[meteorite-list] William Hartmann Honored for Planetary Dating Technique (2010 Barringer Medal)

[Ron Baalke]

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PLANETARY SCIENCE INSTITUTE


SENT: 
Aug. 2, 2010

FROM: 
Alan Fischer
Public Information Office
Planetary Science Institute
520-885-5648
fischer at psi.edu


PSI Scientist Honored for Planetary Dating Technique

The Meteoritical Society awarded Tucson Planetary Science Institute 
researcher William K. Hartmann its 2010 Barringer Medal Thursday in 
New York.

The award recognizes Hartmann's outstanding work in the field of 
cratering of planets by asteroid impacts, according to the citation 
from the international society for meteoritics and planetary science.

"The award primarily recognizes our work in developing a system for 
estimating ages of planetary surface features, especially on Mars," 
Hartmann said. "The idea is that if you create any surface in the 
solar system - lava flows, lakebed deposit or even a parking lot - 
asteroid impacts craters will create craters over millions of years, 
so the older the surface, the more craters.

"By careful counting of impact craters, and attention to their state 
of preservation, we've been able to show that while many surfaces on 
Mars are very old - say 3.5 billion years to 4.5 billion years, or 
almost as old as the planet itself - other surfaces such as some lava 
flows and water-erosion features can't be much more than 100 million 
years, which is the last 2 percent of geologic time. Which suggests 
that Mars has had volcanic activity and even occasional water release 
in "modern" geologic time. That is very exciting, to realize that Mars 
is a geologically active planet, just from counts of asteroid impacts 
on various surfaces."

The award-winning research was carried out of the last 39 years at 
Tucson's Planetary Science Institute. Hartmann is one of the founders 
of the Institute.

Clark R. Chapman of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo. 
introduced Hartmann at the event.

"Bill Hartmann is one of the few scientists during the past half-century 
who have studied cratering from the broadest, most open-minded 
perspective, trying to elucidate the fundamental role it has played in 
shaping the surfaces of the planets and the properties of the smaller 
bodies in the solar system," Chapman said. "Bill Hartmann's vision of 
lunar and planetary cratering, and his career of research and public 
outreach on that topic, make him eminently qualified to receive the 
prestigious Barringer Medal."

The Barringer Medal and Award were established in 1982 to honor the 
memory of D. Moreau Barringer Sr. and his son D. Moreau Barringer Jr. 
and are sponsored by the Barringer Crater Company. The senior 
Barringer was the first to seriously propose an impact origin for the 
crater that now bears his name. For nearly two decades he defended this 
theory against the vast majority of scientific opinion. The junior 
Barringer was the first to identify the Odessa crater, the second known 
impact site on Earth.

"The Barringer family from the Flagstaff family originally bought 
Meteor Crater near Winslow and developed it into a significant Arizona 
attraction with a wonderful museum," Hartmann said. "The family has 
always been terrific about supporting science and research into 
meteorites and cratering."


CONTACT:
William K. Hartmann
Senior Scientist
520 332-8925
hartmann at psi.edu


PSI INFORMATION:
Mark V. Sykes
Director
520-622-6300
sykes at psi.edu

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