[meteorite-list] Elma

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:36 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86901B4EC9C_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Hi Alan, Bob and List,

Knowing Bob, I don't think you should take any personal offense
at the line of his questioning. He's frustrated, as many of us
are, at the difficulty we have had getting (domestic) meteorites
classified in a timely manner subsequent to the flood from NWA.
There are no two ways about it, NWA has had a severe NEGATIVE
impact on the work Bob, myself and others have been trying to
do in California/Nevada/Arizona for the past several years.

So when you've been waiting for two or more years to get some
specimens classified, it's a bit of a slap in the face when we
hear about non-meteoritic material jumping straight to the head
of the line for some researchers' attention. Granted, Elma
doesn't have a direct impact on us since we don't have meteorites
waiting to be classified at UW; it is more the precedent that
is disturbing: that a *meteorite* researcher might put everything
on hold to study a non-meteorite.

I think we're all in agreement that whatever the Elma material is,
it is not meteoritic. Perhaps it has some connection to ball
lightning or St. Elmo's Fire (hey -- there's a pun -- St. Elma's
Fire!), but whatever it is, it's earthly. One could certainly
argue that it is still an appropriate list topic here since I
don't recall anybody complaining about fulgurites being mentioned
from time-to-time...

Cheers,
Rob
Received on Wed 27 Aug 2003 12:13:59 AM PDT