[meteorite-list] New Peru article

From: mexicodoug <mexicodoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 01:23:34 -0500
Message-ID: <007701c8064f$1861ba20$4001a8c0_at_MICASA>

Hi List amigos,

Just curious ... Sterling what model you have accounts for potato sized
meteorites (and powder) scattered in and around meters from the impact, yet
strictly powder inside, especially for a meteorite that sheds like this one
particularly along its natural 'fault' lines. Let me add that the collision
physics probably is greatly different as the ground is a great deal more
"compressible" than a typical collision where the rate of the speed of sound
traveling from end and back determines the stresses experienced. This is
basically the difference between dividing by zero time to dividing by an
extended time caused by the detrital inclusions in the energy absorbing
sink. The six meter depth of the crater in all likelyhood is an indication
of significant damping more than anything else. As is the great diameter a
testimony of the characteristic of the ability of the ground to absorb
shock. The difference between falling from an altitude to a marble floor or
a to bank of snow where you leave a big hole.

Even a three tone stone meteorite wouldn't be expected to maintain any
cosmic velocity, and if it did by some stretch, it should have long sheered
apart as it hit dense atmosphere.

Another random comment I have is that despite the observed peeing in the
crater, the marly clay soil is quite basic (pH = 7.8 vs. acidic), so we may
be lucky in that the meteorite remains preserved more than we think.

Finally, without any disrespect meant, I wanted to nominate the informal
name of this meteorite to be "the Pisco Sour meteorite" (even though it is
now quite alkaline).

Best health,
Doug

PS Randall, with all respect due and no malice intended, that joke you told
about the Arequipan Republic makes you as the joke teller a homosexual girl,
a result I don't think you intended (and please don't shoot the messenger).
Run by your wife the version you posted "exactly" and see if she busts out
laughing like we did. But hey a little joshing is good for the soul...


----- Original Message -----
From: "Sterling K. Webb" <sterling_k_webb at sbcglobal.net>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 12:28 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] New Peru article


> Hi,
>
> The only good news here is that the notorious
> "meteoritotrafficantes americanos" have hopefully
> slipped across the bandit border into Boliva.
>
>> police had searched for the meteorite hunters
>> at their hotel but were unable to catch them
>> because they had left.
>
> I was thinking it was getting near the time to
> get out of Dodge; wasn't everybody? Mike, get
> out of there.
>
> It will be interesting to watch the local scientific
> authorities remove the massive multi-ton meteorite
> from the muddy pit, from under five meters of water,
> without draining it, as they said they would, before
> the crater vanishes in a few months (as they also
> said it would). Just kidding.
>
> Only problem is, after kicking numbers and
> reports around for a day or two, I don't think that
> there's anything under that mud but more mud.
> According to the INGEMMET report, the windows
> of a dwelling over 1000 meters away from the crater
> were broken and blown out by the impact. I believe
> that is diagnostic of a hypersonic impact (greater
> than 340 m/s).
>
> Using the figure for average terrestrial rock, it
> only takes about 100 joules per gram to powder it
> to dust. At the speed of sound, each gram of the
> meteoroid has 60 joules of kinetic energy; at Mach
> 1.3 (450 m/s), it has 100 joules per gram. At 1000 m/s
> (or about Mach 3), it has over 500 joules per gram.
>
> Mike Farmer said, "The meteorite is very fragile,
> very porous..." I doubt very much that it would take
> 100 joules (granite takes 100 joules) to be dusted.
> Mike also mentioned locally taken photos that showed
> "incredible amounts of meteorite powder."
>
> And lastly, it seems from those photos Mike saw
> (and the photgrapher's story) that the fireball's ablative
> smoke trail was visible pretty much all the way to the
> crater location and the mushroom cloud. That would
> mean that the object was in ablative flight all the way
> to the ground. (It's worthwhile to point out that ablation
> requires more than "merely" hypersonic speeds.)
>
> Then there's Dr. Daniels a.k.a. Gregory's report of
> the tiny dust-like particles he meteoritotrafficanted from
> a little old lady -- that's evidence that the crushing strength
> of the material was exceeded, and because it was outside
> the crater, must have come from the most protected
> part of the impactor: its backside.
>
> That meteorite is dust. No matter what it massed,
> there's nothing in that mudpit.
>
> And it's OK with me if I'm wrong and somebody
> winches a ton or two of meteorite out of the mud; it
> would be a great day. But... don't hold your breath.
>
>
> Sterling K. Webb
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Darren Garrison" <cynapse at charter.net>
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 10:59 PM
> Subject: [meteorite-list] New Peru article
>
>
> http://www.livinginperu.com/news-4832-environmentnature-meteorite-crater-guarded-perus-police-after-u-s-citizens-attempt-traffick-it
>
> Latest News in Peru / Archive
> Environment/Nature | 3 October, 2007 [ 16:00 ]
>
> Meteorite Crater Guarded by Peru's Police after U.S. Citizens Attempt to
> Traffick it
>
> (LIP-ir) -- Peru's official government news agency reported yesterday that
> the
> crater where a meteorite fell in Puno, Peru was being guarded by 20 of
> Peru's
> National Police officers.
>
> Chief of the police station, Major Victor Anaya stated that the officers
> had
> been placed near the meteorite landing site to keep a group of U.S.
> citizens
> from trafficking pieces of the meteorite.
>
> On Monday October 1, Ronald Woodman, the president of Peru's Geophysics
> Institute (IGP) claimed that a group of U.S. citizens, led by Michael
> Farmer,
> were attempting to traffick pieces of the meteorite.
>
> Woodman stated that Farmer was a known meteorite hunter that searched for
> meteorites around the world and sold them to collectors. He stated, "They
> planned to start digging today and take them out of the country. This is
> worth
> money, and they are taking them to sell them not to study them."
>
> The Geophysics president expressed his discontent with respect to the team
> led
> by Farmer. He stated that they were taking advantage of the townspeoples
> ignorance, stating that the meteorite was worth much more than what they
> were
> paying.
>
> Anaya reported that police had searched for the meteorite hunters at their
> hotel
> but were unable to catch them because they had left. He explained that the
> U.S.
> citizens had urged the townspeople to collect samples, causing some of
> them
> to
> attempt to drain the water from the crater
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Received on Thu 04 Oct 2007 02:23:34 AM PDT