[meteorite-list] Smacked by gob

From: Pete Shugar <pshugar_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:50:54 -0600
Message-ID: <9FD02F307C8445A89AC52875B30EDAC9_at_laptop>

At the risk of going soooo faaaar off topic as to never be able to find my
way back,
I ask the following:
I readily admit that it sometimes does not take much to amuse me, but I find
that
the word Gobsmacked as probably one of the single most facinating words to
ever
appear on the internet. Please define.........
Pete

----- Original Message -----
From: "Darren Garrison" <cynapse at charter.net>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 10:10 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Smacked by gob


> http://www.theage.com.au/national/googling-geologist-identifies-possible-meteorite-crater-out-the-back-of-bourke-20081122-6eix.html
>
> Googling geologist identifies possible meteorite crater out the back of
> Bourke
>
> * Richard Macey
> * November 23, 2008
>
> A RETIRED geologist searching on Google Earth for a place to mine opals
> may have
> discovered something much bigger: a meteorite crater in outback NSW.
>
> Mike Fry, of Maryborough in central Victoria, was using the Google site
> last
> month to survey terrain when he saw an unusual structure in the red dust.
>
> "The circular nature of this thing struck me," Mr Fry said. "It was so
> distinctive, I was gobsmacked."
>
> Mr Fry, who earned a degree in geology from the University of New Mexico
> before
> coming to Australia 44 years ago to mine opals and gold, drove for 11
> hours to
> the site to take a look. The site is about 10 kilometres north-east of
> White
> Cliffs, a town halfway between Broken Hill and Bourke in far north-western
> NSW.
>
> "I have walked around it," he said, estimating his "crater" was at least
> two
> kilometres across. "There is a steep slope on the eastern side, which
> rises 30
> to 50 metres above the floor."
>
> The western rim was severely eroded. However, the eastern side had been
> preserved under a layer of sedimentary material called silcrete, formed
> from
> dissolved silica, that he believes was laid down more than 2 million years
> ago.
>
> "Silcrete is as hard as concrete," Mr Fry said. "The crater had to exist
> before
> the silcrete was laid down."
>
> Several scientists who looked at the images agreed that while circular
> shapes
> could be produced by many geological forces, including volcanic activity,
> the
> feature deserved further investigation.
>
> "It does look the right sort of shape," said Andy Tomkins, of Monash
> University.
> "It is the pattern you would expect to see. It looks interesting."
>
> Peter Haines, a senior geologist with the Geological Survey of Western
> Australia, said he would remain "a bit sceptical" until the site was
> tested.
>
> However, he added, "just looking at it, it's something that should be
> followed
> up".
>
> Dr Tomkins and Dr Haines said finding microscopic evidence of rock that
> had
> suffered a severe shock would indicate an impact crater.
>
> If Mr Fry has found an impact crater, it would be the second such
> discovery
> using Google Earth.
>
> Last year Dr Arthur Hickman, a geologist with the Geological Survey of WA,
> found
> a crater, about 260 metres wide and up to 30 metres deep, in the Hamersley
> Ranges in WA's Pilbara region.
>
> Dr Haines said it was certainly possible a two-kilometre meteorite crater
> had
> gone unnoticed. "It is not something that would necessarily attract the
> attention of someone who was not already thinking about a crater." A
> crater,
> agreed Dr Tomkins, "could easily be missed".
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Received on Sat 22 Nov 2008 10:50:54 PM PST