[meteorite-list] Kentucky?

From: David E. Hostetter <dhostetter_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:29:58 2004
Message-ID: <31C526F9C6E251478AEC00380085CABE38C745_at_EXCHSRVR.Lafayette.pri>

Hi, list:

Sorry to get into this late, but better late than never!

I visited the Middlesboro area for the second time a couple of months =
ago, and recommend going to see it. Driving into town on the main road =
from the Interstate, it's clear that the geology is different from the =
surrounding area. I suggest going over to the nearby Cumberland Gap =
national park for the best view, though. Go into the little museum =
there (worth seeing in itself if you like history) and ask the ranger at =
the desk to show you the 3D plastic USGS map they have of the area. It =
shows the astrobleme clearly. I think, too, that might be where I got =
my copy of "Traces of Catastrophy: A Handbook of Shock Metamorphic =
Effects in Terrestrial Meteorite Impact Structures," by Bevan M. French =
(good, but not exactly light reading!). Then get directions to the =
overlook.

The road to the overlook goes through the park and is a steep switchback =
road up a mountain. Be sure your coolant system is in good shape before =
going to avoid overheating if you go in the summer! There's a parking =
lot at the top and a short walking path to the Cumberland Gap overlook, =
but from there you can look back to the right toward Middlesboro and =
really see the crater well.

Kentucky also has the Versailles Structure in Woodford County not =
terribly far from Lexington, although I don't know if there is anything =
there to see. More interesting is Jeptha Knob, the central uplift of =
another impact structure. It lies north of (and easily visible from) =
I-64 between Lexington and Louisville. It's best seen from the =
Interstate near a truck weigh station just east of Shelbyville. It =
looks like a largish, isolated hill (in rolling country) with an antenna =
farm at the top.

There's more information on these structures from the Kentucky =
Geological Survey site at www.uky.edu/KGS/home.htm , but you'll need to =
use the search function to find it all. I think the KGS also has some =
meteorites on display in their campus building.

There are some other impact structures in surrounding states, too. I =
find that the Geological Survey sites for many states are good sources =
of information about such things.

Dave Hostetter
Curator of the Planetarium
Lafayette (LA) Natural History Museum & Planetarium=20

>Hello List, Looks like things might be looking up for me,=20
>finally! I got a
>job offer in Lexington Kentucky. Just got to work out the=20
>details. I am
>into meteorites, not race horses, is there anything or anyone=20
>interesting in
>Kentucky? I think this will be safer the Iraq!!! : )
>Thanks, Tom
>Peregrineflier <><
>The proudest member of the IMCA 6168
>
>
>
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Received on Sun 21 Sep 2003 07:18:28 PM PDT