[meteorite-list] Chixculub material testing
From: Steve Schoner <steve_schoner_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:27:49 2004 Message-ID: <20031115204505.31005.qmail_at_web12704.mail.yahoo.com> --0-1816001980-1068929105=:30298 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Thank you Ron, for finding this article. I found it previously and mentioned it to members of IMCA when this subject came up. So, unless this guy has some really serious drilling equipment on a research vessel such as the Glomar Explorer, and unless he can send the drill down through 15,000 feet of ocean then drill into the ocean floor for the sediments containing the C/T boundary layer, and unless he can then ferret out the sample and be lucky enough to find a particle, then also have access to the specialized equipment to render an analysis... (sorry for the run on sentence)... Now after all of that, how much do you think such a tiny milligram particle might cost? For the two milligram sized particles found, I think Apollo moon rocks would be a better bargin gram for gram (if they could be sold). Steve Schoner/ams Ron Baalke <baalke_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov> wrote: I just wanted to point out a piece of the impactor was apparently found when a 65-million year old fossil meteorite was recovered from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. I had posted this press release 5 years ago to this list. Ron Baalke -------------------------------------------------------------------- University of California-Los Angeles Contact: Stuart Wolpert, stuartw_at_college.ucla.edu, (310) 206-0511 Date: November 18, 1998 UCLA Geochemist's Fossil Meteorite Provides Strong Evidence that Asteroid Caused Mass Extinctions 65 Million Years Ago UCLA geochemist Frank T. Kyte has found a fossil meteorite believed to be from the huge asteroid that crashed to Earth 65 million years ago -- the probable cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species worldwide. In the cover story of the Nov. 19 issue of the journal Nature, Kyte presents his analysis of the sample and concludes that the cosmic impactor, some six miles in diameter, that broadsided Mexico's Yucatan peninsula was probably an asteroid, and not a comet. "The fossil meteorite strongly supports the idea that the impactor was an asteroid and not a comet," Kyte said. "There is a strong probability that this is a bullet from a smoking gun." "That was one of the worst days the Earth had in the last billion years, and it is important to understand what happened." Kyte's analysis of the sample's texture and chemistry confirmed that the object is a meteorite. He considers it highly likely that the sample is from the asteroid that struck 65 million years ago, and if so, it is the first piece of the asteroid that is large enough to study and analyze. What is Kyte's evidence that the meteorite was from an asteroid? First, comets travel at much higher velocities than asteroids, most likely vaporizing themselves on collision, Kyte noted. Therefore, the mere fact that a sample survived the impact is evidence that the object was not a comet, he said. Second, Kyte's analysis suggests that the meteorite came from a typical, rocky carbonaceous chondrite -- a description of objects in the asteroid belt -- rather than the porous, fluffy type of interplanetary dust associated with icy comets. The fossil meteorite was encrusted in mud for 65 million years, buried beneath more than 50 yards of sediment in the North Pacific Ocean. It no longer has any of its original minerals, but its texture and shape remain the same, Kyte said. Kyte located the piece while studying a sediment layer from the Cretaceous/ Tertiary boundary -- whose sediments are widely recognized to contain the record of a large asteroid or comet impact -- and suspected right away that he found an important clue to the mystery of what happened 65 million years ago. "Although the fossil meteorite is only a tenth of an inch in size, it was 1,000 times bigger than anything else in the sediment, "Kyte said. "In this dark brown sediment, I saw this small white speck." In his National Science Foundation-funded research, Kyte analyzed the piece using UCLA's electron microprobe and neutron activation laboratories. He found it to be high in iridium -- an element that is abundant in meteorites. "That's when I knew I had something special -- a small chunk of the asteroid," Kyte said. Asteroids, which originate in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, are pieces of largely rocky material remaining from early in the evolution of the solar system. They did not form into planets, probably because of their close proximity to Jupiter. A typical asteroid travels at about 40,000 miles per hour, Kyte noted. Comets are from beyond Pluto, and travel about twice as fast, he said. Comets are believed to be composed of about half rocky material and half icy material. Some scientists think the destructive meteorite 65 million years ago is an example of comet showers that bombard the Earth every 25-30 million years, causing mass extinctions. If the impact was from an asteroid, as Kyte believes, such theories become harder to defend, he said. The impact 65 million years ago, at the end of what is known as the Cretaceous period, is believed to have had devastating effects on the world's climate, and has been implicated in the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other forms of life. Prior to the crash, a few thousand dinosaur species had thrived for 160 million years. Questions remain about how the asteroid affected the environment, how long it took for the extinctions to occur, and the exact size of the massive object. ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard --0-1816001980-1068929105=:30298 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii <DIV> <DIV>Thank you Ron, for finding this article. I found it previously and mentioned it to members of IMCA when this subject came up.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So, unless this guy has some really serious drilling equipment on a research vessel such as the Glomar Explorer, and unless he can send the drill down through 15,000 feet of ocean then drill into the ocean floor for the sediments containing the C/T boundary layer, and unless he can then ferret out the sample and be lucky enough to find a particle, then also have access to the specialized equipment to render an analysis... (sorry for the run on sentence)...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Now after all of that, how much do you think such a tiny milligram particle might cost?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>For the two milligram sized particles found, I think Apollo moon rocks would be a better bargin gram for gram (if they could be sold).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Steve Schoner/ams</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Ron Baalke <baalke_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">I just wanted to point out a piece of the impactor was apparently found<BR>when a 65-million year old fossil meteorite was recovered<BR>from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. I had posted this press release<BR>5 years ago to this list.<BR><BR>Ron Baalke<BR><BR>--------------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR><BR>University of California-Los Angeles<BR><BR>Contact: Stuart Wolpert, stuartw_at_college.ucla.edu, (310) 206-0511<BR><BR>Date: November 18, 1998<BR><BR>UCLA Geochemist's Fossil Meteorite Provides Strong Evidence that Asteroid<BR>Caused Mass Extinctions 65 Million Years Ago<BR><BR>UCLA geochemist Frank T. Kyte has found a fossil meteorite believed to be<BR>from the huge asteroid that crashed to Earth 65 million years ago -- the<BR>probable cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species<BR>worldwide.<BR><BR>In the cover story of the Nov. 19 issue of the journal Nature, Kyte presents<BR>his analysis of the sample and concludes that the cosmic impactor, some six<BR>miles in diameter, that broadsided Mexico's Yucatan peninsula was probably<BR>an asteroid, and not a comet.<BR><BR>"The fossil meteorite strongly supports the idea that the impactor was an<BR>asteroid and not a comet," Kyte said. "There is a strong probability that<BR>this is a bullet from a smoking gun."<BR><BR>"That was one of the worst days the Earth had in the last billion years, and<BR>it is important to understand what happened."<BR><BR>Kyte's analysis of the sample's texture and chemistry confirmed that the<BR>object is a meteorite. He considers it highly likely that the sample is from<BR>the asteroid that struck 65 million years ago, and if so, it is the first<BR>piece of the asteroid that is large enough to study and analyze.<BR><BR>What is Kyte's evidence that the meteorite was from an asteroid? First,<BR>comets travel at much higher velocities than asteroids, most likely vaporizing<BR>themselves on collision, Kyte noted. Therefore, the mere fact that a sample<BR>survived the impact is evidence that the object was not a comet, he said.<BR><BR>Second, Kyte's analysis suggests that the meteorite came from a typical,<BR>rocky carbonaceous chondrite -- a description of objects in the asteroid<BR>belt -- rather than the porous, fluffy type of interplanetary dust associated<BR>with icy comets.<BR><BR>The fossil meteorite was encrusted in mud for 65 million years, buried beneath<BR>more than 50 yards of sediment in the North Pacific Ocean. It no longer has<BR>any of its original minerals, but its texture and shape remain the same, Kyte<BR>said.<BR><BR>Kyte located the piece while studying a sediment layer from the Cretaceous/<BR>Tertiary boundary -- whose sediments are widely recognized to contain the<BR>record of a large asteroid or comet impact -- and suspected right away that<BR>he found an important clue to the mystery of what happened 65 million years<BR>ago.<BR><BR>"Although the fossil meteorite is only a tenth of an inch in size, it was<BR>1,000 times bigger than anything else in the sediment, "Kyte said. "In this<BR>dark brown sediment, I saw this small white speck."<BR><BR>In his National Science Foundation-funded research, Kyte analyzed the piece<BR>using UCLA's electron microprobe and neutron activation laboratories. He<BR>found it to be high in iridium -- an element that is abundant in meteorites.<BR><BR>"That's when I knew I had something special -- a small chunk of the asteroid,"<BR>Kyte said.<BR><BR>Asteroids, which originate in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, are<BR>pieces of largely rocky material remaining from early in the evolution of the<BR>solar system. They did not form into planets, probably because of their close<BR>proximity to Jupiter. A typical asteroid travels at about 40,000 miles per<BR>hour, Kyte noted. Comets are from beyond Pluto, and travel about twice as<BR>fast, he said. Comets are believed to be composed of about half rocky<BR>material and half icy material.<BR><BR>Some scientists think the destructive meteorite 65 million years ago is an<BR>example of comet showers that bombard the Earth every 25-30 million years,<BR>causing mass extinctions. If the impact was from an asteroid, as Kyte<BR>believes, such theories become harder to defend, he said.<BR><BR>The impact 65 million years ago, at the end of what is known as the Cretaceous<BR>period, is believed to have had devastating effects on the world's climate,<BR>and has been implicated in the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other<BR>forms of life. Prior to the crash, a few thousand dinosaur species had<BR>thrived for 160 million years.<BR><BR>Questions remain about how the asteroid affected the environment, how long it<BR>took for the extinctions to occur, and the exact size of the massive object.<BR><BR><BR>______________________________________________<BR>Meteorite-list mailing list<BR>Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com<BR>http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list</BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><p><hr SIZE=1> Do you Yahoo!?<br> <a href="http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree">Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard</a> --0-1816001980-1068929105=:30298-- Received on Sat 15 Nov 2003 03:45:05 PM PST |
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