[meteorite-list] Simple tektite test

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From: N Lehrman <nlehrman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:53:36 2004
Message-ID: <021b01c2a881$c799fb00$19e3fea9_at_homeportal.2wire.net>

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Rob and list,

Sounds like a good idea--but I just tried it, and both Thailandites and =
Rizalites with impeccable credentials get just as hot as Apache Tears =
that I collected directly from perlite outcrops.

Keep the ideas coming!

Norm
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Matson, Robert=20
  To: 'N Lehrman' ; mafer_at_domafer.com=20
  Cc: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
  Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 2:51 PM
  Subject: [meteorite-list] Simple tektite test

  Hi All,

  I believe this test was mentioned a while back by Bob Verish or =
another list
  member, but can't you just put a tektite candidate in a microwave =
oven,
  blast it for 30 seconds, and see if it gets hot? It is my =
understanding that
  tektites (due to the low water content) will not; obsidian, apache =
tears,
  terrestrial glass all will. --Rob
  -----Original Message-----
  From: N Lehrman [mailto:nlehrman_at_nvbell.net]
  Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 11:25 PM
  To: mafer_at_domafer.com
  Cc: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
  Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Tektite identification criterion

  Mark and list,

  Properties like those you've listed do show helpful variations, but =
the range between individual tektite types tends to overlap with =
terrestrial materials to the point that none of this allows one to =
discriminate between tektites and other materials.

  Despite the thousands of papers debating the myriad mysteries of =
tektite lore, I don't know of any that directly address the fundamental =
question "how do you tell if something is or is not a tektite?". I'd =
love to hear from any of you out there with ideas or suggested =
references.

  I'm going to pull a synthesis of this subject together with time, and =
there is a reasonable stash of widely scattered data that bear on the =
subject. The really big challenge though is coming up with criteria =
that can be used outside of a major university laboratory setting. For =
example, one of the hallmark characteristics of tektite glass is its =
exceedingly low water content. However, you'd be hard pressed to find =
any commercial laboratory that could provide an accurate determination =
of this property at the levels of resolution we require. Ditto a good =
ion microprobe analysis. This is all great stuff in the academic =
laboratory settings where most technical publications originate, but =
what are we supposed to do out here on the front lines?

  Of course, there are great folks in academia who will collaborate on =
worthy issues, but such matters cannot extend to passing judgment on =
suspect materials that arrive in the mail every other week. You =
meteorite freaks know the routine well---and have developed a pretty =
good bag of tricks to screen the winners from the losers. With =
tektites, we've barely emerged from debating the very definition of the =
word. =20

  Cheers,

  Norm
  (TektiteSource.com)

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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Rob and list,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Sounds like a good idea--but I just tried it, and =
both=20
Thailandites and Rizalites with impeccable credentials get just as hot =
as Apache=20
Tears that I collected directly from perlite outcrops.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Keep the ideas coming!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Norm</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3DROBERT.D.MATSON_at_saic.com=20
  href=3D"mailto:ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_saic.com">Matson, Robert</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnlehrman_at_nvbell.net=20
  href=3D"mailto:nlehrman_at_nvbell.net">'N Lehrman'</A> ; <A =
title=3Dmafer_at_domafer.com=20
  href=3D"mailto:mafer_at_domafer.com">mafer@domafer.com</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A=20
  title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com">meteorite-list@meteor=
itecentral.com</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 20, 2002 =
2:51=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] =
Simple tektite=20
  test</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D629105922-20122002>Hi=20
  All,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
  class=3D629105922-20122002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D629105922-20122002>I=20
  believe this test was mentioned a while back by Bob Verish or another=20
  list</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
  class=3D629105922-20122002>member, but can't you just put a tektite =
candidate in=20
  a microwave oven,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
  class=3D629105922-20122002>blast it for 30 seconds, and see if it gets =

  hot?  It is my understanding that</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
  class=3D629105922-20122002>tektites (due to the low water content) =
will not;=20
  obsidian, apache tears,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
  class=3D629105922-20122002>terrestrial glass all will. =20
  --Rob</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
  size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> N Lehrman=20
  [mailto:nlehrman_at_nvbell.net]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, December 18, =
2002=20
  11:25 PM<BR><B>To:</B> <A=20
  href=3D"mailto:mafer_at_domafer.com">mafer@domafer.com</A><BR><B>Cc:</B> =
<A=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com">meteorite-list@meteor=
itecentral.com</A><BR><B>Subject:</B>=20
  Re: [meteorite-list] Tektite identification =
criterion<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Mark and list,</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Properties like those you've listed do show =
helpful=20
  variations, but the range between individual tektite types tends to =
overlap=20
  with terrestrial materials to the point that none of this allows one =
to=20
  discriminate between tektites and other materials.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Despite the thousands of papers debating the =
myriad=20
  mysteries of tektite lore, I don't know of any that directly address =
the=20
  fundamental question "how do you tell if something is or is not a=20
  tektite?".  I'd love to hear from any of you out there with ideas =
or=20
  suggested references.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I'm going to pull a synthesis of this subject =
together with=20
  time, and there is a reasonable stash of widely scattered data that =
bear on=20
  the subject.  The really big challenge though is coming up with =
criteria=20
  that can be used outside of a major university laboratory =
setting.  For=20
  example, one of the hallmark characteristics of tektite glass is its=20
  exceedingly low water content.  However, you'd be hard pressed to =
find=20
  any commercial laboratory that could provide an accurate determination =
of this=20
  property at the levels of resolution we require.  Ditto a good =
ion=20
  microprobe analysis.  This is all great stuff in the academic =
laboratory=20
  settings where most technical publications originate, but what are we =
supposed=20
  to do out here on the front lines?</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Of course, there are great folks in academia who =
will=20
  collaborate on worthy issues, but such matters cannot extend to =
passing=20
  judgment on suspect materials that arrive in the mail every other =
week. =20
  You meteorite freaks know the routine well---and have developed a =
pretty good=20
  bag of tricks to screen the winners from the losers.  With =
tektites,=20
  we've barely emerged from debating the very definition of the =
word. =20
  </FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Cheers,</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
  <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Norm</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT =
size=3D2>(TektiteSource.com)</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Fri 20 Dec 2002 06:44:46 PM PST

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