• On the detection of the Wilkes Land impact crater

    From erik simpson@eastside.erik@gmail.com to sci.bio.paleontology on Sun Apr 13 09:07:04 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40623-018-0904-7

    Abstract

    The definitive existence of a giant impact crater, two times larger than
    the Chixulub crater in the Yucatan peninsula, from an extraterrestrial
    origin, 1.6 km beneath Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, remain
    controversial. Here, we use the latest high-resolution
    gravito-topographic geopotential (SatGravRET 2014) model over Antarctica
    to offer a plausible confirmation of its existence. SatGravRET 2014 has
    a spatial resolution between 1 and 10 km at most places and included contemporary space gravimetry and gradiometry data from GRACE and GOCE,
    and other data including Bedmap 2 bedrock topography. We computed the
    gravity disturbances, the Marussi tensor of the second derivatives of
    the disturbing potential, the gravity invariants and their specific
    ratio, the strike angles and the virtual deformations to quantify the
    detailed geophysical features for the Wilkes Land anomaly. This set of
    the gravitational parameters revealed enhanced and more detailed
    geophysical features on the Wilkes Land Crater than previously possible
    only with the traditional gravity anomalies. Our findings support prior studies stating that in the Wilkes Land there is a huge impact
    crater/basin with detectable gravity mascon which is mostly consistent
    with the characteristics of an impact crater.

    The discussion includes the following: "These results widen space for geophysical interpretations and speculations. The huge impact had a
    planetary consequence, including for example the striking antipodal relationship of it to the Siberian Raps (claimed by von Frese et al.
    2009).".

    If "Siberian Raps" really means Siberian Traps, the paleontological implications are obvious.
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  • From John Harshman@john.harshman@gmail.com to sci.bio.paleontology on Sun Apr 13 17:35:47 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/13/25 9:07 AM, erik simpson wrote:
    https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40623-018-0904-7

    Abstract

    The definitive existence of a giant impact crater, two times larger than
    the Chixulub crater in the Yucatan peninsula, from an extraterrestrial origin, 1.6 km beneath Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, remain
    controversial. Here, we use the latest high-resolution
    gravito-topographic geopotential (SatGravRET 2014) model over Antarctica
    to offer a plausible confirmation of its existence. SatGravRET 2014 has
    a spatial resolution between 1 and 10 km at most places and included contemporary space gravimetry and gradiometry data from GRACE and GOCE,
    and other data including Bedmap 2 bedrock topography. We computed the gravity disturbances, the Marussi tensor of the second derivatives of
    the disturbing potential, the gravity invariants and their specific
    ratio, the strike angles and the virtual deformations to quantify the detailed geophysical features for the Wilkes Land anomaly. This set of
    the gravitational parameters revealed enhanced and more detailed
    geophysical features on the Wilkes Land Crater than previously possible
    only with the traditional gravity anomalies. Our findings support prior studies stating that in the Wilkes Land there is a huge impact
    crater/basin with detectable gravity mascon which is mostly consistent
    with the characteristics of an impact crater.

    The discussion includes the following: "These results widen space for geophysical interpretations and speculations. The huge impact had a planetary consequence, including for example the striking antipodal relationship of it to the Siberian Raps (claimed by von Frese et al. 2009).".

    If "Siberian Raps" really means Siberian Traps, the paleontological implications are obvious.

    I'm supposing it would be very difficult to date this impact. Is the association with the Siberian traps solely their antipodal position?
    Would that have been true at the time of the traps?
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From erik simpson@eastside.erik@gmail.com to sci.bio.paleontology on Sun Apr 13 19:48:56 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/13/25 5:35 PM, John Harshman wrote:
    On 4/13/25 9:07 AM, erik simpson wrote:
    https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40623-018-0904-7

    Abstract

    The definitive existence of a giant impact crater, two times larger
    than the Chixulub crater in the Yucatan peninsula, from an
    extraterrestrial origin, 1.6 km beneath Wilkes Land, East Antarctica,
    remain controversial. Here, we use the latest high-resolution
    gravito-topographic geopotential (SatGravRET 2014) model over
    Antarctica to offer a plausible confirmation of its existence.
    SatGravRET 2014 has a spatial resolution between 1 and 10 km at most
    places and included contemporary space gravimetry and gradiometry data
    from GRACE and GOCE, and other data including Bedmap 2 bedrock
    topography. We computed the gravity disturbances, the Marussi tensor
    of the second derivatives of the disturbing potential, the gravity
    invariants and their specific ratio, the strike angles and the virtual
    deformations to quantify the detailed geophysical features for the
    Wilkes Land anomaly. This set of the gravitational parameters revealed
    enhanced and more detailed geophysical features on the Wilkes Land
    Crater than previously possible only with the traditional gravity
    anomalies. Our findings support prior studies stating that in the
    Wilkes Land there is a huge impact crater/basin with detectable
    gravity mascon which is mostly consistent with the characteristics of
    an impact crater.

    The discussion includes the following: "These results widen space for
    geophysical interpretations and speculations. The huge impact had a
    planetary consequence, including for example the striking antipodal
    relationship of it to the Siberian Raps (claimed by von Frese et al.
    2009).".

    If "Siberian Raps" really means Siberian Traps, the paleontological
    implications are obvious.

    I'm supposing it would be very difficult to date this impact. Is the association with the Siberian traps solely their antipodal position?
    Would that have been true at the time of the traps?

    Not sure about the positioning. Getting a date would involve a lot of
    deep drilling. I also wonder if there is any record of finding tektites
    from such an impact. I've no idea of how long they would last.
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From John Harshman@john.harshman@gmail.com to sci.bio.paleontology on Mon Apr 14 06:22:30 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/13/25 7:48 PM, erik simpson wrote:
    On 4/13/25 5:35 PM, John Harshman wrote:
    On 4/13/25 9:07 AM, erik simpson wrote:
    https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40623-018-0904-7

    Abstract

    The definitive existence of a giant impact crater, two times larger
    than the Chixulub crater in the Yucatan peninsula, from an
    extraterrestrial origin, 1.6 km beneath Wilkes Land, East Antarctica,
    remain controversial. Here, we use the latest high-resolution
    gravito-topographic geopotential (SatGravRET 2014) model over
    Antarctica to offer a plausible confirmation of its existence.
    SatGravRET 2014 has a spatial resolution between 1 and 10 km at most
    places and included contemporary space gravimetry and gradiometry
    data from GRACE and GOCE, and other data including Bedmap 2 bedrock
    topography. We computed the gravity disturbances, the Marussi tensor
    of the second derivatives of the disturbing potential, the gravity
    invariants and their specific ratio, the strike angles and the
    virtual deformations to quantify the detailed geophysical features
    for the Wilkes Land anomaly. This set of the gravitational parameters
    revealed enhanced and more detailed geophysical features on the
    Wilkes Land Crater than previously possible only with the traditional
    gravity anomalies. Our findings support prior studies stating that in
    the Wilkes Land there is a huge impact crater/basin with detectable
    gravity mascon which is mostly consistent with the characteristics of
    an impact crater.

    The discussion includes the following: "These results widen space for
    geophysical interpretations and speculations. The huge impact had a
    planetary consequence, including for example the striking antipodal
    relationship of it to the Siberian Raps (claimed by von Frese et al.
    2009).".

    If "Siberian Raps" really means Siberian Traps, the paleontological
    implications are obvious.

    I'm supposing it would be very difficult to date this impact. Is the
    association with the Siberian traps solely their antipodal position?
    Would that have been true at the time of the traps?

    Not sure about the positioning.-a Getting a date would involve a lot of
    deep drilling.-a I also wonder if there is any record of finding tektites from such an impact.-a I've no idea of how long they would last.

    My understanding is that nobody has ever found any evidence of an
    end-Permian impact, despite extensive searches. Nothing at all like the
    K/T boundary clay, which really ought to be there in any sediments of
    the proper age. Of course the association of the crater, if it's really
    a crater, with the end-Permian extinction appears to be pure
    speculation. They only claim that it must be more than 100ma and less
    than 500ma.
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From x@x@x.org to sci.bio.paleontology on Tue Apr 15 11:26:11 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/13/25 09:07, erik simpson wrote:
    https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40623-018-0904-7

    Abstract

    The definitive existence of a giant impact crater, two times larger than
    the Chixulub crater in the Yucatan peninsula, from an extraterrestrial origin, 1.6 km beneath Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, remain
    controversial. Here, we use the latest high-resolution
    gravito-topographic geopotential (SatGravRET 2014) model over Antarctica
    to offer a plausible confirmation of its existence. SatGravRET 2014 has
    a spatial resolution between 1 and 10 km at most places and included contemporary space gravimetry and gradiometry data from GRACE and GOCE,
    and other data including Bedmap 2 bedrock topography. We computed the gravity disturbances, the Marussi tensor of the second derivatives of
    the disturbing potential, the gravity invariants and their specific
    ratio, the strike angles and the virtual deformations to quantify the detailed geophysical features for the Wilkes Land anomaly. This set of
    the gravitational parameters revealed enhanced and more detailed
    geophysical features on the Wilkes Land Crater than previously possible
    only with the traditional gravity anomalies. Our findings support prior studies stating that in the Wilkes Land there is a huge impact
    crater/basin with detectable gravity mascon which is mostly consistent
    with the characteristics of an impact crater.

    The discussion includes the following: "These results widen space for geophysical interpretations and speculations. The huge impact had a planetary consequence, including for example the striking antipodal relationship of it to the Siberian Raps (claimed by von Frese et al. 2009).".

    If "Siberian Raps" really means Siberian Traps, the paleontological implications are obvious.

    Maybe I am reading this article way off, but it seems to me that
    it might imply that some remnants of the theoretical crater might
    be in Australia, based upon the theory of continental drift.

    Australia in geologic time might have been closer to Antarctica than
    it is now. A lot of Australia now is not under a lot of ice like
    Antarctica is, and this might make some data easier to gather in some
    ways. Can you find any data or articles on the theoretical Australian remnants of the crater if such data or such a crater exists?

    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From erik simpson@eastside.erik@gmail.com to sci.bio.paleontology on Tue Apr 15 13:40:20 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/15/25 11:26 AM, x wrote:
    On 4/13/25 09:07, erik simpson wrote:
    https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40623-018-0904-7

    Abstract

    The definitive existence of a giant impact crater, two times larger
    than the Chixulub crater in the Yucatan peninsula, from an
    extraterrestrial origin, 1.6 km beneath Wilkes Land, East Antarctica,
    remain controversial. Here, we use the latest high-resolution
    gravito-topographic geopotential (SatGravRET 2014) model over
    Antarctica to offer a plausible confirmation of its existence.
    SatGravRET 2014 has a spatial resolution between 1 and 10 km at most
    places and included contemporary space gravimetry and gradiometry data
    from GRACE and GOCE, and other data including Bedmap 2 bedrock
    topography. We computed the gravity disturbances, the Marussi tensor
    of the second derivatives of the disturbing potential, the gravity
    invariants and their specific ratio, the strike angles and the virtual
    deformations to quantify the detailed geophysical features for the
    Wilkes Land anomaly. This set of the gravitational parameters revealed
    enhanced and more detailed geophysical features on the Wilkes Land
    Crater than previously possible only with the traditional gravity
    anomalies. Our findings support prior studies stating that in the
    Wilkes Land there is a huge impact crater/basin with detectable
    gravity mascon which is mostly consistent with the characteristics of
    an impact crater.

    The discussion includes the following: "These results widen space for
    geophysical interpretations and speculations. The huge impact had a
    planetary consequence, including for example the striking antipodal
    relationship of it to the Siberian Raps (claimed by von Frese et al.
    2009).".

    If "Siberian Raps" really means Siberian Traps, the paleontological
    implications are obvious.

    Maybe I am reading this article way off, but it seems to me that
    it might imply that some remnants of the theoretical crater might
    be in Australia, based upon the theory of continental drift.

    Australia in geologic time might have been closer to Antarctica than
    it is now.-a A lot of Australia now is not under a lot of ice like
    Antarctica is, and this might make some data easier to gather in some
    ways.-a Can you find any data or articles on the theoretical Australian remnants of the crater if such data or such a crater exists?

    No, that is way off. The crater in question is definitely in
    Antarctica, deep under the ice. There is another very large (bigger
    than Chixilub) in Australia that is about just about at the end of the Ediacaran (~550 Mya). Check out the second of my posts on the 13th. (Meteoritic debris at the PT boundary. If (big If) it's the same
    Antarctic crater it may have contributed to the biggest extinction
    event. We won't know until we can examine rocks from the crater itself.
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Popping Mad@rainbow@colition.gov to sci.bio.paleontology on Wed Apr 16 06:24:44 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/15/25 4:40 PM, erik simpson wrote:
    gravito-topographic geopotential


    HOW do you measure gravity?
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Popping Mad@rainbow@colition.gov to sci.bio.paleontology on Wed Apr 16 06:25:03 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/15/25 4:40 PM, erik simpson wrote:
    gravito-topographic geopotential


    How do you measure gravity?

    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From John Harshman@john.harshman@gmail.com to sci.bio.paleontology on Wed Apr 16 08:27:53 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/16/25 3:24 AM, Popping Mad wrote:
    On 4/15/25 4:40 PM, erik simpson wrote:
    gravito-topographic geopotential


    HOW do you measure gravity?

    With a scale?
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Mikko@mikko.levanto@iki.fi to sci.bio.paleontology on Thu Apr 17 12:03:12 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 2025-04-16 10:25:03 +0000, Popping Mad said:

    On 4/15/25 4:40 PM, erik simpson wrote:
    gravito-topographic geopotential

    How do you measure gravity?

    THe easiest way is to buy a device that is made for that purpose.
    --
    Mikko

    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Popping Mad@rainbow@colition.gov to sci.bio.paleontology on Tue Apr 22 01:32:44 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/17/25 5:03 AM, Mikko wrote:
    THe easiest way is to buy a device that is made for that purpose.

    like a troll. A troll is senstive to gravity waves
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From x@x@x.org to sci.bio.paleontology on Tue Apr 22 15:48:22 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/17/25 02:03, Mikko wrote:
    On 2025-04-16 10:25:03 +0000, Popping Mad said:

    On 4/15/25 4:40 PM, erik simpson wrote:
    gravito-topographic geopotential

    How do you measure gravity?

    The easiest way is to buy a device that is made for that purpose.

    Devices made for a specific purpose are often vastly expensive
    in comparison with another near equal device made for another
    purpose.

    Of course some times they may appear near equal, but maybe
    they are not.

    It is often of course also easier to buy something that
    is more expensive in comparison with something that is
    less expensive. At least unless you do not have the money
    (like taking out a loan).

    I have read that something like a 'Pangea' may have formed
    at the end of the Permian, and may have 'separated' some
    near the end of the Triassic. This (might) have produced
    some climate change across some of the world's land areas
    and this (might) have resulted in some extinctions.

    I am open to the idea that something else may be possible.


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  • From John Harshman@john.harshman@gmail.com to sci.bio.paleontology on Wed Apr 23 15:29:49 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/22/25 3:48 PM, x wrote:
    On 4/17/25 02:03, Mikko wrote:
    On 2025-04-16 10:25:03 +0000, Popping Mad said:

    On 4/15/25 4:40 PM, erik simpson wrote:
    gravito-topographic geopotential

    How do you measure gravity?

    The easiest way is to buy a device that is made for that purpose.

    Devices made for a specific purpose are often vastly expensive
    in comparison with another near equal device made for another
    purpose.

    Of course some times they may appear near equal, but maybe
    they are not.

    It is often of course also easier to buy something that
    is more expensive in comparison with something that is
    less expensive.-a At least unless you do not have the money
    (like taking out a loan).

    I have read that something like a 'Pangea' may have formed
    at the end of the Permian, and may have 'separated' some
    near the end of the Triassic.-a This (might) have produced
    some climate change across some of the world's land areas
    and this (might) have resulted in some extinctions.

    Couple of problems with this scenario. First, the extinction was the
    most severe ever seen during the Phanerozoic, and "some climate change"
    hardly seems a big enough cause. Second, the extinction was rapid in
    terms of geological time, and the formation of Pangaea was a much more
    gradual thing, which should leave time for populations to adapt.

    I am open to the idea that something else may be possible.



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  • From x@x@x.org to sci.bio.paleontology on Thu Apr 24 14:50:40 2025
    From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

    On 4/21/25 22:32, Popping Mad wrote:
    On 4/17/25 5:03 AM, Mikko wrote:
    THe easiest way is to buy a device that is made for that purpose.

    like a troll. A troll is senstive to gravity waves

    Lotta impacts. Pick and choose any extinction. 250-500 is good enough.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_possible_impact_structures_on_Earth
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2