UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, April 20,1995
5A
The hole in Nebraska
Three KU students believe they have discovered a meteor crater in Custer County, Neb., 12 miles west of Broken Arrow. Erosion has filled in the crater, and today it measures one mile wide but only 75 feet deep, appearing more like a shallow depression than a meteor crater.
Krista McGlothon/KANSAN
Source:Department of Geology
Research into 'big hole' lacks financial support
By Robert Allen Kansan staff writer
A mile-wide hole in the ground has been a source of interest and frustration for a KU professor.
Wakefield Dort, professor emeritus of geology, believes that he has discovered a meteor crater in the middle of Nebraska, but NASA officials have shown almost no interest in his discovery.
Since discovering the possible crater five years ago, Dort has sent three requests to NASA asking for money to further study it and positively nail down its origin. All three times, NASA has declined, saying that further study was needed.
"What's particularly annoying is that the second and third letters of rejection included statements saying 'you should do this' and 'you should do that,' and in each instance that was exactly what we were asking for funding to support," he said. "We have been funding most of this out of our pockets, so we're operating really on a shearose budget."
Dort and two other KU scientists, Edward Zeller, professor emeritus of geology and physics, and Larry Martin, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Natural History Museum, believe that the evidence collected so far indicated that the hole was made by a meteor slamming into the earth a few thousand
years ago. No other plausible explanations exist, they say.
it's a big round hole that demands an explanation," Martin said. "There don't seem to be other mechanisms to create the hole."
Dort was surprised by NASA's reluctance to study a hole that could have been made by a meteor.
"NASA, according to what I learned a couple of weeks ago, is really focused on extraterestrial studies, meaning outside the earth," Dort said.
The first rejection letter Dort received, dated August 21, 1992, stated in part, "The study of impact craters is relative to NASA objectives; this particular study is not."
A second letter, which Dort received in December 1993, said that the proposal "suffered from a lack of preliminary work." But Dort and his colleagues had written asking for money to do some preliminary work.
"It's a government agency, and they make their own rules," Dort said.
Despite three rejection letters from NASA, Dort and his colleagues are not giving up. Dort is considering asking other organizations, such as the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society, for money.
"This is too interesting and too potentially important," Dort said.
Let's talk about STDs.
Linda S. Lyle
M. D., Univ. of Kansas, 1987 Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Practice, KUMC Board Certified in Family Practice
April is STD Awareness and Education Month. Remember that you can reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Abstinence is the surest way to avoid STDs, but if you decide to have intercourse - use a latex condom and spermicide with nonoxynol-9 every time. Spermicides and condoms are available at Watkins Pharmacy.
Consult your Watkins physician if you have questions about STDs. For an appointment call 864-9507.
JUMPRIGHTINTO STUDENTSENATE
STUDENT SENATE IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING 1995-1996 POSITIONS:
· Stud-Ex Chair
· Treasurer
· Assistant Treasurers
CO-DIRECTORS
- The Student Legislature Awareness Board (SLAB Co- coordinators)
APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE
STUDENT SENATE OFFICE, 410 KANSAS UNION
QUESTIONS? 864-3710
APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 22 1995 5:00p.m.-
This Friday, 4/21 Come hang out with
4pm Free to the public!
Get your records autographed! Enjoy life!
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*Adferred Apple Computer Loan offer expires June 3, 1995. No payment of principal or interest will be required for 90 days. Interest accruing during the 90-day period will be added to the principal and will remain issue based in the repayment schedule. Monthly payment is an estimate based on the loan amount *$24,868.88*, which includes a sample purchase price of $24,868.88 and a 60% loan origination for the PowerBook 520 system above shown. The monthly payment for the total loan amount described above would have been $42. The interest is variable based on the commercial paper rate plus 3.55%. For example, the month of February 1995 had an interest rate of 18.578% with an annual interest rate of 10.49%. The interest rate does not include interest tax. Product price, product availability, loan amounts and sales taxes may vary. The Apple Computer Loan has an 6-year loan term with no pre-payment penalty and is subject to credit approval. Predetermined expenses the loan process do not guarantee final loan approval © 1995 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. The Apple logo, Macintosh, Macintosh Powerbook, PowerPicture, and "to power be" are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. and are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. All Apple products are designed to be accessible to individuals with disability. To obtain more information, visit www.apple.com. (US only). LICENSING: (US) 800-763-3333 or (US) 800-783-6323.