To: Stark_GOP
If you have a closed, airtight system, then water does not continue to evaporate until there is no liquid water left. Rather, water evaporates until there is a certain, temperature dependent, partial pressure of water vapor present in the system. Once this partial pressure has been achieved, then evaporation stops. If mineral deposits on the bone surface sealed it off making an airtight system, then it is entirely possible that the equillibrium water vapor would be reached rather quickly thereafter, and further evaporation would be halted.
181 posted on
06/06/2005 10:29:06 AM PDT by
stremba
To: stremba
If you have a closed, airtight system, then water does not continue to evaporate until there is no liquid water left. Rather, water evaporates until there is a certain, temperature dependent, partial pressure of water vapor present in the system. Once this partial pressure has been achieved, then evaporation stops. If mineral deposits on the bone surface sealed it off making an airtight system, then it is entirely possible that the equilibrium water vapor would be reached rather quickly thereafter, and further evaporation would be halted.
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Interesting. Fossilization must have taken place at an incredible rate to provide a thick enough barrier to prevent evaporation.
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