84-million-year-old air bubble lies trapped in amber (fossilized tree sap). Using a quadrupole mass spectrometer, scientists can learn what the atmosphere was like when the dinosaurs roamed the earth
Analyses of the gases in these bubbles show that the earth s atmosphere, 67 million years ago, contained nearly 35 percent oxygen compared to present levels of 21 percent. Results are based upon more than 300 analyses by USGS scientists of Cretaceous, Tertiary, and recent-age amber from 16 world sites. The oldest amber in this study is about 130 million years old. For the complete story: http://minerals.cr.usgs.gov/gips/na/0amber.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marshall Dudley" <mdud...@execonn.com> To: <silver-list@eskimo.com> Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 8:37 AM Subject: Re: CS>Oxygen, Burn or Explode? ELABORATION > I don't believe they ever ran at 16 psi gage. The capsule was designed to run > pure oxygen at the same partial pressure as on earth, which meant around 3 psi, > absolute in space. I believe the tests were run at 3 psi over atmospheric, or > about 17.7 or so absoute. > > Would not 30 psi absolute of oxygen be deadly? > > Marshall > > James-Osborn: Holmes-Junior wrote: > > > It is reported that in one shuttle accident, when they were running an > > atmosphere of pure O2 at 16 psi above atmospheric, one fellows hand---not > > glove---caught on fire. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Marshall Dudley [mailto:mdud...@execonn.com] > > Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 9:36 PM > > To: silver-list@eskimo.com > > Subject: Re: CS>Oxygen, Burn or Explode? ELABORATION > > > > This is true. I have seen steel burn brilliantly several times in oxygen. > > > > Marshall > > > > Albert Peirce wrote: > > > > > The danger of an oxygen rich atmosphere is that any combustion > > > reaction is intensified! I believe that Gus Grissom and several other > > > astronauts died as a result of an electrical fault (short circuit) in > > > a confined space that was oxygen-rich and that everything that was > > > combustible (wire insulation, seat covers and foam padding, paper and > > > clipboards, etcetera) burned with incredible rapidity and intensity! > > > Check with AGA or one of your local welding suppliers to see if they > > > are offering any educational demos on the dangers of combustible gases > > > and oxidisers (oxygen). Well worth the time! Regards, Al... > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Wayne Fugitt" <wa...@fugitt.com> > > > To: <silver-list@eskimo.com> > > > Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 8:26 AM > > > Subject: CS>Oxygen, Burn or Explode? > > > > > > > Morning Tish, > > > > > > > > >As a former welder, sucking up oxygen should be done with great > > > > >care as just about anything burns in the presence of pure oxygen. > > > > >All it takes is a spark and - WA LA - no more hair and a serious > > > > >burn. > > > > > > > > You mean, burn, not explode, I suppose. Can you elaborate a bit? > > > > > > > > Many materials cannot be ignited easily with a spark. > > > > > > > > If you mean, explode, then most gases have a narrow range of > > > > concentration that can produce an explosion. > > > > > > > > I had a chart of these different gasses and the concentration > > > > range required to produce an explosion at one time. > > > > > > > > I use oxygen in my den when walking on the treadmill. I have > > > > intended to do a concentration percentage, using the 5 liters per > > > > minute and the volume of the room. > > > > > > > > In this case, I don't think the hazard is nearly as great as I > > > > have > > > been > > > > led to believe by the non-technical. > > > > > > > > There is a gas heater about 25 feet away. Sometime I turn it > > > > off, including the pilot. > > > > > > > > Wayne > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal > > > > silver. > > > > > > > > Instructions for unsubscribing may be found at: > > > > http://silverlist.org > > > > > > > > To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com > > > > > > > > Silver-list archive: > > > > http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html > > > > > > > > List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com> > > > > > > > > >
