[meteorite-list] Suspected Meteorite Falls in Cambodia

[Gerald Flaherty]

Strike Flinty Rock? Jerry
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Baalke" <baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
To: "Meteorite Mailing List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 3:28 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Suspected Meteorite Falls in Cambodia


>>
>> I have grave doubts that anything on the ground was burned because of a
>> meteorite fall. There is simply no way to get a meteorite to the ground 
>> hot
>> without it retaining cosmic velocity, which means you would have a 
>> cratering
>> event.
>
> That's true.  Any meteorite that is still ablating when it reaches the 
> ground
> is traveling at hypervelocity,  and will leave a rather sizeable crater 
> upon
> impact.  We haven't had such an impact in recorded human history. Most 
> meteorites
> will have hit the ground from a freefall speed, of less then 200 mph.  So, 
> it
> is extremely unlikey a meteorite would cause a fire from ablation.
>
> BUT
>
> There is still a couple of other ways a meteorite can cause a fire.  If 
> the
> meteorite hits something combustible on the ground and causes it to ignite 
> or
> explode. A gas tank of a car, for example.  Or the fireball appearance 
> startles
> someone on the ground who knocks over a gas lantern, or drops his lit 
> cigarette,
> and a fire then ensues.
>
> Ron Baalke
>
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