[meteorite-list] Re: Tektites

From: Tracy Latimer <tracyl_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:43:32 2004
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.93.1010714143959.18869A-100000_at_netra.lib.state.hi.us>

I believe a REALLY rough analogy to what Steve is proposing would be:
Take a coffee mug, one you don't really like. Wrap it in a large number
of layers of bubble wrap. Set it on the ground, then balance a M80
firecracker on top. Light the firecracker, then back off. I suspect that
the firecracker would obliterate several layers of the bubble wrap, but
the cup inside would be largely untouched, except for some scorching.
This might be approximately what happens when an airburst event blows a
"crater" in the atmosphere. Of course, the bubble wrap won't flow back
over the hole as our atmosphere would, but it's the best example I
can arrive at in a hurry :)

Tracy Latimer
Received on Sat 14 Jul 2001 08:46:32 PM PDT