MAPS (Meteoritics and Planetary Science), a farce of a review process, the enigmatic acceptance of a paper by MAPS, and the e-mail/Internet campaign of Enrique Díaz-Martínez and Zaragoza geologists

ANGEL L. CORTÉS, ENRIQUE DÍAZ-MARTÍNEZ, ENRIQUE SANZ-RUBIO, JESÚS MARTÍNEZ-FRÍAS AND CRISTINA FERNÁNDEZ

Cosmic impact versus terrestrial origin of the Azuara structure (Spain): A review

Meteoritics & Planetary Science 37, 875-894 (2002)

Comment

We basically appreciate that Meteoritics & Planetary Science (MAPS) decided to publish this paper, because it exemplarily illustrates that some geologists now as before have their problems with impact structures and impact cratering as a geologic process (Melosh!), especially when they see that their work on the regional geology is "endangered".

Certainly, the MAPS review process must be considered a farce. The reviewer were Marcos Aurell from the Zaragoza university, an avowed opponent of an impact origin for the Azuara structure, and Kord Ernstson who, together with his working group, as is known established the impact nature of this structure.

Although K.E. suggested a complete revision of the manuscript before publication, the very poor quality of the first draft of the paper has remained, and it was printed without significant changes. As to the reasons for this odd review process, we have to rely on guesswork.

Why did MAPS, a respected scientific journal, publish an article of this quality? That's just colleagues from all over the world were also wondering. It is an enigma. Or not? We remind of the fact that Alexander Deutsch is an Associate Editor of MAPS. And, in connection with the Azuara impact, Alexander Deutsch has been reproached by K. Ernstson with scientific dishonesty (see the full story here).

The Cortés et al. article -  a retribution ?

We also remind of the fact that Christian Koeberl belongs to the Publication Committee of the Meteoritical Society, publisher of MAPS. And, in connection with the Azuara and Rubielos de la Cérida impacts in Spain, Christian Koeberl (as the Chairman of the European Science Foundation IMPACT programme!) has been reproached by us with his hampering any discussion of these impacts. Against his better judgement, Christian Koeberl always and everywhere claims a non-impact origin of the Spanish structures, although he never put his foot on the Spanish impact craters terrain. And we also point to the fact that Christian Koeberl is one of the editors of the unutterable article of Diaz Martínez, E., Sanz Rubio, E. y Martinez Frias, J. (2002): Sedimentary record of impact events in Spain. Geological Society of America. Special Paper 356: 551-562.

(also see Comment on the Shapman et al. article, and the Review of the Diaz-Matínez et al. article).

The Cortés et al. article in MAPS -  a retribution? Paying back ?

What is the aim of Cortés, Diaz-Martinez, et al. ? They ardently want that the Azuara impact structure disappears from the maps of established craters. How can anyone be so naive! Cortés, Diaz-Martinez et al. obviously believe that the Azuara impact structure disappears from the field when the label disappears from the maps. Whenever Cortés, Diaz-Martinez et al. will go to the field, the Azuara impact structure with all its overwhelming evidence will await them.

In the first draft of their MAPS paper, Cortés, Diaz-Martinez et al. lengthily compared the Azuara impact structure with the well-known Ries impact crater to show the alleged distinct differences.Thus, they did not realize the deep irony that their useless defendence of an Azuara endogenetic origin is an exact copy of the vehement opposition of most German geologists against the impact origin of the Ries crater some 35 years ago. Cortés, Diaz-Martinez et al. haven't learned anything from history!

A more comprehensive comment on the MAPS paper and on the strange review process is given by Ferran Claudin on the Spanish www.estructuras-de-impacto.impact-structures.com site and will soon be presented here in an English translation.

After the publication of the article in MAPS, Enrique Díaz-Martínez, vehemently refusing the impact origin for Azuara, sent the e-mail from below (Hola a todos ...) to Ferran Claudin and others.

True to our principles, we have decided to publish on our website

• this mail
• the publications by Cortés et al. listed in the mail
• the reply by Cortés et al. to the reviews (by K.Ernstson and M. Aurell) of their MAPS article
• the comment (by Ferran Claudin) on this reply

But meanwhile, the texts  cited in the e-mail have been removed from the web addresses, and we can only guess, why. We suppose that Díaz-Martínez does not like Ferran Claudin's comment on his reply text,

- Nuestra contestación a los comentarios de los revisores del artículo (extenso, pero había algunas cosas que había que dejar puestas por escrito): http://dalbe.inta.es/~diazme/PDFs/Azuara_Review.pdf (1.47 Mb)

all the more so since the extreme asymmetry of the objections raised by both reviewers, as well as the limited knowledge of the authors of the impact cratering process clearly become evident.

Fortunately, Ferran Claudin copied the PDF file sent to him by Díaz-Martínez, which we are now able to present to the reader again - together with Ferran Claudin's comment.

PDF file/Azuara_Review (Enrique Díaz-Martínez),

MAPS: Comentario sobre el proceso de revisión by Ferran Claudin

The e-mail sent by Enrique Díaz-Martínez:

Hola a todos

Primero, perdón por irrumpir sin permiso. Mando este mensaje a los que he imaginado que podrían estar interesados en el tema de la estructura de Azuara (Zaragoza) y su posible relación con un impacto meteorítico. Si no te interesa, borra el mensaje y ya está.

Nuestro artículo refutando la hipótesis del impacto de Azuara ha sido publicado en el último número de la revista Meteoritics and Planetary Science (Junio 2002), y ha sido noticia en el Heraldo de Aragón (Sociedad) del pasado martes 25/06/02.

He creado archivos PDF (para ver con Acrobat Reader) para los que puedan estar interesados, pero no he querido mandarlos adjuntos, porque suman más de 3 Mb, y quizás pueda causar problemas a alguien. El que quiera bajarse los archivos PDF para leerlos o imprimirlos, puede hacerlo de las siguientes URLs:

- El artículo de Ernstson et al. (2001) en Geology diciendo que las huellas de presión disolución en los clastos del Buntsandstein se deben al impacto de Azuara, con nuestro comentario y su contestación: http://dalbe.inta.es/~diazme/PDFs/Crateredcobbles.pdf (500 Kb)

- La nota publicada esta semana en el Heraldo de Aragón: http://dalbe.inta.es/~diazme/PDFs/Azuara-heraldo.pdf (33 Kb)

- El artículo publicado en Meteoritics and Planetary Science este mes: http://dalbe.inta.es/~diazme/PDFs/MAPS-Azuara.pdf (1.35 Mb)

- Nuestra contestación a los comentarios de los revisores del artículo (extenso, pero había algunas cosas que había que dejar puestas por escrito): http://dalbe.inta.es/~diazme/PDFs/Azuara_Review.pdf (1.47 Mb)

- Y por último, el resumen que presentamos a principios de este mes en el 8º Workshop del programa IMPACT de la ESF en Suecia*: http://dalbe.inta.es/~diazme/PDFs/8th_ESF-IW_Azuara.pdf (9 Kb)

Si alguien tiene problemas para bajarse algún archivo, que me lo diga y se lo mando por correo electrónico.

Se aceptan comentarios, sugerencias y crítica constructiva.

Saludos a todos.

Enrique

* ¡En Suecia sí que tienen estructuras de impacto! De hecho, este workshop tuvo lugar sobre la estructura de impacto de Siljan, que con sus más de 50 km de diámetro es la más grande de la Unión Europea.

Dr. Enrique Díaz-Martínez
Laboratorio de Geología Planetaria
Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC)
Carretera a Ajalvir, km. 4,5
28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, SPAIN
Tel.: (+34) 915201936 / 915202089
Fax: (+34) 915201074