MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Re: have any earth-born meteorites been found?

Date: Thu Dec 21 09:07:41 2000
Posted By: Michael Richmond, Faculty, Physics, Rochester Institute of Technology
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 976775798.As
Message:

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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