MadSci Network: Astronomy |
That's an intriguing question! One type of "earth-born meteorite" which is commonly found is called a tektite: a glassy, usually teardrop-shaped glob of material. We believe that tektites are formed when a small asteroid smashes into the earth. The impact heats the surrounding rock to thousands of degrees, melting it, and blows some of the molten rock outwards into the atmosphere. This molten material cools and freezes as it flies for tens or hundreds of miles through the air, and turns into the tektites that we see. Ordinary tektites, because they have been melted by the impact, do not contain any fossil material. But it is possible for surface material farther from the impact site to be blown upwards by the shock wave, yet not heated enough to melt. We expect that this process is much less common, and so expect to find many fewer such meteorites. The martian meteorites, such as ALH84001, are thought to have been created in this manner. It's easier for a rock to be blown off the planet without melting on Mars, because its surface gravity and escape velocity are lower than Earth's. I haven't read about any terrestrial analogs to the martian meteorites, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist. Perhaps a good search through the geological section of a university library would provide some answers. Good question!
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