[meteorite-list] Re: tektite crater?

From: Darryl S. Futrell <futrelds_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:43:32 2004
Message-ID: <011301c10e7a$d89dbe20$a5e41e3f_at_pavilion>

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Starke <sastarke_at_telkomsa.net>
To: meteorite list <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Monday, July 16, 2001 11:05 AM
Subject: FW: [meteorite-list] Re: tektite crater?



Yes! Back in the mid 1960s, your idea was one of those being proposed (in
this case by O'Keefe for an earlier possible explanation of a lunar origin).
(I even painted a picture showing splashforms melting off ablating large
masses - it was published back then in Gems and Minerals magazine.) But
then, the microtektites were discovered, and their data eliminated that
possibility. Also, the compositions of meteorites in general and their
fusion crusts aren't right (the meteors would have to be composed of tektite
glass to begin with) Then, it was noted that layered tektites were welded
accretions of hot microtektites, and that these layered tektites must have
formed on a planetary surface. You really need to look at some unabraded
layered tektites (generally very difficult to acquire), and then you might
understand why they could not form in flight.

Darryl
>
>Please don't trounce the ignorant BUT i do have a suggestion...
>
>I have only once seen what looked like a smoke trail & not a vapour trail
of
>an object skimming the atmosphere. This is what got me thinking that
>whatever it was must have lost some matter when making contact (swiping)
our
>atmosphere.
>
>I would humbly suggest that there need be no impact crater or any other
>suggestion of a meteorite if the heat generated by a meteor hitting the
>atmosphere leaves pieces of molten matter in it's trail/wake. Surely, the
>force of the "collision" would push this debris into our atmosphere?
Would
>the tektite shapes not be created when these lumps of molten glass free
fall
>through our atmosphere? Are tektites & (some/all?) fusion crusts not
>identical in composition? Would this not account for the lack of water &
>purity of glass in tektites?
>Regards,
>Brave Susan;-)
>
>
>
>
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Received on Tue 17 Jul 2001 12:41:37 AM PDT