Pantasma is a region in the north of Nicaragua. In the Miskito language the word Pantasma means small humans or flat head. The Spanish word Fantasma (Galician: Pantasma) origins from the Greek Phantasma and means ghost.
The Valle de Pantasma, also called the "Crater of Pantasma", is a circular valley over 12 km in diameter situated in Nicaragua. It is passed by the Rio Pantasma, a tributary of the Rio Coco (also called Rio Segovia). In its center lies the village of Las Praderas, the principal place of the community of Santa Maria de Pantasma with about 40,000 inhabitants in the province of Jinotega. In the poor, but fertile and agricultural intensely used valley corn, grain, fruit, and coffee are cultivated and cattle is bred.
The town is the site of one of the most famous actions of the civil war between the Sandinista government and the rebel Contras. On October 18, 1983, the Nicaraguan Democratic Force's Task Force Diriangén, under Comandante "Mike Lima," launched a on the town, overrunning a battalion headquarters, detonating a munitions depot, robbing a state bank, and destroying a police station, a school, and all other government offices and facilities, leaving 47 defenders and residents dead. Though a military success, politically the Sandinistas depicted the assault as a "massacre" and a symbol of rebel atrocities.
Impact crater hypothesisedit
Some have hypothesized that the crater at Pantasma was formed when a large meteorite struck into the Tertiary effusive layers of the volcanic mountains in the north of Nicaragua.[1][2] The circular shape of the crater, the skew of its floor according to the spacious mountain slope and its apparently arbitrary situation supports the thesis of a meteorite impact. A central uplift is missing or may already be covered with sediments. An ejection ring is not recognizable clearly in the rough landscape. The size and the shape of the crater are similar to the 10 km large and about one million years old crater of Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana.
In 2011, Povenmire et al. suggested that Central America is home to a tektite strewn field centered around Pantasma. The authors estimated the Central American strewn field to encompass portions of Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico.[3] A 2019 study reported evidence for an impact origin of Pantasma, including the presence of melt-bearing breccia, impact glasses containing lechatelierite, coesite, the high-pressure silicon dioxide polymorph coesite, and extraterrestrial chromium isotope ratios.[4] Argon dating of impact glasses suggests a crater age of kyr,[4] which is consistent with the age of impact-produced tektites in Belize, 530 km from Pantasma. The impact hypothesis is further supported by measurements showing that the elemental and isotopic compositions of Belize tektites match the composition of material from Pantasma.[5] In 2022, Koeberl et al. emphasized that while the composition of Belize glasses could be consistent with an impact origin, the geochemical evidence is not conclusive; based on chemistry alone, a volcanic origin is also plausible. However, their low water content, presence of lechatelierite, and absence of crystalline phases indicate that the Belize glasses were formed by an impact.[6]
Referencesedit
^Rochette, P. (2017). "CONNECTING THE PANTASMA (NICARAGUA) AND BELIZE IMPACT GLASSES: TOWARD A FOURTH COUPLE CRATER AND TEKTITE STREWN-FIELD? 80th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society Abstract #6018" (PDF).
^Rochette, P. (2016). "FIRST INVESTIGATIONS ON THE PANTASMA STRUCTURE (NICARAGUA). 79th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society Abstract #6128" (PDF).
^Povenmire, H. (2011). "THE NEW CENTRAL AMERICAN TEKTITE STREWN FIELD. 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Abstract #1224" (PDF).
^ abRochette, P.; Alaç, R.; Beck, P.; Brocard, G.; Cavosie, A. J.; Debaille, V.; Devouard, B.; Jourdan, F.; Mougel, B.; Moustard, F.; Moynier, F. (April 2019). "Pantasma: Evidence for a Pleistocene circa 14 km diameter impact crater in Nicaragua". Meteoritics & Planetary Science. 54 (4): 880–901. doi:10.1111/maps.13244. ISSN 1086-9379. S2CID 134503127.
^Koeberl, Christian; Glass, Billy P.; Schulz, Toni; Wegner, Wencke; Giuli, Gabriele; Cicconi, Maria Rita; Trapananti, Angela; Stabile, Paola; Cestelli-Guidi, Mariangela; Park, Jisun; Herzog, Gregory F. (May 2022). "Tektite glasses from Belize, Central America: Petrography, geochemistry, and search for a possible meteoritic component". Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 325: 232–257. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2022.02.021. hdl:11581/470415. S2CID 247063391.
External linksedit
Richard Weyl: The geology of Central America, Borntraeger, 1961 (ISBN3-443-11001-0)
Bruno Engels: „Geologische Problematik und Strukturanalyse Nikaraguas“. International Journal of Earth Sciences, Springer 1965 (ISSN 1437-3254)]
NSF press release 96-009
"A METEORITE FORMED PANTASMA?" in Envio.Org Sept.2009, about the expedition in July 2009 by "Astronic" to the Pantasma Valley
Leo Kowald: Pantasma - a young meteorite impact crater in the old volcanic landscape of Nicaragua?
pantasma, region, north, nicaragua, miskito, language, word, means, small, humans, flat, head, spanish, word, fantasma, galician, origins, from, greek, phantasma, means, ghost, valle, also, called, crater, circular, valley, over, diameter, situated, nicaragua,. Pantasma is a region in the north of Nicaragua In the Miskito language the word Pantasma means small humans or flat head The Spanish word Fantasma Galician Pantasma origins from the Greek Phantasma and means ghost The Valle de Pantasma also called the Crater of Pantasma is a circular valley over 12 km in diameter situated in Nicaragua It is passed by the Rio Pantasma a tributary of the Rio Coco also called Rio Segovia In its center lies the village of Las Praderas the principal place of the community of Santa Maria de Pantasma with about 40 000 inhabitants in the province of Jinotega In the poor but fertile and agricultural intensely used valley corn grain fruit and coffee are cultivated and cattle is bred The town is the site of one of the most famous actions of the civil war between the Sandinista government and the rebel Contras On October 18 1983 the Nicaraguan Democratic Force s Task Force Diriangen under Comandante Mike Lima launched a surprise attack on the town overrunning a battalion headquarters detonating a munitions depot robbing a state bank and destroying a police station a school and all other government offices and facilities leaving 47 defenders and residents dead Though a military success politically the Sandinistas depicted the assault as a massacre and a symbol of rebel atrocities Impact crater hypothesis editSome have hypothesized that the crater at Pantasma was formed when a large meteorite struck into the Tertiary effusive layers of the volcanic mountains in the north of Nicaragua 1 2 The circular shape of the crater the skew of its floor according to the spacious mountain slope and its apparently arbitrary situation supports the thesis of a meteorite impact A central uplift is missing or may already be covered with sediments An ejection ring is not recognizable clearly in the rough landscape The size and the shape of the crater are similar to the 10 km large and about one million years old crater of Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana In 2011 Povenmire et al suggested that Central America is home to a tektite strewn field centered around Pantasma The authors estimated the Central American strewn field to encompass portions of Honduras Nicaragua Guatemala Belize and southern Mexico 3 A 2019 study reported evidence for an impact origin of Pantasma including the presence of melt bearing breccia impact glasses containing lechatelierite coesite the high pressure silicon dioxide polymorph coesite and extraterrestrial chromium isotope ratios 4 Argon dating of impact glasses suggests a crater age of 815 11 displaystyle 815 pm 11 nbsp kyr 4 which is consistent with the age of impact produced tektites in Belize 530 km from Pantasma The impact hypothesis is further supported by measurements showing that the elemental and isotopic compositions of Belize tektites match the composition of material from Pantasma 5 In 2022 Koeberl et al emphasized that while the composition of Belize glasses could be consistent with an impact origin the geochemical evidence is not conclusive based on chemistry alone a volcanic origin is also plausible However their low water content presence of lechatelierite and absence of crystalline phases indicate that the Belize glasses were formed by an impact 6 References edit Rochette P 2017 CONNECTING THE PANTASMA NICARAGUA AND BELIZE IMPACT GLASSES TOWARD A FOURTH COUPLE CRATER AND TEKTITE STREWN FIELD 80th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society Abstract 6018 PDF Rochette P 2016 FIRST INVESTIGATIONS ON THE PANTASMA STRUCTURE NICARAGUA 79th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society Abstract 6128 PDF Povenmire H 2011 THE NEW CENTRAL AMERICAN TEKTITE STREWN FIELD 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Abstract 1224 PDF a b Rochette P Alac R Beck P Brocard G Cavosie A J Debaille V Devouard B Jourdan F Mougel B Moustard F Moynier F April 2019 Pantasma Evidence for a Pleistocene circa 14 km diameter impact crater in Nicaragua Meteoritics amp Planetary Science 54 4 880 901 doi 10 1111 maps 13244 ISSN 1086 9379 S2CID 134503127 Rochette Pierre Beck Pierre Bizzarro Martin Braucher Regis Cornec Jean Debaille Vinciane Devouard Bertrand Gattacceca Jerome Jourdan Fred Moustard Fabien Moynier Frederic December 2021 Impact glasses from Belize represent tektites from the Pleistocene Pantasma impact crater in Nicaragua Communications Earth amp Environment 2 1 94 doi 10 1038 s43247 021 00155 1 ISSN 2662 4435 PMC 7611520 PMID 34409303 Koeberl Christian Glass Billy P Schulz Toni Wegner Wencke Giuli Gabriele Cicconi Maria Rita Trapananti Angela Stabile Paola Cestelli Guidi Mariangela Park Jisun Herzog Gregory F May 2022 Tektite glasses from Belize Central America Petrography geochemistry and search for a possible meteoritic component Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 325 232 257 doi 10 1016 j gca 2022 02 021 hdl 11581 470415 S2CID 247063391 External links editRichard Weyl The geology of Central America Borntraeger 1961 ISBN 3 443 11001 0 Bruno Engels Geologische Problematik und Strukturanalyse Nikaraguas International Journal of Earth Sciences Springer 1965 ISSN 1437 3254 Maps of INETER Managua Nicaragua NSF press release 96 009 Sterne und Weltraum May 2006 A METEORITE FORMED PANTASMA in Envio Org Sept 2009 about the expedition in July 2009 by Astronic to the Pantasma Valley Leo Kowald Pantasma a young meteorite impact crater in the old volcanic landscape of Nicaragua 13 22 N 85 57 W 13 367 N 85 950 W 13 367 85 950 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pantasma amp oldid 1208847489, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
