New publications

In this section of our impact homepage, we announce and comment on new articles, reports, abstracts etc about the Azuara and Rubielos de la Cérida impact structures, the impact crater chain and the multiple impact in Spain.

With respect to the "Controversy", we will pay special attention to contributions by geologists from the Zaragoza University and from the Center of Astrobiology, Madrid, which still vehemently refuse the existence of the well established impact structures.

We point to the print of the following paper (in Spanish)

Registro geológico de eventos de impacto meteorítico en España: revisión del conocimiento actual y perspectivas de futuro

Geological record of meteorite impact events in Spain: review of current knowledge and future perspectives

by Enrique Díaz-Martínez

Journal of Iberian Geology 31 (1) 2005: 65-84

Comment

E. Díaz-Martínez, formerly at the Center of Astrobiology (Madrid) and now a geologist at the geological survey of Spain, has written a paper that is in part a pure repetition of the texts which he and other regional geologists vehemently battling against the Spanish impacts (e.g. M. Aurell, A. L. Cortés from the university of Zaragoza) have produced in the past (click and see The controversy). He presents the old assertions, distortions and confusions without any new ideas, new evidences, new proofs.

Instead, Díaz-Martínez suppresses and keeps absolutely quiet about the most recent publications on the Azuara and Rubielos de la Cérida multiple impact, e.g. the comprehensive paper

-- Ernstson, K., Claudin, F., Schüssler, U. & Hradil, K. (2002). The mid-Tertiary Azuara and Rubielos de la Cérida paired impact structures (Spain). Treballs del Museu de Geologia de Barcelona. 11: 5-65,

and the articles

--Ernstson, K., Schüssler, U., Claudin, F. & Ernstson, T. (2003). An impact crater chain in northern Spain. Meteorite, 9, no 3, 35-39, and

-- Claudin, F. & Ernstson, K. (2003). Geología planetaria y geología regional: El debate sobre un impacto múltiple en Aragón. Enseñanza de la Ciencias de la Tierra, 11.3, 202-212. 

The article by Días-Martínez (that may be downloaded here: www.ucm.es/info/estratig/vol31/5diaz.pdf) demonstrates once more his poor scientific approach and comprehension of science. Obviously and regrettably, the editor of the journal and the reviewers of the paper sympathize with this style of publication.

For a more comprehensive comment on the article (in Spanish) by Ferran Claudin please click here.

MAPS (Meteoritics and Planetary Sci

ence), a farce of a review process, the enigmatic acceptance of a paper by MAPS, and the e-mail/Internet campaign of Enrique Díaz-Martínez

click here

A newspaper article

A la venta en Internet fragmentos de roca extraídos en Azuara (Up for sale in the Internet: Rock samples from Azuara): Heraldo de Aragón, Wednesday, November 6, 2002.

Two letters to the editor (in Spanish): 

click here

Comment on

TRIASSIC CRATERED COBBLES: SHOCK EFFECTS OR TECTONIC PRESSURE?
by M.G.Shapman, M.A. Evans, and J.F.McHone

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2004/pdf/1424.pdf

click here

Review 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.

by F. Claudin and K. Ernstson

click here

The debate on the Spanish impact structures has also entered Secondary schools classrooms:

Enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra

click here

More publications

Schüssler, U., Hradil, K., Ernstson, K.: Impact-related melting of sedimentary target rocks of the Rubielos de la Cérida structure in Spain. Berichte der Deutschen Mineralogischen Gesellschaft, Beiheft 1 zum European Journal of Mineralogy, Vol. 14, 2002, S. 149

Ernstson, Kord, Michael R. Rampino, Michael Hiltl, 2001: Cratered cobbles in Triassic Buntsandstein conglomerates in northeastern Spain: An indicator of shock deformation in the vicinity of large impacts. Geology: Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 11–14.

Cortés, Angel L., Enrique Díaz-Martínez, José M. González-Casado, Marcos Aurell, Antonio M. Casas-Sainz, 2002: Cratered cobbles in Triassic Buntsandstein conglomerates in northeastern Spain: An indicator of shock deformation in the vicinity of large impacts: Comment and Reply. Geology: Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 91–91.

Ernstson, Kord, Michael R. Rampino, Michael Hiltl, 2002: REPLY:. Geology: Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 92–92.

Stel, Harry, Harm Rondeel, Jan Smit, 2002: Cratered cobbles in Triassic Buntsandstein conglomerates in northeastern Spain: An indicator of shock deformation in the vicinity of large impacts: Comment and Reply. Geology, 30, no 11, 1052-1052.

Ernstson, Kord, Michael Hiltl, 2002: REPLY: Geology, 30, no 11, 1052-1053.

E. Díaz-Martínez, E. Sanz-Rubio, J. Martínez-Frías, C. Fernández-Martín, LAS ESTRUCTURAS DE AZUARA Y RUBIELOS DE LA CÉRIDA. IMPLICACIONES ASTROBIOLÓGICAS. - II WORKSHOP DEL CENTRO DE ASTROBIOLOGÍA, Madrid, 4 y 5 de Diciembre, 2001(http://www.cab.inta.es/pagina/not/workshop.htm)

Ernstson, K., Claudin, F., Schüssler, U., Hradil, K., 2002: The mid-Tertiary Azuara and Rubielos de la Cérida paired imapct structures (Spain). Treb. Mus. Geol. Barcelona, 11, 5-65.

Ernstson, K., Schüssler, U., Claudin, F., Ernstson, T., 2003: An Impact Crater Chain in Northern Spain. - Meteorite, 9, 35-39.

Ernstson, K., 2004: Regmaglypts on clasts from impact ejecta. Meteorite, 10, 41-42.

Claudin, F. & Ernstson, K., 2003: GEOLOGÍA PLANETARIA Y GEOLOGÍA REGIONAL: EL DEBATE SOBRE UN IMPACTO MÚLTIPLE EN ARAGÓN. - CON UN ANEXO "NUEVOS DATOS SOBRE LA ESTRUCTURA DE AZUARA Y ZONAS LIMÍTROFES: UNA CADENA DE CRÁTERES DE IMPACTO". - Enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra, 11.3: 202-212.