Post by 1dave on Apr 6, 2014 11:06:24 GMT -5
An extension of Geology For Rockhounds.
This is an image of Mercury, but early Earth looked much like this.
Oceans keep opening and closing like camera lenses. Each time, forcing continents over previous ocean bottoms, erasing the craters that once were there, but the elements and minerals brought by the asteroid, comet, or meteorite remained in the area and often was vomited up by "chain of fire" volcanoes around the edges of the disappearing old oceans.
A mere billion years ago Rodinia split in half as the Pacific ocean was born, creating a ring of fire around the old major ocean.
A mere 200 million years ago Pangaea began to break up, giving birth to the Atlantic Ocean and creating a "ring of fire" around the Pacific.
Scientists refused to admit impact craters still existed on earth for centuries until Eugene Shoemaker finally forced them to accept their realities. We now know of many, but not all.
What does this matter to rockhounds? That is where interesting stuff can be found!
To listen to the experts speak, there are only three kinds of material coming daily from outer space:
Stonies, stony irons, and irons.
The reality is that every atom on this planet came from outer space.
I remember when they finally admitted that an asteroid killed off the dinosaurs and left a level of sediment around the world filled with the rare metal iridium. Some silly scientists started spouting that all rocks from space were full of iridium. Ridiculous. They are as varied as the novas and supernovas (Not the mythic "Oort Cloud") they were expelled from.
Over 15,000 meteorites have been studied,
The Planetary Scientist's Companion lists the following minerals found in meteorites:
They come in all sizes:
Just because many "burn up" does not mean that they disappear. They just oxidize, then drift to the ground. Not just the occasional "shooting star" we see from time to time, but well over 200 tons of brand new meteorites every day!
Peridot crystals from outer space are extremely valuable, but ultimately EVERY gemstone on earth came from the stars. If you have watched Meteorite Men, they found a lot in a corn field in Iowa!
This is an image of Mercury, but early Earth looked much like this.
Oceans keep opening and closing like camera lenses. Each time, forcing continents over previous ocean bottoms, erasing the craters that once were there, but the elements and minerals brought by the asteroid, comet, or meteorite remained in the area and often was vomited up by "chain of fire" volcanoes around the edges of the disappearing old oceans.
A mere billion years ago Rodinia split in half as the Pacific ocean was born, creating a ring of fire around the old major ocean.
A mere 200 million years ago Pangaea began to break up, giving birth to the Atlantic Ocean and creating a "ring of fire" around the Pacific.
Every action causes an equal and opposite reaction.
WHAT VIOLENT ACTION BROKE THE SURFACE OF THE CONTINENTS AND STARTED CONTINENTAL DRIFT?
Scientists refused to admit impact craters still existed on earth for centuries until Eugene Shoemaker finally forced them to accept their realities. We now know of many, but not all.
What does this matter to rockhounds? That is where interesting stuff can be found!
To listen to the experts speak, there are only three kinds of material coming daily from outer space:
Stonies, stony irons, and irons.
The reality is that every atom on this planet came from outer space.
I remember when they finally admitted that an asteroid killed off the dinosaurs and left a level of sediment around the world filled with the rare metal iridium. Some silly scientists started spouting that all rocks from space were full of iridium. Ridiculous. They are as varied as the novas and supernovas (Not the mythic "Oort Cloud") they were expelled from.
Over 15,000 meteorites have been studied,
The Planetary Scientist's Companion lists the following minerals found in meteorites:
They come in all sizes:
Just because many "burn up" does not mean that they disappear. They just oxidize, then drift to the ground. Not just the occasional "shooting star" we see from time to time, but well over 200 tons of brand new meteorites every day!
The daily influx of meteorites and meteor dust is well known to scientists, but the total volume of mass daily added to Earth's surface is difficult to estimate and is not well documented. Estimates of total volume published by NASA vary widely (or wildly?) just for dust alone, ranging from as little as 1,000 tons/day (300,000 metric tons/yr, Dubin and McCracken, 1962) to 55,000 tons/day (20,000,000 tons/yr, Fiocco and Colombo, 1964). However, a more recent estimate puts the accreting dust volume at approximately 78,000 tons/yr, or 214 tons/day.
- www.expanding-earth.org/page_10.htm
- www.expanding-earth.org/page_10.htm
Peridot crystals from outer space are extremely valuable, but ultimately EVERY gemstone on earth came from the stars. If you have watched Meteorite Men, they found a lot in a corn field in Iowa!