[meteorite-list] Smacked by gob

[Pete Shugar]

At the risk of going soooo  faaaar off topic as to never be able to find my 
way back,
I ask the following:
I readily admit that it sometimes does not take much to amuse me, but I find 
that
the word Gobsmacked as probably one of the single most facinating words to 
ever
appear on the internet. Please define.........
Pete

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Darren Garrison" <cynapse at charter.net>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 10:10 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Smacked by gob


> http://www.theage.com.au/national/googling-geologist-identifies-possible-meteorite-crater-out-the-back-of-bourke-20081122-6eix.html
>
> Googling geologist identifies possible meteorite crater out the back of 
> Bourke
>
>    * Richard Macey
>    * November 23, 2008
>
> A RETIRED geologist searching on Google Earth for a place to mine opals 
> may have
> discovered something much bigger: a meteorite crater in outback NSW.
>
> Mike Fry, of Maryborough in central Victoria, was using the Google site 
> last
> month to survey terrain when he saw an unusual structure in the red dust.
>
> "The circular nature of this thing struck me," Mr Fry said. "It was so
> distinctive, I was gobsmacked."
>
> Mr Fry, who earned a degree in geology from the University of New Mexico 
> before
> coming to Australia 44 years ago to mine opals and gold, drove for 11 
> hours to
> the site to take a look. The site is about 10 kilometres north-east of 
> White
> Cliffs, a town halfway between Broken Hill and Bourke in far north-western 
> NSW.
>
> "I have walked around it," he said, estimating his "crater" was at least 
> two
> kilometres across. "There is a steep slope on the eastern side, which 
> rises 30
> to 50 metres above the floor."
>
> The western rim was severely eroded. However, the eastern side had been
> preserved under a layer of sedimentary material called silcrete, formed 
> from
> dissolved silica, that he believes was laid down more than 2 million years 
> ago.
>
> "Silcrete is as hard as concrete," Mr Fry said. "The crater had to exist 
> before
> the silcrete was laid down."
>
> Several scientists who looked at the images agreed that while circular 
> shapes
> could be produced by many geological forces, including volcanic activity, 
> the
> feature deserved further investigation.
>
> "It does look the right sort of shape," said Andy Tomkins, of Monash 
> University.
> "It is the pattern you would expect to see. It looks interesting."
>
> Peter Haines, a senior geologist with the Geological Survey of Western
> Australia, said he would remain "a bit sceptical" until the site was 
> tested.
>
> However, he added, "just looking at it, it's something that should be 
> followed
> up".
>
> Dr Tomkins and Dr Haines said finding microscopic evidence of rock that 
> had
> suffered a severe shock would indicate an impact crater.
>
> If Mr Fry has found an impact crater, it would be the second such 
> discovery
> using Google Earth.
>
> Last year Dr Arthur Hickman, a geologist with the Geological Survey of WA, 
> found
> a crater, about 260 metres wide and up to 30 metres deep, in the Hamersley
> Ranges in WA's Pilbara region.
>
> Dr Haines said it was certainly possible a two-kilometre meteorite crater 
> had
> gone unnoticed. "It is not something that would necessarily attract the
> attention of someone who was not already thinking about a crater." A 
> crater,
> agreed Dr Tomkins, "could easily be missed".
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