Pothead discovers worlds largest impact crater

[Turtle]

This is totally fun for me.

 

I figure if it is what I think then I will be the first one to say it.

If not then it was a stoner moment for the record books.

 

But please don't call me weed noggin, Weednoggins are lacking

common sense, I am a pothead, I would never stomp on a catfish,

cause they can stick you through your shoes.

 

I am a stand-up comic by trade.

Marijuana Man

I should have some good material from all this.

 

Roland A. Duby

 

:shrug: No offense meant...er...Roland. I have a habit & reputation of rewriting members' names for humorous effect. In spite of the impression my criticism may give, I love that you love the fun & taking advantage of the web to play bookie & record your bet.

 

After all, I claim to have identified Crater del Tortuga Jorge in Chihuahua, and it is still pending geologic study to confirm or deny its classification as impact crater. Like you, I wrote to experts, and much of what I have shared they put me onto.

 

Keep up the hunt, stick around, and see what else here at Hypography tickles you funny bone. :) :)

[Moontanman]

It must be that.

 

Evedently my humor doesn't translate either:doh:

[Ahmabeliever]

Hahaha, now that's funny!

 

The line, if used in the context of the 'bunch of material' alluded to previously, would be effective. One 1 liner on a subject is ok, 10 of them are far more effective. Of course, we can hope bigfatpothead has some better liness than that... it is merely what I'd call 'filler' on the subject at hand.

[bigfatpothead]

I totally get it, It is Alla (God) hitting the earth (Bama)

Reminds me of the terrorists they can never catch, his name is

Ali Ali Oatsenfrey. I have a feeling he is gonna be "it" for a while!

 

 

Roland A. Duby

 

 

 

There's your evidence!

 

2 out of 2 stand up comics believe it is a meteor strike. That's 100%.

 

Why else is it called AlaBAMa. :)

 

Yes, you can use that line. :shrug:

[CraigD]

After GoogleEarthing it for a few minutes, zooming in on the light-dark border of the light semicircle suggesting a portion of an ancient crater wall, my guess is that what BFPH has spotted is a combination of actual changes in photograph brightness due to clear foresting, and relics due to how Google Earth stitches together the image it presents from many photos of different brightness and resolution – but, like much of this thread, this is only a guess.

 

As many previous posters have noted, to confirm that a geological formation is the remnant of an ancient impact crater, you’ve got to make some on-site measurements – in other words, ROAD TRIP! :)

 

Though I’m not a geologist, from what I’ve read, there appear to be several kinds of measurements one can make to detect an ancient crater wall:

• The average spacing of fractures in exposed sedentary rock. You can find this stuff in river and creek beds, which have eroded down to ancient material. There should be more and more closely spaced fractures where the crater wall was than where it wasn’t. All you need to do this sort of surveying is physical effort (some serious hiking), patience, perseverance, and good record keeping.
  
• Density. Ancient crater walls erode in many landslides that leave areas of lower-density rock on their edges. These can be measured using a gravimeter. As these instruments tend to be expensive and difficult to operate, you’d either have to be rich or get the help of one or more academic or professional geologists with access to and experience with them.
  
• Unusual rocks. Iron spherules and other mineral formations caused by meteorite impacts are the best and most convincing evidence of a meteorite impact. "Shock lamellae are regarded as evidence— proof positive— of a buried impact crater.” (see “The Panther Mountain Crater”, Discover 8/2000) Though actually drilling or digging up samples is likely beyond almost anyone’s resources, if you can find the tailings of commercial drilling in the area, the really hard work’s already been done for you, and all you need is to sift through and go over the tailings grain-by-grain with a microscope (and the knowledge of what to look for) – the same patience and perseverance, but less hiking, than the fracture-counting first mentioned.
  

A semi-famous example of someone noticing a pattern in aerial images, and eventually collected enough data to show that it actually was an ancient crater, is the Panther Mountain Meteorite Crater (42 03.38 N 74 23.7 W) , which Yngvar Isachsen first noticed in the 1970s, and proved beyond reasonable doubt was an ancient impact crater in the late ‘90s.

 

An important point here is that you don’t necessarily have to dedicate years of your life to such a pursuit. Had Isachsen not found river bed fracture anomalies, he’d have given up on Panther Mountain after just a bit of hiking and measuring, having nothing worse than some pleasant hiking experience from the effort. A nice thing about science, particularly geology, is that you can do it in increasingly more involved stages.

 

So my advice to BFPH is to get out there and do some looking! Even if it shows no sign of an ancient impact, getting out into the woods is nice, and good for you. :)

[Thunderbird]

I totally get it, It is Alla (God) hitting the earth (Bama)

Reminds me of the terrorists they can never catch, his name is

Ali Ali Oatsenfrey. I have a feeling he is gonna be "it" for a while!

 

 

Roland A. Duby

 

Now that we've bashed your discovery , I’ll have to admit the first time I contacted a geologist to do field research on my fathers land I made a fool of myself by describing what I thought the meaning of all the strange rocks that I was finding. The geologist gave me some good advise on how to go about studying geology and what the geological events were leding up to the creation of the Igneous rocks in the area .

 

Don’t give up exploring the story in the land and the stone , grab a pack, Roll you a fatty, and walk the stream beds in your area, oh and find a copy of Simon &Shuster's Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals, and a good geology book, and have fun.

[LaurieAG]

I'm not sure if the physics of this will work out, I've seen bullets skip off of water but they are practically standing still compared to meteors. If it did skip off the ocean it would leave one hell of a tsunami wave! Are you suggesting that the lead, copper and zinc are relicts of an impact? Not possible, these metals are not found in quantity in meteors, they are concentrated by geological and biological processes from metal sulfates up welling from the earth.

 

Hi Moontanman,

 

The earth didn't have what we call an atmosphere for a couple of billion years so the physics was probably different then. Any metal that hit the earth during this period (especially dwhen the moon was formed) could have been the start point for these geological and biological process, before the atmosphere developed.

[Moontanman]

Hi Moontanman,

 

The earth didn't have what we call an atmosphere for a couple of billion years so the physics was probably different then. Any metal that hit the earth during this period (especially dwhen the moon was formed) could have been the start point for these geological and biological process, before the atmosphere developed.

 

It depends on what you call an atmosphere but if you mean a layer of significant gasses then the earth has had an atmosphere for virtually it's entire existence. Even when it was small it had some gasses but by four billion years ago it had a a dense atmosphere and small oceans. The collision that produced the moon occured before the earth was finished forming and it was probably about 50 to 75% of it's current size. No matter how you look at it metals such as copper lead and zinc do not fall out of the sky in large chunks like iron and nickel do. Most of the really pure concentrations are biological in origin.

[freeztar]

It depends on what you call an atmosphere but if you mean a layer of significant gasses then the earth has had an atmosphere for virtually it's entire existence. Even when it was small it had some gasses but by four billion years ago it had a a dense atmosphere and small oceans.

 

According to the article listed third on this site, high levels of CO2 were found in 3.8 billion year old rock. This suggests that an atmosphere was present well before this, but how long before, I think, is still unknown.

 

No matter how you look at it metals such as copper lead and zinc do not fall out of the sky in large chunks like iron and nickel do. Most of the really pure concentrations are biological in origin.

 

Are you suggesting that pure concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn are due to biological processes?

[Moontanman]

According to the article listed third on this site, high levels of CO2 were found in 3.8 billion year old rock. This suggests that an atmosphere was present well before this, but how long before, I think, is still unknown.

 

 

 

Are you suggesting that pure concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn are due to biological processes?

 

The idea was the Earth had no significant atmosphere for the first two billion years, not true if you go by current models. Yes, it is a well documented theory that biological and geological processes were both the source of most if not all heavy metal deposits, even concentrations of gold are thought to be the result of biology working various oxides and sulfides, sulfates and organometalic hydrocarbons of metals in the crust as these chemicals welled up from within the crust. I am not talking about rarified deposits but the places where very concentrated even pure metals are found. Some think even the more rarified deposits are from such processes but only the very concentrated or pure deposits can be actually shown to be from these processes.

[bigfatpothead]

WOOHOO

 

I finally started a thread on a forum that didn't get me banned!

 

 

History is made

[Moontanman]

WOOHOO

 

I finally started a thread on a forum that didn't get me banned!

 

 

History is made

 

I am glad, we need more BFPH's in the world, I never met one I didn't like!

[bigfatpothead]

thanks man

have ya heard my music?

 

http://www.bigfatpothead.com/music/inmymind.mp3

 

I also have stand-up videos

 

 

 

 

I am glad, we need more BFPH's in the world, I never met one I didn't like!

[Moontanman]

thanks man

have ya heard my music?

 

http://www.bigfatpothead.com/music/inmymind.mp3

 

I also have stand-up videos

 

No, all I have is very slow dial up but when I change to broadband I plan to check you out.

[John L]

This sounds/looks like part of the Carolina Bays formation. :wink: Here's a start for you on that with a thread here at Hypography. >> http://hypography.com/forums/earth-science/12526-carolina-bays.html

 

Here at Hypog we have several threads and lots of links on Earth impacts. :eek2:

 

http://hypography.com/forums/environmental-studies/11540-space-rock-impact-site-s.html

 

http://hypography.com/forums/astronomy-cosmology/9072-craters-earth-other-planets.html

 

Especially good!! >> http://hypography.com/forums/environmental-studies/11800-mammoth-comet-extinction.html

 

I think you are correct here. The total number of Impactor signatures are too numerous to count accurately.

 

The best estimate is that these 'bays' are the result of cometary collisions with the earth's atmosphere, where the comet would desintegrate in the atmosphere and expend most of it's kenetic energy. The resulting heat and blast effect would be horrendous. Larter objects, that were rendered smaller, would continue and strike the earth, at an angle, causing small craters, which would take time to erase, or cover.

 

If you study this picture closely, you can't help but see that there are multiple times recorded here. Many of the original impacts are weathered and covered by time, before later strikes are registered. This can only mean that there have veen multiple strikes, in time, and we can continue to expect more in the future.

 

Furthermore, I have no doubt that our greatest thread it from primarily comets, and secondarily asteroids, which are really reminents of earlier comets. They are ususlly larger, come in two to three times the speed, and have much more kenetic energy(ie heat and blast effect).

 

If you use the Carolina Bays as an example, the blast effect would have been more than disasterous. It would have litterly destroyed anything immediately under the blast, even though they would not fall within the 'bay' depressions.

 

I am comfortable in believing that it was a cometary impactor that led to the mass extinctions and ending of Clovis culture in post Pleistocene times, and most likely the cause of the Younger Dryas that immediately followed.

[Jack Hughett]

Ronnie (AKA Pothead)

 

You wrote:

"I was browsing google earth and found that a very large object hit the US and scraped along the surface before

Exploding in alabama and showering the midwest with huge rocks that left craters all over texas and arkansas.

Most of these craters have taken the form of small ponds.

 

The impact point is a hundred miles or so south east of huntsville Al.

And there is a huge impact crater that goes through 3 states.

The thing was so huge that it carved out the Appalachian mountains."

 

 

 

I'm a newby in the forum and I too have been looking at this very same impact area, I agree with you that it is an impact site. I have thought so for many years now, and was glad to finally find someone else who also felt that it was. I have written several geologist about this possibility but have had little success convincing them. I wish you better success. But I have a slight different take on the impact. I feel that the meteor didn't approach from the northeast as you have said, but first entered the atmosphere just above Guntersville Lake, which is also where you have the center of the ring located. Like you, I feel it struck at a very sharp angle but instead of bouncing down from the northeast it began digging a trench to the northeast. This trench is known as Sequatchie Valley and it cuts through the center of Tennessee. I feel the meteorite would have been roughly a little over three miles in diameter when it entered the atmosphere but after initial loss of mass of entering the atmosphere it was reduced to a three mile width which is the width of Sequatchie Valley.

At the upper end of Sequatchie Valley is an enclosed little valley and it is known as Grassy Cove. It is in this location that I feel the meteor completely penetrated the earth's surface.

 

After this point it gets a little confusing. I don't know if the meteorite split apart or as it's forward momentum slowed, it, instead of slicing the rock apart, pushed a massive block of rock ahead in it's path. In either scenario it was responsible for the creation of the Cumberland Mountains and Plateau. I feel a major portion of the meteorite stopped at a location under a formation of mountains located on the top of the plateau. The location is in the northern part of Tennessee where the counties of Scott, Anderson, Morgan, and Campbell intersect.

 

The meteorite should be located under Hembree, Tennessee located in Scott County. I'm almost certain it would be made of Iron, for iron can be found from Birmingham, Alabama to these mountains in northern TN. Crab Orchard stone found on the plateau even has a large concentration of iron within it.

 

After the meteorite reached Hembree this is where the confusion takes place. The meteor either splits here or as I said before, a massive block of rock was pushed in it's path. This has caused the Cumberland Escarpment to be offset from this point on. but it also leaves signs of something I feel is similar to a boat wake. It was actually formed in the same manor, but instead of being shaped in water it was formed in rock. If you skim a rock across a lake at a sharp angle it leaves a wake behind it. If you throw a rock strait into the water it causes a circular wake. This is the same principle we find here. but just as the rim of an impact crater is circular when striking perpendicular, this rim was elongated because the meteor was traveling parallel to the earth but just under the surface.

 

If you are interested in viewing what I am trying to explain, I wrote out some instructions for locating it and the location of it's path to use on Google Earth.

 

First line the viewing field of Google earth to 34°24' N (+,_) and 86°16' W (+,-). Set the Eye Altitude to 75 miles (+,-). Turn the compass heading to where the N arrow faces north-northwest. This should now be centered over Guntersville Lake in Alabama. This is also the very center of your Impact crater. Now tilt the viewing area back to where the Eye Altitude reads 43 miles. You should now see a tan colored valley cut through a green area. The green area is the Cumberland Mountains and the tan colored valley is Sequatchie Valley.

 

The Appalachians were already in existence when this event occurred, but the lower portion was blasted away by the first initial impact. Also when the Meteorite entered into the atmosphere it sent debris falling in all directions and more than likely responsible for many of the smaller impact sites that you have located in Texas and other areas.

 

Grassy cove is located at 35°50'N and 84°55W

Hembree is located at 36°13'N and 84°25'W It is hard to pick out the circular range of mountains in this location. The different colors used by Google in this area distort the view, but I promise you, it is there.

Very upper end of the impact zone 37°04'N and 82°20'W. Although this would be the end where another portion of the meteor might be located. There was also a blast zone which affected the surface as far away as Pennsylvania.

 

I hope that you are able to make sense of what I have written.

 

Regards,

Jack

[modest]

If you are interested in viewing what I am trying to explain, I wrote out some instructions for locating it and the location of it's path to use on Google Earth.

 

First line the viewing field of Google earth to 34°24' N (+,_) and 86°16' W (+,-). Set the Eye Altitude to 75 miles (+,-).

 

Welcom to Hypography Jack.

 

I've attached a google earth placemark below for anyone wanting to see the location you describe.

 

As I discussed in post #51, the geology of the Sequatchie valley area is well investigated and well known. It is not the result of a meteor but erosion. This site explains:

 

Geography of the Sequatchie Valley

 

There are good references at the bottom of the page. Also, I've shrunk this image depicting the formation:

 

 

I should note that there is a nuclear power plant in this valley. Before the plant could be built an extensive geological investigation was done. The report is available online:

 

Geotechnical Geological and Seismological GG S Evaluations for the Bellefonte Site North Alabama

 

It is inconceivable that this investigation could have missed the signs of a meteor impact and completely misunderstood the formation mechanism of this valley.

 

It is, however, interesting that two different people saw this:

 

 

and thought of a giant glancing meteor.

 

~modest