[meteorite-list] More on London Clay Microtektites

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 26 May 2007 01:27:03 -0500
Message-ID: <018401c79f5e$e0a6d2c0$f54de146_at_ATARIENGINE>

Hi,

    Addresing not Aubrey, but his informant... Why is this
so familiar? Is there a Mystery Object Protocol that demands
that things be presented obliquely, incompletely, and
confusingly?

> The tektites have a high Ca content and this factor
> through [THROWS?] those who expect them to
> show substantial silica in their make up. But the people
> that found difficulty with such a composition, in my view,
> simply had an inability in grasp that some things in heaven
> and earth are literally beyond the powers of human understanding.

    So, they have been analysed for bulk composition, then?

    Calcium is high. How high? Provide percentages, please.

    They don't show "substantial" silica? How much silica?

    NUMBERS, please.

    In fact, how about the entire bulk composition results?

    What is their chief constituent?

    If they're "glass" as claimed, they must contain a more than
measurable amount of silicon dioxide. That's what glass is. If
they're tektites, it is inconceivable that they would be silica-free.

    The only thing that's beyond my "powers of human
understanding" is what he thinks he's doing with this idiotic
babble about dataless compositions and vague mysticism.
Does he have data or not?

    Sounds like a complete flake. I suppose another source can
be added to the list of possible origins: a night in the lab with
bunsen and pipette and some nice glass stock.

    Shame. If they were real and from the beginning of the
Eocene (55 mya) instead of the end of the Eocene (35 mya),
they might be evidence from an enigmatic event:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleocene-Eocene_Thermal_Maximum

    Aubrey, why don't you ask him if he actually has any real
data, how he got it (who did the tests), and such like questions,
as, would he show it to you or let you put it on your website?

    And, finally, despite the visual resemblance to microtektites,
there is one other substance which these objects could be:
Amber. Amber was formed largely 50+ mya, is often found in
early Eocene deposits, is suitably durable, is extensively transported
by water, assumes fluid forms, and so forth. Amber can absorb
considerable calcium (buried with bird bones you said). If the
chief element of its composition is Carbon, you might have amber...


Sterling K. Webb
-------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: Aubrey Whymark
To: britishandirishmeteoritesociety at yahoogroups.com ;
meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 4:51 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] More on London Clay Microtektites


Hi

Michael Daniels, who discovered the London Clay tektites has recently
emailed me a little more information, which I'd like to pass on:

When it comes to your correspondent's doubts, which they are fully entitled
to submit,
particularly suspicions raised about the possibility of contaminates,
origins connected
with fly-ash and power stations, volcanics, yes, they are all familiar
observations con-
cerning the particles.

And, as before, I just make the suggestion that for those more doubtful,
they come down
here and I will gladly conduct them to the Naze when I shall be more than
appreciative to
hear their explanations as to where I may have, in my enthusiasm, become a
little
adventurous in my concept and having unquestioning belief in the antiquity
of the little
glassy objects. That might be for me an acid test, but actually I think
when they have
better appreciation of the conditions prevailing at this lower London Clay
locality, I think I
can win over a few potential critics.

Just to deal with a couple of questions raised by those who have written.

I have today once more checked the particles and none show any magnetic
properties.
Some do have voids and there is a little evidence of impurities, but if that
is confirmed
then just might be tiny specs of dirt or plant debris.

As for their pristine state, no sign of them suffering any ablation. Many
of the fossil bird
bones that I have collected from the Walton site are in such a remarkable
condition
that I have had to be careful when comparing them with modern avian
elements, so
perfect are they that confusion over which is which could arise. This is
because once
the relics came to rest on the sea bed and were fast covered with sediment,
there they
remained down 55 (not 35!) million years until they were caused to emerge
when I dug
up the pocket, composed mainly of plant material, in which they were lodged
and so
reveal them once more to the light of day!

The tektites have a high Ca content and this factor through those who expect
them to
show substantial silica in their make up. But the people that found
difficulty with such
a composition, in my view, simply had an inability in grasp that some things
in heaven
and earth are literally beyond the powers of human understanding.

Have a pleasant weekend

Sincerely

Michael

Thanks for all the feedback, Aubrey (out of contact for a bit in the Middle
East, so apologies if I don't reply)

www.tektites.co.uk





Yahoo! Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less, sign up
for your free account today.



______________________________________________
Meteorite-list mailing list
Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Received on Sat 26 May 2007 02:27:03 AM PDT