List: From a customer we received a sample of the material recently referred to and discussed on this list as Eagle Butte.
Sample chemical analysis summary: The received material is porous and not homogeneous. There are varying proportions of FeO, MgO, Ca, Al, and Dolomite within "clumps". The terms "clast" and "breccias" are not used to define these concentrations as the boundaries are poorly defined. We found no detectable Ni. In our opinion this is ferrous slag similar to the iron slag used for road bases. (actually Canada is an important source of ferrous slag accounting for about 26% of USA imported needs) Bernd Pauli wrote: "Unfortunately there is no crater information in the 5th issue of the Catalogue. Those among us who still have access to the BBB (the Big Blue Book = 4th edition of the Catalogue) know that Eagle Butte is mentioned as a doubtful feature: A disturbed area, 10 km in diameter and 30-40 million years old, may be meteoritic, P.B. Robertson and R.A.F. Grieve, Journ. Roy. Astron. Soc. Canada, 1975, vol. 69, p. 1, but compare T.B. Haites and H. van Hees, Journ. Alberta Soc. Petrol. Geologists, 1962, vol. 10, p. 511. Bore holes and electric log data for the structure, H.B. Sawatzky in, Impact and Explosion Cratering, eds. D.J. Roddy, R.O. Pepin and R.B. Merrill, Pergamon Press (New York), 1977, p. 461." To Bernd's contribution I would add the work of Hodge and Sawatzky: "Eagle Butte, Alberta Lat/Long: N49 deg. 42', W110 deg. 30' Diameter: 19 km Age <65 Ma Condition: Eroded" "Eagle Butte is in the Cypress Hills area of southern Alberta (Canada). Cypress Hills Provincial Park occupies part of the eastern portion of the structure. The structure was recognized as a geophysical anomaly long before it was found to be an impact feature. Both surface geology and sub-surface information from wells support its identification as such." "The geophysical contours show a central uplift and a surrounding ring depression." "Meteorite Craters and Impact Structures of the Earth", Hodge, Paul, 1994, University of Cambridge Press. And "Two probable Late Cretaceous astroblemes in Western Canada: Eagle Butte, Alberta and Dumas, Saskatchewan". Geophysics, 41, 1261 - 1271" Is there existing meteoritic material associated with the Eagle Butte structure? I don't know. All that I can say for sure is that the material we received is not meteoritic. A word of caution: Some of the longer-term members of the List may remember our involvement with material that came to be referred to as the "Emerald Meteorite". (summary story about the "Emerald Meteorite", for those unfamiliar with it is at: http://www2.suite224.net/~editorsb/updates/meteorite.htm ) Our chemical analysis showed it to be a foundry by-product, probably from the lining of a refractory kiln and not meteoritic. Some members may still have samples of this material in their collections. Legal consequences resulting from this were unpleasant. Fortunately Tim McCoy's (Smithsonian) independent analysis concurred with ours and the finders/promoters backed off. My point ( something I'm sure that many List members have experienced) is that it is sometimes very, very, difficult to convince someone untrained or unfamiliar with meteoritics that what they have is of terrestrial occurrence. If they choose a legal path it can become costly and uncomfortable for all. I find it far better in these circumstances, that when asked, to offer an "opinion" on the material rather than to speak in "absolutes" that may be heard as a denouncement. Everyone has an opinion but denouncements can get you sued. Of course, this is just my "opinion". Russ K./NEMS ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list