[meteorite-list] FW: Lunar origin of tektites

From: Sterling K. Webb <kelly_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Mar 26 18:29:17 2005
Message-ID: <4245EF1F.D1874D32_at_bhil.com>

Hi,

    The major composition is not quartz. Quartz is a mineral, i.e., crystal.
There are small quartz inclusions, partially melted, in tektites. Tektites are
a glass. "Glass" is a rock that has been completely melted (or almost
completely) then cooled so rapidly that no crystals have time to form. No
crystals -- it's not a rock any more, Baby Blue.
    There is a big argument about whether "glass" is a solid or a liquid of
super high viscosity. Since there are no crystals in a glass, it is often
impossible to determine what rocks were melted to produce the glass. The bulk
composition (and common sense knowledge) shows that quartz must a major
component, up to 70% silicon, probably in the form of sand -- that's how humans
make glass from scratch.
    Glass-making, however, is a craft technology in which scientists are never
involved and about which scientists, frankly, know almost nothing. Arguments
about tektites that put forward inconvient facts about the characteristics of
glass that must be considered in studying tektites are usually ignored.
    O'Keefe, an astronomer, spent years learning about glasses and everything he
learned was ignored. Shouldn't have been, but there you go. For example,
cooling a molten mass down to create glass must be done veeeeery slowly, for
many, many hours, or crystalization will suddenly commence at some point inside
the mass, spread catastrophically, and tons of melt will turn back into rock,
mineral, in moments. From the glass-maker's viewpoint, a disaster.
    So, how did tektites get formed in a 50,000 degree plasma, get blown into
space to cool rapidly for 10-25 minutes in a vaccuum, then get reheated again
almost to the melting point by re-entry, and soft land, all in 30 minutes or
less, and stay glass?
    Beats the hell out of me.

Sterling Webb
-------------------------------------------
Tom Knudson wrote:

> " Well, I gather that the major component of tektites is quartz-- and that
> quartz is very rare in meteorites"
>
> Well, do you know why? It is because the Quartz meteoroids can't seem to make
> it through Earths atmosphere, it always burns up and falls as tektites!
> : )
> Thanks, Tom
> peregrineflier <><
> IMCA 6168
> http://www.frontiernet.net/~peregrineflier/Peregrineflier.htm
> http://fstop.proboards24.com/
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gerald Flaherty" <grf2_at_verizon.net>
> To: <cynapse_at_charter.net>; <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2005 2:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] FW: Lunar origin of tektites
>
> > AH HAH !!
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Darren Garrison" <cynapse_at_charter.net>
> > To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> > Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 9:59 PM
> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] FW: Lunar origin of tektites
> >
> >
> > On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 21:29:56 -0500, "tett" <tett_at_rogers.com> wrote:
> >
> > >But,.... Could this be ablated material from a meteorite that did make it
> to earth? I would guess no. I see this thin layer of glass vaporizing as it
> is created. I don't think the physics are there to support this material.
> >
> > Well, I gather that the major component of tektites is quartz-- and that
> quartz is very rare in meteorites.
> > ______________________________________________
> >
Received on Sat 26 Mar 2005 06:24:15 PM PST