[meteorite-list] NFS Funds Research Into Terminal Pleistocene Impact Hypothesis

[Paul]

Dear Listmembers,

The National Science Foundation (NFS) has funded research 
into terminal Pleistocene impact hypothesis.

Discovery Comet May Have Exploded Over North 
America 13,000 Years Ago: Caused wooly mammoth 
extinction, global cooling and end of early human 
Clovis culture (Press Release)

http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=109768&org=NSF&from=news

Award Abstract #0713769 SGER: Investigations of a Likely 
Extraterrestrial Impact at 12.9 ka: Possible Cause of Younger 
Dryas Cooling, North American Mammal Mass Extinction and 
Demise of Clovis People

http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0713769

“This award, under the auspices of the Small Grants for 
Exploratory Research (SGER) program, funds research to 
test a new hypothesis that Younger Dryas climatic cooling 
was triggered by a comet impact on or near the Laurentide 
Ice Sheet. This impact may have caused destabilization, 
melting, and massive flooding to the northern Atlantic 
and Arctic oceans that in turn affected ocean circulation 
and climate.

The research is founded on growing physical evidence for 
an impact at 12,900 years ago based on analyses from a 
discrete carbon-rich black colored sedimentary layer that 
is widely distributed over North America. This sedimentary 
layer contains iridium, cosmic spherules, carbon spherules,
and fullerenes enriched in extraterrestrial noble gas 
concentrations.

Iridium, fullerenes, cosmic spherules and glass-like carbon 
formed under high temperatures are being reported from 
the sediment rims of depressed geomorphic features called 
Carolina Bays. This evidence may help evaluate whether the 
Bays originated in an impact.

The researchers will explore, chemically analyze, and date 
the black layer at several geographic locations. In addition 
to field exploration, the researchers will examine existing 
marine cores from the Hudson Bay region since the region 
is the primary location for the suspected impact event.

The research could have broad impact on the wider science 
community and catalyze new thinking in issues surrounding 
climate, mass extinctions, landscape development, and 
human and cultural evolution in the Americas by offering 
a new perspective on old and knotty scientific problems.”

I have yet to see any peer-reviewed paper published in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science as 
promised by West and Firestone.

Yours,

Paul H.




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