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News on the Emerald Meteorite

This article from the Ashtabula Star Beacon, Monday, March 2, 1998,
was obtained by Tim McCoy of the Smithsonian, who gave it to me.
Please excuse any scanning errors that I missed.  Enjoy!

=======================================================================

Did green meteorites draw the Vikings to northern Ohio 1,000 years ago?  
And are those meteorites the rarest of extra-terrestrial rocks to visit 
this planet?  Or could it be they're just industrial slag with a strange 
but beautiful mix of metal and glass?  Welcome to…

            THE GREAT 'EMERALD METEORITE' DEBATE.

            BY CARL E. FEATHER Lifestyles Editor

A few billion years ago, a giant asteroid collided with the Earth right 
about where you are sitting. It left behind green, glassy meteorites with 
metal spheres suspended inside. About three years ago, Youngstown-area 
diver Bruce Watson discovered these rocks and started asking questions. 
At first, he thought they were gem stones stashed in Lake Erie 1,000 
years ago by the Vikings. Then he took them to a gemologist for analysis 
and discovered something even more amazing: those green rocks came from 
outer space.

Thus was born the "emerald meteorite," a meteorite so rare scientific 
experts are simply unable to identify or explain it.

That's one version of the story, the version that appears on The Emerald 
Meteorite Group's website (www.emeraldmeteorite.com). It's a version 
with more loopholes than a millionaire's tax accountant and speculation 
than a 1928 Wall Street investor.

Here's the other version. From 1943 to 1980, Union Carbide and Carbon's 
Ashtabula Township furnaces produced alloys of silicon, manganese, 
magnesium, iron, boron and chromium. Dross or slag, a furnace byproduct 
consisting of glass and metal impurities, was also produced. Thousands 
of tons of the stuff were hauled out of the plant every month. Docks 
and roads were built upon it. Not surprisingly, some of it ended up in 
Lake Erie.

Industrial artifacts or a previously unknown meteoritic material? That's 
the debate stirred by emeraldmeteorite.com, a Website posted by Watson 
and his marketing assistant Dan Cononico last year. It's a debate that's 
getting white hot as it enters the meteorite community from Cyberspace. 
Watson, who ties the meteorites to a Norse presence in northeast Ohio, 
has been called a "charlatan" and "phony" by scientists. Meanwhile 
meteorite hobbyists are being lured by the beauty of the rocks and 
engage in lively Cyberspace debate (www7.pair.com/arthur/meteor/archive/
Nov97) And investors have dropped at least $100,000 into the submerged 
mystery.

All this from green rock harvested from a secret location off the 
Ashtabula County shore.

                          ONE OF A KIND

The debate begins in Cyberspace, where Watson and Cononico promote their 
find as "the world's only Emerald Meteorite" (a trademark).

Our specimen was found in North America by accident while doing research 
on another project pertaining to the Vikings In America," state the men 
in their introduction page. 

"The discovery of this specimen has astounding historical significance. 
We will prove the Nors (sic) settled in Northern Ohio along Lake Erie and 
that they first discovered our specimen. We believe we have found 
evidence that l hey smelted this meteorite for metal. We also believe 
that this settlement better fits The Ancient Vineland (The Land of the 
Grapes)."

Watson discovered the rocks while diving in the underwater trenches off 
Saybrook, Geneva and Conneaut. His theory is that the trenches date from 
a millennium ago and were built by Vikings lured to this area by the iron 
content of the meteorite. They planted their grapes, smelted their iron 
and pursued other Viking-like activities along the Lake Erie shore.

As further evidence of Viking habitation, Watson points to the 1876 
Williams Brothers "History of Ashtabula  County," which speaks of 
pioneers finding ancient cemeteries with large-boned skeletons buried 
in them. Watson said he discovered an underwater foundry, complete 
with silvery ingots, and attributes both to the Norse. He's even 
found a metal "tooth" in the rubble around the foundry. 

He contends that all this is plausible because, according to Dr. 
Charles F. Herdendorf, a hydrologist, lake levels have risen a 
couple feet per century. Thus, the trenches were at one time lakeshore 
homes and 'industrial parks for the Vikings. 

A green rock retrieved from one of the trenches was taken to Michael 
Williams of West Shore Gemological Services for study. Williams is a 
certified gemologist who operates an independent testing lab.  He 
analyzed the sample under a microscope and stated that the metallic 
spheres in the sample were "very interesting".

"Upon searching for a metallic crystal of this shape I found none," 
he wrote in a memo to Watson. "This appears to be something new. 
They are similar in color and texture to Hematite, the structure 
of Hematite is different."

A more recent, but undated memo from Williams, states that the 
chemical composition of the green glass looks like something in 
the beryl family of gem stones, which includes green beryl and 
emerald. As for the metallic spheres, his testing (method not 
specified) revealed them to be Nickel and iron. 

But the clincher for Watson was the presence of xenon gas and a 
Widmanstatten structure in the sample. Both are unknown on terrestrial 
rocks.

"The very high concentration of zenon (sic) gas in the samples is 
many times higher than in terrestrial rocks, indicate an origin 
other than here," wrote Williams. "After examining all thy test 
results, I have come to one conclusion. This material has an 
origin outside the earth's environment, the metal spheres can't 
form in any environment other than '0' G. It is my opinion that 
this material is some form of newly discovered form of Meteorite."

This analysis led Watson to conclude that his rock is a pallasites 
meteorite, which is distinguished by nuggets of olivine set in a 
meshwork of metal. Olivine is a magnesium-iron silicate the color 
of a dried-up green olive.

                   SECOND OPINION

Williams could not be reached for comment. However, Cononico 
provided copies of Williams' analysis and they were shown to 
Aloysius F. Hepp, a senior research scientist with NASA's Lewis 
Research Center and adjunct professor in inorganic chemistry at 
Baldwin Wallace College in Berea. Hepp said the analysis appeared 
to have been done using X-ray fluoroscopy, a testing method that 
could not accurately detect xenon gas. As for the claim that the 
spheres can't form in anything except zero gravity? Hepp dismisses 
it as inaccurate. He said molten metal and ceramic mix like water 
and oil- anyone who has shaken a bottle of vinegar and oil 
dressing knows that spheres of the heavier oil will float through 
the water.

Hepp obtained samples of an "Emerald Meteorite" cut into sections. 
He ran a spectrographic analysis using the dispersive energy 
technique. Under a scanning electron microscope, the sample is hit 
with a blast of energy. The electrons emitted from the sample are 
then measured. The analysis does not measure the abundance of 
elements, but does identify what is present.

Hepp's findings varied significantly from those of Williams. He 
found no nickel in the sample, a component of virtually all 
meteorites. The two major metals in the sample were iron and 
chromium. Silicon was also detected in the metal portion, as 
well as in the ceramic element. There were many other metals in 
the ceramic portion, including magnesium, molybdenum, aluminum 
and cadmium, a toxic heavy metal. Under the right pH conditions, 
the cadmium could be released from the ceramic element and pollute 
the water. Hepp said under real-life circumstances, however, the 
danger is probably minimal.

Hepp said there is no doubt in his mind that the samples he studied 
are nothing more than "industrial artifacts."  He told Watson the 
same, but said Watson chose to ignore his analysis and continues 
to promote the slag as an "Emerald Meteorite." 

But Hepp's analysis is not the only one Watson has ignored. The 
Cleveland Museum of Natural History also dismissed the material 
as slag. So did Tim McCoy, associate curator at the division of 
meteorites for the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. McCoy had one 
of his postdoctoral fellows analyze an "Emerald Meteorite" sample 
under a scanning microscope, the same technique used by Hepp. 
Here's what he found:

* The metallic spheres are composed of manganese, with lesser 
amounts of iron and silicon. There was no nickel.

* No Widmanstatten pattern was noted. McCoy said in a phone interview 
that Watson's claim of such a pattern is based upon a similar pattern 
in the glass but caused by rapid cooling. Further, for a Widmanstatten 
pattern to occur, two minerals, kamacite (low nickel content) and 
taenite (high nickel), must be present. But there's no nickel in 
the "Emerald Meteorite."

* The glass was composed of silicon, calcium, aluminum and magnesium. 
McCoy noted that the grain size of the glass is quite fine, suggesting 
the minerals crystallized rapidly during fast cooling.

Writing in an opinion letter posted on the Internet, McCoy concluded 
"All of this evidence taken together strongly indicates that this 
material is a man made industrial product ... in short, there can 
be no doubt that this material is not of extraterrestrial origin, 
but rather is a man made industrial product."  

                     WORKER CONFIRMATION

McCoy's analysis is right on, according to a man who worked around the 
slag more than, 30 years. Don Booth of North Kingsville was furnace 
room manager for Electromet and immediately identified the "Emerald 
Meteorite" sample as "silica-manganese slag." Booth said the Union 
Carbide furnaces produced two types of slag, "standard," which was 
an iron/manganese mix that was crushed and returned to the furnace 
to reclaim the metals, and silica-manganese, which was discarded by 
the dump-truck load.

Sam Bucci, also a Union Carbide retiree, said Pinney Dock is built 
on silica-manganese slag. "They hauled that slag red hot in squares, 
about 1 1/2-tons each, and dumped it into the lake," Bucci said. 
"Standard slag from Youngstown was also hauled up to Pinney Dock."

Standard slag had metallic spheres embedded in the green glass like 
BB shot. It's possible that some of the standard slag got mixed in 
with the silica-manganese, which is dark green and may be found with 
light green crystal structures scattered throughout. It shatters when 
hit with a hammer and has sharp edges.

It is likely that dredging around the dock disturbed some of the smaller 
pieces of slag, which may have been transported to the "trenches," 
where it was trapped. Wave action also could have deposited the slag. 
Or, the industrial, artifacts may have been dumped directly into the 
lake especially during the World War II years when winning a war took 
precedence over the environment.

But Watson claims the material is widely dispersed in the Lake Erie 
basin and that Herdendorf has found it in the, glacial till. He said 
a piece was even found in Cleveland by someone excavating o foundation 
for a house.

                       SOLID AS A ROCK

Dr. Ron Corey, professor of geology at Baldwin Wallace, also examined 
the samples and called them ''industrial artifacts." He said the green 
color is probably from chromium. The sample is definitely not an 
"emerald," for emeralds have beryllium in them. The analyses of the 
"Emerald Meteorite" show no traces of that element. Hepp attributes 
the green coloration to chromium.

Corey said meteorites have a "fusion crust," a black, crusty exterior 
"Emerald Meteorites" lack. And remember that piece of metal Watson 
found near the underwater foundry? Both Hepp and Corey identity it 
as some type of silica-manganese alloy.

More evidence against the meteorites comes from New England Meteorite 
Services (www.meteorlab.com), which studied the meteorite last year. 
"We saw absolutely no evidence of meteoritic material," said Russ 
Kempton, director of the independent lab.

Dr. Alan Rubin, a meteorite researcher at UCLA, said he and several 
colleagues looked at an "Emerald Meteorite" sample and decided it wasn't 
worth testing. "We concluded it's just slag," he said.

Rubin said Watson took his assessment of the rock out of context. "It 
is a beautiful rock," he said. "They got me to elicit a comment that 
'I'd never seen anything like it before.' Nevertheless, it is not a 
meteorite." On the Website, Rubin's comment is twisted. "An expert in 
meteorites, while stating that he has never seen anything quite like 
it before, fell short in declaring that this is a meteorite after only 
a 'visual analysis.'"

                       DETERMINATION 

Despite the overwhelming evidence that the "Emerald Meteorite" is a 
hoax, Watson and Cononico won't back off. Cononico said he is convinced 
that the Smithsonian, NEMS and other meteoric scientists have banded 
together to discredit their findings because Watson refuses to share 
the location of the rocks with them. 

"I don't think anything is going to stop Bruce," Cononico said last 
week when confronted with the findings. "(The meteorite) will not get 
certified until he gives up the site and follows protocol." Cononico 
characterizes the meteorite scientists as a "close-knit organization 
that acts like it's a bunch of little gods." 

"We did not follow proper protocol and kiss butt and they're upset 
with us," he said. However, Cononico said that by publishing their 
Web page, they have fulfilled their obligation to the scientific 
community to make their findings public.

"We put (the Web page) up for the world to see," Cononico said. "I 
don't want to stomp on any toes, but that's what the First Amendment 
allows us to do."

But Hepp, McCoy and Kempton are concerned the "Emerald Meteorite" 
will progress from scientific hoax to a financial scam if Watson 
attempts to sell the artifact as meteorite to unsuspecting consumers. 
Hepp calls him a "charlatan."

John Walters, publisher of "Voyage" magazine in Providence, R.I., 
became interested in the meteorite last year but quickly grew 
frustrated at Watson's refusal to provide complete information. 
He said he plans to print an article in his magazine that will 
expose Watson. Walters believes that Watson has purposely withheld 
the majority of the information he has about the material, choosing 
to release only that data that supports his theory. He wants Watson 
to release all the analyses, not just Williams'. And he wants Watson 
to produce an "Emerald Meteorite" with the tell-tale fusion crust 
exterior. Walters is still waiting for it.

Cononico said he "smells a rat" because the gemstone side has 
"embraced" them while the meteorite experts are calling them phonies. 
He stands by his belief that the meteorite people are holding out 
for the location so they can cash in on the find. But Walters said 
he told Watson that there's little economic value to the "Emerald 
Meteorite" because there's such an abundance of it. Rubin said he 
doubts if Watson could even begin to recoup his investment. "My 
guess is they're not going to sell much of it because all the 
dealers are going to be aware of the fact it's not meteorite," 
he said.

Watson, who quit his job as a truck driver to pursue this theory, 
said he and others already have invested $100,000 creating and 
posting the Web page, looking for the rocks and getting them 
analyzed. Earlier this year, Watson said he had investors willing 
to put $1 million into the project. He said his goal, however, 
is not financial, but to become known as the truck driver who 
made the greatest scientific discovery of the century. Despite 
mounting evidence that his theory may be a hoax, he and Cononico 
are sticking with it.

"I think he's still 95 percent right on," Cononico said. 

"I think we have something different from the rest," Watson said. 
"It's just that it's never been found before because it's been 
mixed in with the (slag)."