[meteorite-list] William Hartmann Honored for Planetary Dating Technique (2010 Barringer Medal)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 09:51:12 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201008021651.o72GpCAD018368_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PLANETARY SCIENCE INSTITUTE


SENT:
Aug. 2, 2010

FROM:
Alan Fischer
Public Information Office
Planetary Science Institute
520-885-5648
fischer at psi.edu


PSI Scientist Honored for Planetary Dating Technique

The Meteoritical Society awarded Tucson Planetary Science Institute
researcher William K. Hartmann its 2010 Barringer Medal Thursday in
New York.

The award recognizes Hartmann's outstanding work in the field of
cratering of planets by asteroid impacts, according to the citation
from the international society for meteoritics and planetary science.

"The award primarily recognizes our work in developing a system for
estimating ages of planetary surface features, especially on Mars,"
Hartmann said. "The idea is that if you create any surface in the
solar system - lava flows, lakebed deposit or even a parking lot -
asteroid impacts craters will create craters over millions of years,
so the older the surface, the more craters.

"By careful counting of impact craters, and attention to their state
of preservation, we've been able to show that while many surfaces on
Mars are very old - say 3.5 billion years to 4.5 billion years, or
almost as old as the planet itself - other surfaces such as some lava
flows and water-erosion features can't be much more than 100 million
years, which is the last 2 percent of geologic time. Which suggests
that Mars has had volcanic activity and even occasional water release
in "modern" geologic time. That is very exciting, to realize that Mars
is a geologically active planet, just from counts of asteroid impacts
on various surfaces."

The award-winning research was carried out of the last 39 years at
Tucson's Planetary Science Institute. Hartmann is one of the founders
of the Institute.

Clark R. Chapman of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo.
introduced Hartmann at the event.

"Bill Hartmann is one of the few scientists during the past half-century
who have studied cratering from the broadest, most open-minded
perspective, trying to elucidate the fundamental role it has played in
shaping the surfaces of the planets and the properties of the smaller
bodies in the solar system," Chapman said. "Bill Hartmann's vision of
lunar and planetary cratering, and his career of research and public
outreach on that topic, make him eminently qualified to receive the
prestigious Barringer Medal."

The Barringer Medal and Award were established in 1982 to honor the
memory of D. Moreau Barringer Sr. and his son D. Moreau Barringer Jr.
and are sponsored by the Barringer Crater Company. The senior
Barringer was the first to seriously propose an impact origin for the
crater that now bears his name. For nearly two decades he defended this
theory against the vast majority of scientific opinion. The junior
Barringer was the first to identify the Odessa crater, the second known
impact site on Earth.

"The Barringer family from the Flagstaff family originally bought
Meteor Crater near Winslow and developed it into a significant Arizona
attraction with a wonderful museum," Hartmann said. "The family has
always been terrific about supporting science and research into
meteorites and cratering."


CONTACT:
William K. Hartmann
Senior Scientist
520 332-8925
hartmann at psi.edu


PSI INFORMATION:
Mark V. Sykes
Director
520-622-6300
sykes at psi.edu

PSI HOMEPAGE:
http://www.psi.edu

PSI PRESS RELEASES:
http://www.psi.edu/press/
Received on Mon 02 Aug 2010 12:51:12 PM PDT