[meteorite-list] Two quartz questions-- one on topic, one off.

From: Darren Garrison <cynapse_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:43:15 -0500
Message-ID: <u8h4231qsrclmnd3uq5gt8oghftj1527e6_at_4ax.com>

First question-- since quartz is so highly common on Earth, why is it so rare in
meteorites? Because the oxygen was lost from the parent bodies, maybe?

Second question-- off-topic, but related and should be answerable by one of the
more general rockhounds on the list. The native stones in my area (upstate
South Carlina) are a form of quartz. They are very common (as in, you can't
stick a shovel in the ground without hitting one) and consist of largish (up to
around the size of a kernal of corn) irregular crystals that are clear to milky
with some red staining (rust?). Okay, from my limited geological knowledge, the
crystal grain size implies that the rocks cooled slowly below the surface, and
from the location I assume that they are chunks of the Appalachians, but can
someone tell me a proper term for the exact kind of rock I have here?

Scan of small (around 3 inches) example:

http://webpages.charter.net/garrison6328/tmp/quartz_small.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/garrison6328/tmp/quartz.jpg
Received on Sun 15 Apr 2007 11:43:15 AM PDT