[meteorite-list] NP Article, 06-1970 Tektites from the moon

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From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:25:42 2004
Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV48MCk4X3Z9I0000c95e_at_hotmail.com>

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Title: Chronicle Telegram =20
City: Elyria, Ohio =20
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 1970
Page: 3

Earth tektites may come from moon
By Vern Baugland

WASHINGTON (AP) - Tektites, mysterious black and green pebbles found in o=
nly four isolated areas of the earth, may be of lunar origin, a study of =
Apollo 12 moon rocks indicates.
Dr. John A. O'Keefe of the National Aeronautics and Sapce Administration =
said glass found in a lemon-size moon rock appeared to be tektite glass.
"Its (the moon sample) constitution answers the arguments given by propon=
ents of the terrestrial origin of tektites." O'Keefe said in the currant =
issue of Science magazine. "There appears to be no sound reason not to sa=
y that tektites come from the moon."
The rock in question was part of a lunar rock sample brought back in Nove=
mber by the Apollo 23 crew and believed to be some 4.6 billion years old.=
Scientists at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston have descrived it =
as "clearly the oldest rock yet found on the moon, and older than any roc=
k found on earth."
Tektites are black or green glass pebbles found in small quantites in Boh=
emia and Moravia, sectons of Czechoslovakia, the East Indies and Australi=
a.
Usually the pebble's surface is pitted or sometimes grooved with winding =
marks. A few have ring marks like those seen on spacecraft re-entry heat =
shields.
O'Keefe said he compared the Apollo 12 rock with two earth tektites and s=
ome 5,000 ordinary rocks produced by fusion in heating.
"The Apollo 12 rock has the distinctive chemical hallmarks of a tektite, =
including enrichment in potassium and a puzzling mixture of the basic roc=
ks and acidic rocks like granite," he said.
Earlier Theories

Earlier theories held tektites were sort of earth rocks, such as sandston=
e or shale, fashioned from hardened mud or sand, and distributed over the=
earth by the impact of large comets and the resultant splashing of melte=
d sandstone.
"It is now clear that the moon can produce the same perculiarities, altho=
ugh it has no mud, sand or atmosphere." O'Keefe siad.
He added that most moon rocks found thus far are older than 3 billion yea=
rs. By contrast, the oldest tektite apparently has an age of 2 billion an=
d most are much younger.
The discrepancy could be explained if tektites were launched from the moo=
n not by meteorite impact, as O'Keefe himself formerly believed, but by v=
olcanic eruption as suggested by a Dutch engineer, D. R. D. M. Verbeek, i=
n 1897, he said.
O'Keefe explained that older material may be torn rom the sides of a volc=
ano's vent, but even this material liekly would be the result of a relati=
vely recent previous eruption since volcanism rarely continues for a long=
time at the same site.
"Thus, even if lunar volcanies are are, they would account for all the ma=
terial found on the earth," he said.
"Another puzzle is why the moon sends us chiefly material of tektite comp=
osition, broadly similar to terrestrial granites, although granite-like r=
ocks appear to be relatively rare on the moon." O' Keefe said.
"One answer may be that volcanies which erupt granite-like rocks do so in=
enormous paroxysms, like Krakatoa in 1883, while those which erupt more =
basic rocks are more gentle, like Mauna Loa in Hawaii."

Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor=
and meteorite articles.

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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV> Title: Chronicle Telegram City: Elyria, Ohio </P=
> Date: Wednesday, June 10, 1970 Page: 3  </=
P> Earth tektites may come from moon By Vern Baugland &n=
bsp; WASHINGTON (AP) - Tektites, mysterious black and green pebble=
s found in only four isolated areas of the earth, may be of lunar origin,=
a study of Apollo 12 moon rocks indicates. Dr. John A. O'Keefe of=
the National Aeronautics and Sapce Administration said glass found in a =
lemon-size moon rock appeared to be tektite glass. "Its (the moon =
sample) constitution answers the arguments given by proponents of the ter=
restrial origin of tektites." O'Keefe said in the currant issue of Scienc=
e magazine. "There appears to be no sound reason not to say that tektites=
come from the moon." The rock in question was part of a lunar roc=
k sample brought back in November by the Apollo 23 crew and believed to b=
e some 4.6 billion years old. Scientists at the Manned Spacecraft Center =
in Houston have descrived it as "clearly the oldest rock yet found on the=
moon, and older than any rock found on earth." Tektites are black or =
green glass pebbles found in small quantites in Bohemia and Moravia, sect=
ons of Czechoslovakia, the East Indies and Australia. Usually the =
pebble's surface is pitted or sometimes grooved with winding marks. A few=
have ring marks like those seen on spacecraft re-entry heat shields.=
O'Keefe said he compared the Apollo 12 rock with two earth tektites a=
nd some 5,000 ordinary rocks produced by fusion in heating. "The A=
pollo 12 rock has the distinctive chemical hallmarks of a tektite, includ=
ing enrichment in potassium and a puzzling mixture of the basic rocks and=
acidic rocks like granite," he said. Earlier Theories=
  Earlier theories held tektites were sort of earth rocks=
, such as sandstone or shale, fashioned from hardened mud or sand, and di=
stributed over the earth by the impact of large comets and the resultant =
splashing of melted sandstone. "It is now clear that the moon can =
produce the same perculiarities, although it has no mud, sand or atmosphe=
re." O'Keefe siad. He added that most moon rocks found thus far ar=
e older than 3 billion years. By contrast, the oldest tektite apparently =
has an age of 2 billion and most are much younger. The discrepancy=
could be explained if tektites were launched from the moon not by meteor=
ite impact, as O'Keefe himself formerly believed, but by volcanic eruptio=
n as suggested by a Dutch engineer, D. R. D. M. Verbeek, in 1897, he said=
. O'Keefe explained that older material may be torn rom the sides =
of a volcano's vent, but even this material liekly would be the result of=
a relatively recent previous eruption since volcanism rarely continues f=
or a long time at the same site. "Thus, even if lunar volcanies ar=
e are, they would account for all the material found on the earth," he sa=
id. "Another puzzle is why the moon sends us chiefly material of t=
ektite composition, broadly similar to terrestrial granites, although gra=
nite-like rocks appear to be relatively rare on the moon." O' Keefe said.=
 "One answer may be that volcanies which erupt granite-like rocks =
do so in enormous paroxysms, like Krakatoa in 1883, while those which eru=
pt more basic rocks are more gentle, like Mauna Loa in Hawaii."</FONT=
> Please visit, www.MeteoriteAr=
ticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor and meteorite articles.</DIV=
></BODY></HTML>

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