goldstonehigh Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I want to know if a positively identified small-medium meteorite crater is located, lets say about 40 to 60 feet across. Is a big meteorite always found, buried under the ground, at the (center?)bottom of that hole?? (A crater does not have to always be on the harder surfaces of the desert but can also be on the softer deeper clay-black dirt farm land and prairie too.) Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelancer79d Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Meteorites are not always found in the center of their impact crater. Depending on the angle on the impact they can be deflected out (bounce). If you did find an impact crater search the area around it also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldstonehigh Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 Thank you very much freelancer79d, that helps. I never thought of a meteorite coming in at an angle and on the impact, being deflected out, bouncing beyond the crater, then the area around it would have to be searched also. BUT harder soils would do this more often than softer soils would, I would think. In softer soils the meteorite would tend to sink in the ground more and not deflect as much. Then in soft soils the meteorite should always be down in the impact crater hole?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelancer79d Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Here is a link to todays Rocksfromspace Pic of the day. It clearly shows the impact point and meteorite in the pic. http://www.rocksfromspace.org/February_12_2009.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I believe laws of physics;size, composition, speed, etc will determine if there is a body in the bottom of the crater. In one of the meteorite books there is an approximate size ( ten tons for an iron, I think) over which the incoming body will come apart, vaporize and generally fall apart on or near impact...and there will still be a crater such as the Az Meteor Crater...they dug a lot of holes looking for the big piece before someone showed that it could not be there... Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regmaglitch Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Hi Freelancer, Thanks for the link. When I was at the Tucson Show, I bought a small crusted fragment of that very same Tamdaht/Tishka and it even has pounded-on sand stuck on it that is the same color as in the picture. Very cool! \ Thanks, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelancer79d Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Not a problem Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 In reference to my previous post...page 53, Rocks From Space...O Richard Norton Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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