[meteorite-list] Nebraska - the Mystery of the Merna Depression

From: Keith <littlejo_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:08:29 2004
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.4.33.0209211459250.10827-100000_at_katie.vnet.net>

One controversial landform in Nebraska is the Merna
Crater / Bartak depression. As the below citations
and web pages indicate there is a considerable
disagreement of opinion whether this almost mile-wide
in diameter hole in the ground is either an impact
crater or a wind deflated hole in the ground.

References:

Flowerday, C. (2001) Huge 'meteorite crater' near Merna
likely caused by wind, says NU scientists. (Nebraska)
Conservation and Survey Division, Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources Resource Notes (2000-
2001 Academic Year), Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. ??-??.
http://csd.unl.edu/csd/resource/vol-15/crater.htm

Kuzila, M. S., J. A. Mason, and J. B. Swinehart (2001)
"Bartak Depression OR Merna Crater - the origin of a
landscape feature in Custer County, Nebraska"
(GSA Annual Meeting, November 5-8, 2001)
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2001AM/finalprogram/abstract_25252.htm

Naeye, R. (1993) The hole in Nebraska. Discover. Vol. 14,
no. 4, p. 18.

Povenmire, H. (1995) The Merna, Nebraska, meteorite
crater. Meteoritics and Planetary Science. vol. 30,
no. 5, pp. 562-563

Wakefield, D., Jr. (1992) Holocene meteorite impact
crater: youngest in North America? Geological
Society of America Abstract with Programs, vol. 24,
no. 7, pp. 196.

Wakefield, D., Jr., G. M. Dreschhoff, U. M. Moody, and
L. D. Martin (1997) Progress in validation of meteoritic
origin of Merna Crater, Nebraska. Geological Society of
America Abstracts with Programs vol. 29, no. 6, p. 406.

Wakefield, D., Jr., E. J. Zeller, and L. D. Martin,
(1993) Particulates verify meteorite impact origin of
Merma Crater, Custer County, Nebraska. Transactions
of the American geophysical Union (Supplement),
vol. 74, no. 43, p. 388.

Wakefield, D., Jr., E. J. Zeller, L. D. Martin, and
U. L. Moody (1997) Merna Crater; a young impact feature
in loess of central Nebraska. In Ames structure in
northwest Oklahoma and similar features; origin and
petroleum production (1995 symposium), K. S. Johnson
and J. A. Campbell, eds., pp. 279-293. Circular no. 100,
Oklahoma Geological Survey, University of Oklahoma,
Norman, OK.

Some web pages:

1. "A depression sparks scientific debate: Is it an
impact crater, or just a wind-carved spot in Nebraska?"
http://www.msnbc.com/news/783978.asp?0si=-&cp1=1

2. Kuzila, M. S., J. A. MASON, and J. B. SWINEHART (2001)
"BARTAK DEPRESSION OR MERNA CRATER - THE ORIGIN OF A
LANDSCAPE FEATURE IN CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA"
(GSA Annual Meeting, November 5-8, 2001)
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2001AM/finalprogram/abstract_25252.htm

3. Is it an impact crater or just a dent?
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/07/21/
      great.crater.debate.ap/?from=astrowire

(NOTE: Above URL need to be reassembled to work)

The first paragraph of the article stated:

"MERNA, Nebraska (AP) -- A mysterious mile-wide dent in
the earth has generated a debate among scientists about
whether the depression was the catastrophic creation of
a meteorite, or the patient work of Mother Nature."

3. "The Great Crater Debate: Opinions differ over
mile-wide depression"
http://www.nptelegraph.com/daily/2002/July/20/archive2.html

The start of this article stated:

"MERNA (AP) - Professor Wakefield Dort Jr. passionately
tells anyone willing to listen that the mile-wide dent
near this farm village was created when a meteorite
slammed into the Earth as recently as 500 years ago."

4. "November 07, 2001- NU Research Debunks Notion That
Meteorite Caused Crater Near Merna"
http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0111071.shtml

"LINCOLN, Neb. - A nearly mile-wide depression in the
middle of Nebraska, once heralded as the site of a
large meteorite's impact, is really just another hole
in the ground, University of Nebraska scientists say."

5. Huge 'meteorite crater' near Merna likely caused by
wind, says NU scientists.
http://csd.unl.edu/csd/resource/vol-15/crater.htm

Yours,

Keith
New Orleans, LA
Received on Sat 21 Sep 2002 03:01:48 PM PDT