[meteorite-list] H-chondrite or mesosiderite?

From: Sterling K. Webb <kelly_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:27:43 2004
Message-ID: <3FA30C61.9376E8AF_at_bhil.com>

Hi, Graham,

    After first issuing a disclaimer as to my non-geologically trained
self's unworthiness, I see the problem this way. Connectivity and
distribution.
    You have two immisible components in differing amounts. One is
likely to be continuously connected. In a neat pallasite, you have an
iron sponge in which is embedded mineral crystals, olivine. The olivine
lumps may once in a while connect with the next crystal but mostly it's
an iron framework. But the balance can tip and you can have a stoney
matrix that's self-connected with blebs of iron scattered thru it. And
there must be a minimum limit to the minority compenent (but I don't
know what it is).
    I looked at the mesomaybe but didn't answer because of that
unworthiness mentioned above. However, in the couple of meso's I have
(vaca muerta and woodbine), the individual lumps of iron are biggish. O,
there are some small specks, but mostly it's hunky chunks of iron. In
the mesomaybe, even where the iron is clumped closely, you can see that
the big clumps are clusters of small specks tightly associated.
    It's like the difference between chocolate chip cookies and
chocolate chunk cookies; they might have the same amount of chocolate
but it's distributed differently. If we're voting, I vote for a
chondrite with a helluva lot of metal rather a meso.
    The theory of the meso is that it forms at or near the boundary
between molten metal and molten stone and the two components are
turbulently mixed but not thoroughly mixed.
    Maybe we should call your stone a mesochondrite? (Good luck with the
MetCom...)
    My 2 centavos (worth less than two cents).


Sterling K. Webb
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Graham Christensen wrote:

> Come on. No one even willing to guess?? Any help would be greatly
> appreciated. http://www.geocities.com/aerolitehunter/mesomaybe.jpg The
> original post (which I sent out almost a week ago and got no reply) is
> below Graham Christensen
> voltage_at_telus.net
> http://www.geocities.com/aerolitehunter MSN messenger:
> majorvoltage_at_hotmail.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Graham Christensen
> To: Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> Sent: Saturday, October 25, 2003 11:08 PM
> Subject: [meteorite-list] H-chondrite or mesosiderite?
> Question for all you experts at visual assesments... I got
> this one meteorite in a bag of unclassified NWAs. I thought
> it was an H-chondrite but it doesn't seem to have much for
> chondrules and it has more metal than most chondrites I've
> seen and I was wondering if it could possibly be a
> mesosiderite? (I posted something about this a loooong time
> ago but I didn't have a photo then) Anyways, here's the
> pic: http://www.geocities.com/aerolitehunter/mesomaybe.jpg Pardon
> the blurryness, I couldn't seem to get my camera to focus on
> it. Thanks in advance Graham Christensen
> voltage_at_telus.net
> http://www.geocities.com/aerolitehunter MSN messenger:
> majorvoltage_at_hotmail.com
>
Received on Fri 31 Oct 2003 08:29:06 PM PST