[meteorite-list] Terresterial VS. way out there testing

From: Starbits_at_aol.com <Starbits_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:55:51 2004
Message-ID: <2b.218c263b.29832bbe_at_aol.com>

<How far from being a qualified meteorite testing lab is a good quality soils, water, and air testing lab. Lab doesn't have experience with meteorites. Would this be the limiting factor, or is there much more to the picture? Lab is fully accredited and has been around quite a while (20 years). Any opinions are welcome.>

Hello Dave and list

   A year or so ago I found a web site that did electron microprobe analyses on mineral specimens for mining companies. I considered contacting them, but before I did I talked with Dr. David Kring, LPL, about what it would take to be an accepted classifier of meteorites.

   He found it very doubtful that the company I found would be qualified even if they were willing. Basically they would have to do classifications for a while and their data would have to be checked to ensure it was correctly done and interpreted. So you would need an accredited lab that would verify their classifications and vouch for their ability to get them correct. I believe Marvin Kilgore did this so he could classify material.
   As I recall Dr Kring's problem with the company I mentioned to him was that the high through put of analyses and the lower accuracy required for mining data would make it doubtful that they would able to meet the requirements of meteorite classification.
   The other problem is knowledge of meteorites and their classifications. According to Dr Kring there was a paper published which gave the differences in the H, L, and LL ordinary chondrites. I think it was by Rubin but I am not sure. Maybe Bernd can tell us. However there is no similar source of comparison for anything else. So there is no readily available logic tree that says if it meets a, b, j, and x it is a winonite. That makes it difficult for someone without a meteorite background to just jump into classification. A logic tree sounds like a good publishable paper to me if anybody is interested.
   In short, having the right equipment isn't the whole solution and may actually be the easiest part to accomplish.

Eric Olson
http://www.star-bits.com
Received on Fri 25 Jan 2002 04:44:29 PM PST