[meteorite-list] Rocks from Space Picture of the Day -September14, 2009

[Matt Morgan]

George
I don't think the heat was from the small meteorite itself, but the kinetic energy released by the impacting bodies. There was enough energy to form craters/pits that were 20-30m wide and down trees.
Like in all cratering events, there was a hot air blast caused by the energy release which may have charred the outside of the trees.

This is just a possible way to explain the charring, if in fact, that is what I am seeing on the bark of the tree (again, not behind the small meteorite).
Matt
------Original Message------
From: GeoZay at aol.com
Sender: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Rocks from Space Picture of the Day -September14, 2009
Sent: Sep 15, 2009 11:04 AM

>>I don't see any charring...only  staining/rust. <<

Wanting to expand a little here...assuming the  tree was alive when struck, 
I don't think a small meteorite would carry enuf  heat to cause any 
charring that would be noticed today. Being one who relies on  a woodstove as their 
primary source of heat, I can attest that it's a real bear  to get wet wood 
to even think about burning. If it was a dead tree, I still  doubt there 
would be enuf heat in this small piece to cause anything to burn. If  a small 
piece was hot enuf to cause any charring, I can only imagine how much  heat 
would be in the larger pieces...were there any burnt trees in the  
strewnfield area? I can't tell from the photograph, but was this piece a  fragment or 
an individual?
George Zay  

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Matt Morgan
Mile High Meteorites
http://www.mhmeteorites.com
P.O. Box 151293
Lakewood, CO 80215 USA