[meteorite-list] Simple tektite test

From: N Lehrman <nlehrman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:53:36 2004
Message-ID: <002501c2a8af$b9ec27c0$19e3fea9_at_homeportal.2wire.net>

John,

I suspect this may be the best easy test out there. Jim Tobin commented on
it earlier and sent some photos off-list that make the point very well.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Norm

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Gwilliam" <jkg_at_theriver.com>
To: "N Lehrman" <nlehrman_at_nvbell.net>; "Matson, Robert"
<ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_saic.com>; <mafer@domafer.com>
Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Simple tektite test


> Hello All,
> John Blennert told me a couple of years ago that if suspected tektites
were
> heated with a torch, it would react differently than anapache tear. One
> melts and froths up and the other just glows read....I think the true
> tektites simply glow red.
>
> If JB is monitoring the list, maybe he can clarify things. I believe Jim
> Kriegh also knows something about this test.
>
> John
>
> At 03:44 PM 12/20/02 -0800, N Lehrman wrote:
> >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 -----
> >>From: <mailto:ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_saic.com>Matson, Robert
> >>To: <mailto:nlehrman_at_nvbell.net>'N Lehrman' ;
> >><mailto:mafer_at_domafer.com>mafer@domafer.com
> >>Cc:
>
>><mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>meteorite-list@meteoritecentra
> >>l.com
> >>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: <mailto:mafer_at_domafer.com>mafer@domafer.com
> >>Cc:
>
>><mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>meteorite-list@meteoritecentra
> >>l.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.
> >>
> >>Cheers,
> >>
> >>Norm
> >>(TektiteSource.com)
>
>
>
Received on Sat 21 Dec 2002 12:13:40 AM PST