[meteorite-list] Barringer Meteor $$$$

From: Steve Schoner <steve_schoner_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:25:36 2004
Message-ID: <20030508002657.29639.qmail_at_web12703.mail.yahoo.com>

--- StarHarvest_at_aol.com wrote:
> I found Mark's information about the location and
> exploitation of the. Barringer Meteor in Arizona
> interesting yet perplexing.
>
> My question is this: If a mining operation ensues
> based on the task of breaking up and refining ore
> from the HUGE Barringer meteor, What will this do to
> the world worth of meteorites in general? I mean,
> think of it! One could actually end up driving a
> car made of ore derived from exospace!.
> Extraterestrial material could become common stuff!
> Why, we might even end up using paper-clips from
> meteoritic ore! OH NO!
>
> Remember, the reason why diamonds are so priceless,
> is because the DeBoer (spelling?) family has
> controlled the flow of diamomds into the market.
> Diamonds happen to be NOT as rare as one may suppose
> but their availability has been controlled. What
> will happen to the monetary value of meteorites if
> one of the world's largest sources of nickel,
> iron...and possibly diamonds, is from a meteor?
> Rand Kluge
>

Rand,

The impactor that made Meteor Crater was vaporized on
impact as Dr. Moulton had predicted in 1929. Dr.
Barringer's original idea was that it was intact
underneath the south rim.

The late '40's proof of Dr. Moulton's prediction came
with Dr. Nininger's discovery of the vapor products
scattered in the soil around Meteor Crater. Then,
later, Dr. Shoemaker proved that all explosive
cratering events vaporize the impactor as well.

So, the above notion that mining meteorite craters for
a bonanza of meteorites is without merit.

Steve Schoner

http://www.geocities.com/meteorite_identificaton


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Received on Wed 07 May 2003 08:26:57 PM PDT