[meteorite-list] Sahara Sand and Michigan Dirt

From: rochette <rochette_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:52:08 2004
Message-ID: <v04003a05b9788332999c_at_[80.12.46.200]>

repost from Saturday. It seemed lost. Sorry if you got it already
****
Hello

black magnetic spherules in Michigan soils: for sure it is industrial ashes
(from steel work, coal burning, cementery, engine mufflers etc.) for which
the fallout is numerous orders of magnitude above micrometeorite fallout,
even at long distance from industrial area.

Magnetic grains in Saharan sands: iron oxydes (mostly hematite and
goethite, but also maghemite, titanomaghemite(magnetite)) are practically
the second constituent of Saharan sands after quartz. They again have much
probably nothing to do with meteorites, but are remains of weter climates
producing iron concentration is soils. Rare earth magnets do attract
hematite. Besides various regions of Sahara (southern Morroco, Hoggar,
Tibesti, SE Egypt...) have been covered once by volcanic rocks, very rich
in magnetic grains.

Sorry for these chilling points


Pierre
Received on Thu 08 Aug 2002 04:21:26 PM PDT