2019-07-01_neScholar

From the Shoemaker-Levy 9
observation, the Tunguska event which
happened on June 30, 1908 for which
several theories was propounded
including meteor impact; anti-matter
particle hitting the area; etc was
explained as there was no crater. Due to
inhospitable condition, scientists could
venture the site only from 1927. The
event was so powerful that it flattened
forest of an area of 2000 km2. This was
explained that a small meteor exploded
8 km above the surface and the shock
wave it caused flattened the area and
the heat seared it. This phenomenon
is known as “aerial bursts” and had
occurred such as the 1490 Ching-yang
event which caused 10,000 casualties,
the 1930 Curuca River event, etc.

If the particle descending is not very
dense and loose, while entering the
earth’s atmosphere the solid particles
can explode and the searing heat
scorches everything on its way and

generate tremendous shock waves. But

will all meteors or comet are that loose

which will cause them to explode before

reaching the surface of the earth. It is a

fact that most of the asteroids floating

around are loose and in fact described as

“flying rubble pile” and aerial burst can

happen one every 100 years.

From computer simulation, it has now

been explained that Egyptian desert

glass was formed some 20-30 million

years ago when an asteroid of about 120

metre diameter exploded 8 km above

the earth’s surface over the eastern Libya

and western Egypt and it resulted in

the formation of the glasses. The glasses

were carried to a larger area through

natural processes and those found on

the surface are smooth due to the action

of sand and wind while those below the

surface have sharp edges. The glasses are

without or with very little bubbles and

the formation of yellow or green glasses

indicate a temperature of 1800ºC and

the plume of the event would have risen

up to 80-100 km in space.

Hollywood movies like “Deep Impact”

and “Armageddon” must have been

seen by many where attempts was made

to blast the meteorite while in space

hoping that the debris will disintegrate.

Hollywood assumes wrongly as if the

blast do not destroy the meteorite

into small pieces, the earth will be

bombarded by smaller fragments some

burning off in the atmosphere, the

bigger one causing aerial burst and the

more bigger one hitting the earth. This

will cause tremendous destruction on

the earth and may be an apocalyptical

event.

This narration indicate the relationship

between different fields of science to

understand a phenomenon.

Libyan Desert Glass

H. Raab, CC BY-SA 3.0

neScholar 0 vol 4 0 issue 4 63

DESERT GLASS I HISTORY