[meteorite-list] [Fwd: Geologist Finds Meteorite Crater In The Japanese Alps]

From: drtanuki <drtanuki_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:29:52 2004
Message-ID: <3F5ACFF7.C35DC8D4_at_tkc.att.ne.jp>

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Dear List members:
    Here is more information about the new Japanese"Crater?". Comments
please.

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Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2003 15:17:25 +0900
From: drtanuki <drtanuki_at_tkc.att.ne.jp>
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To: Miura Sensei <meteoriteyas_at_yahoo.co.jp>
Cc: Miura Sensei <meteoriteyas_at_yahoo.co.jp>,
        "drtanuki_at_tkc.att.ne.jp" <drtanuki@tkc.att.ne.jp>,
        Ron Baalke <baalke_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
Subject: Geologist Finds Meteorite Crater In The Japanese Alps
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Dear List,
   After reading the abstract and reviewing the literature I find that
this announcement of an impact crater is not without doubt. Ten years
prior, Dr. Miura of Yamaguchi University studied this feature but found
no conclusive evidence except for the shocked quartz. Dr. Miura
conducted studies to search for Ni/Fe grains near the site and found no
evidence whatsoever. His final conclusion was that it was a manmade
impactor but further comment could not be given.
     If a Barringer-sized impactor were to hit the top of the Oike
Mt..as proposed by the current authors, Sakamoto and his research team
failed to explain the energy release on the opposite side of the
mountain (in the form of a blow through). Also his team failed to find
shatter cone, Fe/Ni particles or even remnant meteorite or glass.
    Also they claim an age of 20,0000- 30,0000 years for the age of
this event but fail to show how this was determined.
    Japan at this time has two published meteorite craters, Takamatsu
and Akiyoshi; both published and scientifically studied with verifiable
results. For more information search Dr. Miura's works.
    This NIPR meeting lacked the peer review necessary to prevent the
non-scienctific reporting on the Oike "Crater" site and in the future
more detailed studies need to be reviewed before going in front of such
a prestigious group as The NIPR for presentation.

Sincerely, Dirk Ross
                 Planetary Data, USA

Ron Baalke wrote:

> http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/2003-09-05-japan-crater_x.htm
>
> Geologist Finds meteorite's crater in the Japanese Alps
> Associated Press
> September 4, 2003
>
> (AP) - A crater from a
> meteorite impact more than 20,000 years ago has been discovered
> in the Japanese Alps, an amateur geologist announced this week.
> The crater is the first found in this country.
>
> Masao Sakamoto said the crater stretches 900 yards in diameter
> and spreads out across rugged, heavily forested land in Nagano
> prefecture (state), about 100 miles west of Tokyo.
>
> Sakamoto, who announced his discovery at an academic
> symposium earlier this week, said it went largely unnoticed
> because only about 40% of the crater is visible.
>
> "If it had been a clear, pretty circle, it would have been obvious
> that was a crater," Sakamoto told The Associated Press on
> Friday. "Everyone around here is really surprised by this."
>
> Sakamoto said analysis of the soil at the site indicates a
> meteorite about 45 meters (150 feet) across smashed into the
> area about 20,000 to 30,000 years ago.
>
> Sakamoto, an elementary school teacher, said he studied the
> crater - located in the town next to his - for 20 years before he
> was able to determine it had been formed by a rock from outer
> space.
>
> At first, Sakamoto thought the mountain ridge and basin might
> have been formed by a volcano, a fault, or even sculpted out by a
> glacier. But the soil he found didn't match any of those theories.
>
> After studying craters in the United States and Europe, he
> discovered some of them had similar features to his ridge -
> including a mysterious uneven stretch of valleys and hills in
> middle of the woods.
>
> Quartz found on the site was then proved to have been formed as
> a result of the intense heat created by the impact of a meteorite,
> Sakamoto said.
>
> Sakamoto presented his findings at a symposium sponsored by
> the National Institute of Polar Research, which is involved in
> geology and geophysics studies. The announcement was
> front-page news in Japan.
>
> Sakamoto said he hopes the finding of an impact crater in Japan
> will allow his colleagues easier access to carry out field studies
> in meteorite research.
>
> "The biggest honor is to have spurred such opportunities in Japan,"
> he said.
>
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Received on Sun 07 Sep 2003 02:28:07 AM PDT