[meteorite-list] Recent lunar activity

From: David Weir <dgweir_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:43:31 2004
Message-ID: <3B4F27E2.E8896AE7_at_earthlink.net>

Hello Darryl and List,

Happy Friday 13 (especially the triskaidekaphobiacs among us).

Thanks Darryl for correcting your references, I have now located and
read the one by Shultz et al. titled "Recent lunar activity: evidence
and implications" with anticipation. However I could find no indications
in the paper for a tektite link. But perhaps there was more to the
story. So I wrote to Dr. Shultz:

_______________

Dear Dr. Schultz,

I have recently read a post to the Meteorite List which referenced your
abstract published in the 31st LPSC titled Recent Lunar Activity:
evidence and implications. In it you give evidence for volatile release
from the crater Ina and others within the past millions of years. Do you
imply that pyroclastic eruptions may have occurred? If so might this
possibly have sent material into space? Your paper is cited by a
proponent of the lunar-origin tektite theory to imply that tektites
found on Earth may have originated through such recent lunar mechanisms.
Also, do you rule out the possibility of Ina being created by impact
with a subsequent release of trapped volatiles? This would be my
conclusion based on the reading of your abstract, with the tektite
problem having nothing to do with this recent "activity". Any help you
may provide to help me better understand this situation would be very
much appreciated.

Best regards,

David Weir
_____________


Here is Dr. Shultz's reply:

_____________

Hi David,

The connection between the recent lunar activity and tektites simply
does
not exist. Also, these features are clearly from within and can be
linked
to very old endogenic features. But the degree of preservation
testifies
to their recent activity. My best bet is cold gas release, not really a
pyroclastic eruption. It is possible that a distant impact triggered
this
release by strong seismic signals but the source area is not as impact
structure.

 So, I am very dismayed that an attempt was made to tie this research to
the support of an endogenic origin for tektites. The issue of tektite
origin must be made in the context of their geochemistry, which is
inconsistent with a lunar origin. So, there is no link between
tektites
and what we are studying. Thanks for alerting me to the problem. Even
though I am very aware of the old debate, I didn't see this spin
coming.
Apples and Oranges.

Cheers,

Pete
___________________


I haven't read the other reference yet that you included Darryl. I don't
know if I should bother. But I am most intrigued by the post today by
Kelly Webb. Apparently there is still much more to debate before the
final answers are in.

Regards,
David
Received on Fri 13 Jul 2001 12:54:58 PM PDT