[meteorite-list] Suspected Meteorite Falls in Cambodia

From: Gerald Flaherty <grf2_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Jan 26 18:19:09 2005
Message-ID: <013a01c503fd$6b80f5b0$6401a8c0_at_Dell>

Strike Flinty Rock? Jerry
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Baalke" <baalke_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
To: "Meteorite Mailing List" <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 3:28 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Suspected Meteorite Falls in Cambodia


>>
>> I have grave doubts that anything on the ground was burned because of a
>> meteorite fall. There is simply no way to get a meteorite to the ground
>> hot
>> without it retaining cosmic velocity, which means you would have a
>> cratering
>> event.
>
> That's true. Any meteorite that is still ablating when it reaches the
> ground
> is traveling at hypervelocity, and will leave a rather sizeable crater
> upon
> impact. We haven't had such an impact in recorded human history. Most
> meteorites
> will have hit the ground from a freefall speed, of less then 200 mph. So,
> it
> is extremely unlikey a meteorite would cause a fire from ablation.
>
> BUT
>
> There is still a couple of other ways a meteorite can cause a fire. If
> the
> meteorite hits something combustible on the ground and causes it to ignite
> or
> explode. A gas tank of a car, for example. Or the fireball appearance
> startles
> someone on the ground who knocks over a gas lantern, or drops his lit
> cigarette,
> and a fire then ensues.
>
> Ron Baalke
>
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Received on Wed 26 Jan 2005 06:19:00 PM PST