----- Original Message ----- From: M Yousef <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 2:05 PM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] highly weathered chondrites: Reduction Spheres
> Dear Elton; > I thank you very much for your analysis. > Is there any quick test that can at least narrow the possibilities? I can > for example apply dilluted HCl, measure the melting temperature, I can also > (if you think it is worth it) have it tested by x-ray diffraction. > Also, if you (or anyone in the list) like I can send you small samples. > Maybe you will change your mind after seeing the real rock, because the the > photos, though not bad quality, but they dont reviel everything. I also had > to reduce the quality and dimentions of the photos because of large file > size. > > >I'd like to know how hard the pellets are and are they easily dislodged > >from the matrix. > > Yes they can be easily dislogged but as you go inside towards the upper side > that was not in the soil they become very hard and cannt be separated from > the bulk. > > > > Sincerely > > Mohamed H. Yousef > ---------------------------------------------- > > > > > > >From: "E.L. Jones" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: M Yousef > ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >CC: David Freeman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,Mark Miconi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] highly weathered chondrites: Reduction > >Spheres > >Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2003 08:12:51 -0500 > > > > Hello Listees, > > > >I was impressed with the quality of the photos and the discussion/questions > > Mohamed posed. We who are fortunate to have a fair amount of reference > >materials/specimens/ experience/etc., immediately recognized that the > >specimen was not likely meteoritic. However , if one were to consider the > >literature alone regarding the definitions of chondrites, I , myself, could > >call this a chondrite. So I can see how this rock could be easily mistaken > >for a meteorite on first glance. > > > >But having had a few years of experience, I thought this was a probably a > >sediment product; either what is essentially a concretion on the micro > >scale, or silica gel--(not quartz) or what I settled on is a "reduction > >sphere"*-- possibly a sulfate or carbonate akin to Alum, for example. In > >any case this is an interesting rock. I'd like to know how hard the > >pellets are and are they easily dislodged from the matrix. I suspect also > >that the soil is highly alkaline where this was found. > > > >If one is going to hunt for meteorites, this situation emphasises the > >value in putting together a small collection of micro specimens for gaining > >experience and having something to compare unknown specimens to. > >Fortunately, the availability of African meteorites make this within most > >budgets. > > > >Regards, > >Elton > > > >* Reduction Sphere: A white, leached, spheroidal mass produced in reddish > >or brownish sandstone by a localized reducing environment, commonly > >surrounding an organic nucleus or a pebble and ranging in size from poorly > >defined specks to a large perfectly round sphere more then 10 inches (25 > >cm) in diameter--McGraw-Hill "Dictionary of Geology and Mineralogy" pg. 237 > > > >In red-ox chemistry, reduction is a flow of molecules (electrons actually) > >to form new compounds. In geochemistry in this case it is a "post > >depositional" clumping of non crystaline compounds which are marginally > >soluible in water (hence, leeched ) in an oxygen- deprived environment. > >Like the mica mineral, glacounite, the molecules in solution tend to clump > >around detris such as fish or krill fecal pellets as they precipitate from > >the surface into the cold, oxygen-deprived depths. In this example the > >clumping occurs long after deposition in a weathering process. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >______________________________________________ > >Meteorite-list mailing list > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > > _________________________________________________________________ > MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus > > > ______________________________________________ > Meteorite-list mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
