[meteorite-list] Pasamonte magnetism

From: MexicoDoug_at_aol.com <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Sep 7 00:45:17 2004
Message-ID: <2F4C2D6A.4BBBFC0C.0BFED528_at_aol.com>

Hola Martin,

Your question about Pasamonte is a very interesting one for me, because last night I was pondering the same thing for some terrestrial rocks found while meteorite hunting Sunday. I got a total of about 40 "hematite nodules" shaped from nice kidney-rose balls to a crinoidal replacement, and even a few poor examples of hexagonal crystalline specimens.

All but one were non-magnetic to a powerful rare earth magnet which can lift 8 poinds of iron when its 2 square cm surface are is in contact.

The odd thing is that the unique one that scared the daylights out of me in the field me by audibly snapping to the magnet, a rather non-descript small slightly blacker weathered fragment, polishes red and leaves red streak, but man is it magnetic.

Now besides really being interested in your Pasamonte observation for that special meteorite itself, the link your question has to my own curious situation is ... "Is the certain piece really special, not random" or is it just a perhaps part of the typical Gaussian tail, i.e. statistically a little bit of magnetic iron material getting distributed realitively widely during formation. My case is for hematite "nodule" growths at the bottom of an ancient sea (now desert). That opens some interesting musing about Vesta "geo"logy itself and what processes might have been at work locally on Pasamonte's Vesta parent locality to create the diverse conditions you are suggesting...

Pretty post, I pray prominent Pasamonte piece proprieters produce prime & pertinent points.
Saludos, Doug


Michael Blood escribe:
Hi Martin & list,
I used one of the rare earth magnets (about 1 oz - identical to
the one taped very near the end of my meteorite cane). These magnets are so powerful you will get a blood blister if any flesh is between the surfaces when you put one within 4 to 6 inches of iron. VERY difficult to remove from an even metal surface. THE most intense magnet I have come across.

The Pasamonte individual is the 12.6g oriented whole stone of
Ninninger fame. I carefully held it as I slowly approached it with the magnet with NO discernable effect clear up to contact.
However, when I very precariously ballanced the stone on its
side in my hand and slowly approached it with the magnet, it did lean toward it when it got within about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
        That's my report from San Diego.
        Best wishes, Michael

on 9/6/04 1:47 PM, martinh_at_isu.edu at martinh@isu.edu wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I have two very nice partial individuals of Pasamonte, both with crust and
> Nininger numbers. However one is highly attracted to a magnet, while the other
> is not.
>
> Before jumping to all kinds of speculation, I would like to ask a favor of
> this List that really uses the power of a discussion group like this forum.
> Could those of you with pieces of Pasamonte (the 1933 eucrite fall) hold a
> strong magnet to your you piece(s) and report back as how your Pasamonte piece
> responded to the magnet. It might also help if you noted the rough size of the
> piece and the relative strength of the magnet.
>
> Thanks, and let the amateur science begin!
>
> Martin
Received on Tue 07 Sep 2004 12:45:12 AM PDT