[meteorite-list] Item #2175659927 - What IF it is Iron-shale?

From: Robert Verish <bolidechaser_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:25:43 2004
Message-ID: <20030523225305.85311.qmail_at_web80511.mail.yahoo.com>

Hello List,

Bottom line is - we don't appear to have a consensus
opinion on whether "iron-shale" can be called
"meteoritic", or not.

I can recall some recent incidents in which the
offered "iron-shale" was considered to be
NON-meteoritic, and hence, was considered as being
falsely advertised. But the problem is - a couple of
decades ago reputable meteorite scientist were
offering to the general public fragments of iron-shale
as "meteorites". Now, some of these same specimens
are coming out of old collections and onto eBay, and
of course the seller calls them "meteorites".

And of course, knowledgeable collectors are then up in
arms, but these uninformed eBay sellers are left to
scratch their heads and wonder why the old label says
"meteorite". Or why, when the iron-shale is still
attached to the rind of the iron mass, it is
considered a "meteorite", but when it gets knocked-off
it NOW ISN'T meteoritic?

(As an aside, there are widely varying kinds of
iron-shale - from the light, non-magnetic porous
limonite of Santa Catharina specimens - to the densely
compact goethite of Nantan and Wolf Creek - on to the
dark, highly magnetic hematite/magnetite of Canyon
Diablo!
I have cut&polished some of these CD specimens and
found intact nickel, schriebersite and troilite
grains!)

Where do we draw the line between weathered meteorite
and completely terrestrialized; between W6 and fossil
or relict meteorites? Have we ever? Do we need to?

But if we can't come to a general consensus on the
matter of, "iron-shale - is it meteoritic or not",
those of us who get involved with these "uninformed
eBay sellers" should continue to lend assistance in a
helpful manner, as we have been, and never in an
accusatory tone, and with the understanding that there
will be problems with terminology.

(Besides, if the people at eBay get involved with
this, will they see the distinction between
"iron-shale" and "meteorite"? Or will they look upon
the List as a source of interference with their
auctions?)

Here is a short list of web pages that describe where
we (as collectors) stand on the issue of "Iron-shale":

JM meteorite collection - iron meteorites
... Odessa iron shale. Sample: 462 gr. This sample is
iron shale found in1960's next to a big meteorite from
one of those smaller craters. ...
http://www.netppl.fi/~jarmom/geo/col/met_iron.htm


Meteorite Iron
... about 1t have been collected so far, as well as
loads and loads of iron shale. ... Sikhote-Alin
is the most tremendous fall of an iron meteorite ever
to have been ...
http://www.meteorite-martin.de/english/iron_en.html


Meteorite Stony Iron
... specimen of a pallasite, surrounded by 900kg of
iron shale. ... is very ancient, so that its iron and
olivine ... Later on, this meteorite fell into
oblivion, and it ...
http://www.meteorite-martin.de/english/stoneiron_en.html



Willamette, Clackamas Co., Oregon (USA) (Iron-shale
from this ...
... This material is guaranteed as follows: (1) This
is known as meteorite oxide or "iron-shale"
and is referred to as such in the Catalogue of
Meteorites, 5th ed. ...
http://home.earthlink.net/~capricorn89/willamette.htm
 

Lake Murray Meteorite photos
... Lake Murray is an iron meteorite, IIB, of extreme
terrestrial age, found in Carter County, Oklahoma ...
of oxidized iron shale was found around the remaining
600 lb ...
http://www.meteorlab.com/METEORLAB2001dev/
labphoto/LakeMurray.htm
 

Meteorite.fr - Basics - Meteorite Charts
... The oldest intact meteorite is the Lake Murray
iron. A single mass with a thick iron-shale was found
in a gully in Oklahoma, USA, in 1933. ...
http://www.meteorite.fr/en/basics/charts.htm


New Lands: Part 2 Chapter 21
... gouged by one super-meteorite is that in it and
around it at least three kinds of
meteorites have been found: they are irons, masses of
iron-shale, and shale ...
http://www.sacred-texts.com/fort/lands/lands221.htm


Meteorite - MARE History
... that by now at least 1,200 kg iron meteorite
fragments have ... years, ranges from virtually
no removal of iron to complete disintegration to
shale-balls. ...
http://www.flash.net/~meteors/Henbury.htm


Monturaqui Iron Shale - Which Classification?
[meteorite-list] Monturaqui Iron Shale - Which
Classification? ... Previous message:
[meteorite-list] Monturaqui Iron Shale - Which
Classification? ...
http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2002-March/010116.html










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Received on Fri 23 May 2003 06:53:05 PM PDT