[meteorite-list] paper About Tunguska Event Impactor

[Paul H]

In the March (2004) issue of Planetary and Space 
Science, there is a paper discussing the identity 
of the impactor, which produced the Tunguska Event,
that might be of interest to some list members. 
The paper is:

Q. L. Hou , E. M. Kolesnikov , L. W. Xie , N. V. 
Kolesnikova , M. F. Zhou and M. Sun, 2004, 
Platinum group element abundances in a peat layer 
associated with the Tunguska event, further 
evidence for a cosmic origin. Planetary and 
Space Science. vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 331-340
doi:10.1016/j.pss.2003.08.002

Based upon "excess" Pd, Rh, Ru, REE, Co, Sr, and Y 
found in a peat column from the Northern peat bog 
of the 1908 Tunguska explosion site, they concluded 
that the impactor, which created the Tunguska event
was "more likely a comet", although the possibility
that the impactor might have alternatively been a
carbonaceous asteroid. They estimated that the 
mass of either the comet or carbonaceous asteroid 
was as large as 103-106 tons.

I am only reporting what this paper stated. I don't 
know enough about the pro and cons of the various
arguments about the Tunguska event to evaluate 
their conclusions in any intelligent manner. If
anybody needs more information, he or she can 
find contact information for the authors by 
clicking the link, "Volume 52, Issue 4, pp. 259-340
(March 2004)" at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00320633

and following the article link to the abstract.

(Besides my library doesn't subscribe to Planetary 
and Space Science. Thus, I only have access to the
article's abstract.)

Yours,

Paul



		
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