1400 pound meteorite - how big of a crater?

[Marc]

Now I know that is an impossible question to answer... it all depends on trajectory, and the material it impacts... but I am researching a certain meteorite that fell in rocky, mountainous terrain. It was found hundreds of years ago, but the locals don't know exactly where... it weighs slightly over 1400 pounds and is about 3 feet by 2 feet. so I thought... hmm... I wonder if I could find a crater of some sort using Google Earth?

Here is a screen grab from Google Earth of the general area. Could this be a crater? It appears to have a radio or phone tower there now - but that SURE looks like an impact crater to me! It's at least 200 feet across.

What do YOU think? Could/would a 1400 pound meteor leave a crater that large (or even larger?)

I sure would like to find more pieces of that monstrous meteorite!

Thanks,
Marc

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[Marc]

For the record, that was not a crater - went up there - and it's the excavated earth used to construct a ski lift!

I at least thought ya'll would like to see the view!

Back to the drawing board!

 

[poorhunter78]

Have you searched the web for an Impact simulator? If you have not already!

 

[Tuberale]

If you're comfortable with your explanation, I guess that's what it is.

Several larger meteorite craters have now been found on GoogleEarth. Usually they have to be several hundred feet across.

Meteorite craters are relatively easy to spot on Earth. They are nearly circular. They often (but not always) have a central uplift area near the center. But sometimes in deep soils or in the ocean, craters leave almost no signs unless they are massive. Chixulub is visible for example. In my opinion the Aleutian Islands form an arc of one of the largest meteorite impacts in Earth's history. Hudson's Bay is suspect as well.

 

[Marc]

If you're comfortable with your explanation, I guess that's what it is.

Hmm, you are making me think twice.. there are 4 ski lifts in this ski park. NO others have what look like a crater under them! (although they do appear to be built on mounds) will have to go back and look. EDIT : After researching the historical comments on the discovery of the meteorite, I am once again leaning towards this being the impact site! woo hoo! It is the right distance noted, AND at the top of the mountain - as noted in historical accounts! It's amazing no one has figured this out in the area! I am heading back up there Monday with detector in hand!

Several larger meteorite craters have now been found on GoogleEarth. Usually they have to be several hundred feet across.

Meteorite craters are relatively easy to spot on Earth. They are nearly circular. They often (but not always) have a central uplift area near the center. But sometimes in deep soils or in the ocean, craters leave almost no signs unless they are massive. Chixulub is visible for example.

Well this is certainly circular, and it does have a mound offset from the center...

In my opinion the Aleutian Islands form an arc of one of the largest meteorite impacts in Earth's history. Hudson's Bay is suspect as well.

Scientists say an impact in Yucatan may mave wiped out the dinosaurs... I have often wondered if the Gulf of Mexico is a result of this impact.

I just might go back and detect that - what looks like a - crater. (have not done that yet!)

Thanks for the comments.

Marc

 

[Tuberale]

In my opinion the Aleutian Islands form an arc of one of the largest meteorite impacts in Earth's history. Hudson's Bay is suspect as well.

Scientists say an impact in Yucatan may mave wiped out the dinosaurs... I have often wondered if the Gulf of Mexico is a result of this impact.

I just might go back and detect that - what looks like a - crater. (have not done that yet!)

Thanks for the comments.

Marc

Chicxulub impact site is actually about half in/half out of water at this time. Many of the ceanotes on the Yucatan seem to be parts of the perimeter of Chicxulub, or may be associated with each other. You should be able to find this info by searching for Chicxulub, Mexican, meteor, impact. While it is a big one, it may surprise you how small it actually is.

 

[TheRandyMan]

1400 lbs and a size of 2x3...just a bit of a guess here but that does not sound like a typical iron/nickle meteorite which make up over 95% of the meteorites that make it to the earth's surface. That size and weight would appear to correlate with a rocky type of meteorite. If so, many of those explode upon impact and not much is left to pickup...if there is something left it will weather quickly and often look very similar to the surrounding rocks.

Good luck in your hunt!

 

[warsawdaddy]

The meteor that impacted and formed the Barringer crater in AZ(Meteor Crater) weighed about 165,000 short tons at impact and fragmented on impact into small portions.If the meteor you are looking for has those deminsions and weight still,I think the crater would really be enormus,much larger than you see now.

 

[Tuberale]

If 1400 pounds, then crater would not be that large.

Dimensions of 2x3' would still be possible iron-nickel if stone was relatively thin, or if pallasite. It's a problem of a 3-dimensional object vs. a 2-dimensional description.

Recently recovered Brenham pallasite was 1400 lbs, for example.

 

[Marc]

I was all around the "crater" today, with no signs of meteorites.

For the record.... Here is more info on the meteorite that impacted the top of the mountain....

http://www.ville-caille.net/index.p...ction-du-museum-d-histoire-naturelle-de-paris

http://www.beyond.fr/themes/caille-meteorite.html

I am attaching a kml file so you can look at the possible crater I discovered... in context... you will need to view it in Google Earth.

Also... on the other side of the mountain, where this large meteorite was found, I noticed this interesting feature. (below) I wonder if that could be a glancing blow from meteorites?

Now I have another trip planned to look at the area below that interesting feature! (not sure why it's blackened and out of the ordinary - but probably not enough enough sharp edges to be an impact site - unless this fell a LONG time ago!)

 

[Tuberale]

France is famous for another old multi-thousand meteorite shower. Literally hundreds of animals (mostly farm animals) said to have died in this astral bombardment. Check in Meteoritical Bulletin database for more information (Chasigny, maybe?). Think it was back in the 1500-1700 A.D.era, so several hundred years ago.

 

[Tuberale]

I was all around the "crater" today, with no signs of meteorites.

For the record.... Here is more info on the meteorite that impacted the top of the mountain....

http://www.ville-caille.net/index.p...ction-du-museum-d-histoire-naturelle-de-paris

http://www.beyond.fr/themes/caille-meteorite.html

I am attaching a kml file so you can look at the possible crater I discovered... in context... you will need to view it in Google Earth.

Also... on the other side of the mountain, where this large meteorite was found, I noticed this interesting feature. (below) I wonder if that could be a glancing blow from meteorites?

Now I have another trip planned to look at the area below that interesting feature! (not sure why it's blackened and out of the ordinary - but probably not enough enough sharp edges to be an impact site - unless this fell a LONG time ago!)

I see what you are looking at. Interesting. If that was, say, a cometary fragment impact rather than a meteorite, it might well have left those scortch-marks. Did you take a sample of the blackened rock to see if it have been impact-fragmented?

 

[SilverSleuth]

Hoba meteorite weighs 60 tons and left no crater.

 

[Tuberale]

Hoba meteorite weighs 60 tons and left no crater.

Actually, it did. Big. Need to look at it from above. Try Google Earth. Hoba is ancient. Most of the rim has eroded over time.

 

[Marc]

I see what you are looking at. Interesting. If that was, say, a cometary fragment impact rather than a meteorite, it might well have left those scortch-marks. Did you take a sample of the blackened rock to see if it have been impact-fragmented?

I have not been able to get close enough to those marks - yet. Hopefully in a few days.... They certainly stand out....

 

[Marc]

Have you searched the web for an Impact simulator? If you have not already!

No - can you point me to one?

 

[Tuberale]

Just got done searching the Meteoritical database, and found this, which sounds like it might be similar:
Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.

Each meteorite which has been confirmed in science has a specific name. You should be able to enter the above and find more information about that strike.

 

[Marc]

No - this is the meteorite that struck this particular mountain....

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/inde...ect=&phot=&snew=0&pnt=Normal table&code=12393

The database shows it was found in 1828 - when actually it was found in the 1600's and identified as a meteorite in 1828... it was used as a seat in front of the church for a many years.

 

[Tuberale]

Seems to me there was some conflict with the Catholic church at the time. Until the meteorite shower in France, the church was certain "stones from the heavens" were something involving mass hysteria. But Thomas Jefferson said in the very early 1800's said "I would sooner believe two professors from Harvard lied, then that stones fell from the heavens." This during the Enlightenment, by one of the best-read people in the world at the time. Oh well. Times change.

Many early references to meteors referenced "stereophonic sounds" that today are known as "sonic booms." Other than meteorite strikes, first man-made sonic boom was created by Chuck Yeager in 1947 when he became the first man to travel faster than the speed of sound.

 

[extractor]

Any luck on getting up to that spot behind the cabin?