong, L. Hinnov and Z. Q. Chen, 2011,
Did the great dying of life take 700 k.y.? Evidence 
from global astronomical correlation of the 
Permian-Triassic boundary interval. Geology, vol. 39,
no. 8, p. 779-782.
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/8/779

Yours,

Paul H.

“Lunar Stratigraphy and Sedimentology” Now Online

Dear Friends,

The book, “Lunar Stratigraphy and Sedimentology” is
now available online. The citation for it is:

Lindsay, J. F., 1976,  Lunar Stratigraphy and Sedimentology, 
Developments in solar system- and space science no. 3,
Elsevier, Amsterdam ; New York, 302 pp.

It can found at:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/books/lunar_stratigraphy/

It can be download as a PDF file from:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/books/lunar_stratigraphy/book.pdf

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Shirokovsky Faked Pallasite Meteorite – French Paper About its Origin

Shirokovsky Faked Pallasite Meteorite – French Paper About its Origin


Bob K. wrote,

“Do you know how Shirokovsky was manufactured?”

I found one paper about this topic:

Dransart, E., and P. Guérin, 2005, Pseudo meteorite de 
shirokovsky. analyses metallurgiques et reconstitution 
metallo-pierreuse par la technique de la metallurgie 
des poudres [Pseudo meteorite shirokovsky 
metallurgical analyse and stone reconstitution trial 
by powder metallurgical process.] Observations & 
Travaux. vol. 61, pp. 2-9 (SAO/NASA Astrophysics 
Data System (ADS))
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2005O&T....61....2D

Yours,

Paul H.

Richat Dome (Structure) PhD Dissertation Available Online

Dear Friends,

Dr. Guillaume Matton’s PhD dissertation about the Richat 
Dome is available online as a PhD file. It is:

Matton, G., 2008, The Cretaceous Richat Complex (Mauritania);
a peri-Atlantic alkaline. Unpublished PhD. dissertation,
Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada.
http://gradworks.umi.com/NR/47/NR47231.html

PDF file at http://bibvir.uqac.ca/theses/030084214/030084214.pdf
or PDF file at http://www.archipel.uqam.ca/1201/1/D1684.pdf

The Richat Dome (Richat Structure) is a large, 40 km in diameter,
remarkably symmetrical, deeply eroded, dome, which is found in 
west – central Mauritania. The sedimentary rocks exposed in this 
dome range in age from Neoproterozoic Era within the dome’s 
center to Ordovician Period around its periphery. The sedimentary 
strata dip at 10 to 20 degrees away from the center of this structure.  
Erosion resistant strata, primarily quartzites, form circular cuestas 
of high relief. 

A variety of variety of igenous rocks have intruded the uplifted 
sedimentary strata comprising the Richat Dome.  These igneous
rocks include en-echelon carbonatite dikes andl sills, two 
subvertical gabbro ring dikes, kimberlitic plug and sills, and 
extrusive felsic rocks. The felsic rocks consist of hydrothermally 
altered conglomeratic, tuffaceous, and other rocks filling a 
diatreme  pipe. They might represent a deeply eroded volcanic
maar. The carbonatite rocks have been dated as having cooled
between 94 to 104 million years ago. These intrusive igneous 
rocks are interpreted as indicating the presence of a large 
alkaline igneous intrusion within Precambrian strata that 
underlie the Richat Dome. 

Because of its circular form, The Richat Dome has been 
hypothesized to be an extraterrestrial impact structure. It has
been intensively studied in the field along with samples from it 
in the laboratory. Despite this research, a complete lack of any 
evidence for shock metamorphism or any type of deformation 
from a hypervelocity  extraterrestrial impact has been found.
Further study of coesite reported from the Richat Dome found 
it to be barite. Prominent breccias mapped within its center 
are currently regarded to be hydrothermal karst. Furthermore,

the Richat Dome lacks the annular depression that is typically
in impact structures of this size. Finally, the sedimentary strata
comprising this structure is remarkably intact and "orderly" 
and lacking in overturned, steeply-dipping strata or disoriented 
blocks.

Its location is Lat. 21.126148 degrees N, Long. 11.400369 degrees W

Some other references are:

Dietz, R. S., R. Fudali, and W. Cassidy, 1969, Richat and 
Semsiyat Domes (Mauritania): Not Astroblemes. Geological 
Society of America. vol. 80, no. 7, pp. 1367-1372.
http://gsabulletin.gsapubs.org/content/80/7/1367.short

Fudali, R. F., 1969, Coesite from the Richat Dome, Mauritania: 
A Misidentification. Science. vol. 166, no. 3902, pp. 228-230.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/166/3902/228.abstract

Master, S., and J. Karfunkel, 2001, An alternative origin for coesite 
from the Richat Structure, Mauritania. Meteoritics & Planetary 
Science. vol. 36, no. 9, Suppl., p. A125.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2001/pdf/5237.pdf

Matton, G., M. Jébrak and J. K.W. Lee, 2005, Resolving the Richat 
enigma: Doming and hydrothermal karstification above an 
alkaline complex. Geology. vol. 33, no. 8, pp. 665-668.
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/33/8/665
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/33/8/665.abstract

Netto, A. M., J. Fabre, J., G. Poupeau, and M. et Champemmois,
1992, Datations par traces de fissions de la structure circulaire 
des Richats. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences.
vol. 314, pp. 1179-1186.

Woolley, A. R., 2001, Alkakline Rocks and Carbonities of the 
World, Part3: Africa. The Geological Society of London, 
London, United Kingdom.

Woolley, A. R., A. H. Ramkin, C. J. Elliott, A. C. Bishot, and 
D. Niblett, 1985, Carbonatite dykes from the Richat Dome, 
Mauritania and the genesis of the dome. Indian Mineralogist. 
vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 189-207.

Some web pages are

Richat Structure, Mauritania
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=2561

Earth’s Bulls-Eye, the Eye of Africa, Landmark for Astronauts
http://www.lovethesepics.com/2011/04/earths-bulls-eye-the-eye-of-africa-landmark-for-astronauts-14-pics/

Richat Structure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richat_Structure

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Improved dating process upsets timeline of Moon formation

Improved dating process upsets timeline of Moon formation
by Scott K. Johnson, Arstechnica, August 17, 2011.
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/08/improved-dating-process-upsets-timeline-of-moon-formation.ars

Time to rethink the Moon's formation by Lee Sweetlove
Nature News Blog, August 17, 2011
http://blogs.nature.com/news/2011/08/making_the_moon.html

The paper is:

Borg, L. E., J. N. Connelly, M. Boyet, and R. W. W. Carlson, 2011,
Chronological evidence that the Moon is either young or did 
not have a global magma ocean. Nature. Published online, Aug. 17, 2011.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10328.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Printable Photographic Reference Scale

Dear Friends,

I recently came across the below web page about 
a printable photographic reference scale. 

Printable Photographic Reference Scale
http://web.ncf.ca/jim/scale/index.html

How to photo-print properly-sized reference scales
http://web.ncf.ca/jim/scale/printing.html

The above page's link is found on the below home 
page along with some interesting links to web pages 
about sand dunes.

Jim Elders Homepage
http://web.ncf.ca/jim/index.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Elk Creek, Nebraska Niobium and Rare Earths Find

Elk Creek, Nebraska Niobium and Rare Earths Find


A press release about this:

Nebraska's Elk Creek Carbonatite Promises
Large Rare Earth Elements Resource
http://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=23277

Some references,

Brookins, D. G., S. B. Trevesb and S. L. Bolivara,
1975, Elk Creek, Nebraska, carbonatite: Strontium
geochemistry. Earth and Planetary Science Letters
vol. 28, no 1, pp. 79-82
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0012821X7590076X

Carlson, M. P., and S. B. Treves, 2005, The Elk
Creek Carbonatite, Southeast Nebraska–An Overview.
Natural Resource Research. vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 39-45.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/xqm033615r2251g3/

Xu, A., 1996, Mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry
and origin of the Elk Creek Carbonatite, Nebraska.
Unpublished PhD. Dissertation, University of
Nebraska, Lincoln.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9628256/



A Couple More PDF Files - Elk Creek Related:
Long+(2010)

Palacass(1997)

Best wishes,
Paul