[meteorite-list] Lunar and Martian Meteorites

From: almitt <almitt_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:25:38 2004
Message-ID: <3EBEB2ED.FEB67529_at_kconline.com>

Hi Bernd and Bjørn,

I think it might possibly have to do with the impact dynamics that liberate material
from the Moon and Mars. Perhaps someone can shed light on the article I am referring
to but somewhere I was reading that they think smaller impact sites on the Moon might
be the impacts that deliver us material, while larger impactors tend to pulverize the
lunar material from shock. Since the impactors come in at cosmic velocity they hit
hard and shock hard. The smaller impactors allow for a cushioning of the materials to
survive on the way up and out.

Mars with its atmosphere (as fine as it is) still allows for some slowing on the
impactor. It seem we have larger chunks from Mars than we see from the Moon due to the
impact events there. I am guessing that the impacts on Mars might be from larger
meteoroids, different from the Lunar impacts.

--AL
Received on Sun 11 May 2003 04:30:37 PM PDT