[meteorite-list] Bassikounou Vs Mali + smell

From: Jason Utas <meteoritekid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:49:31 -0800
Message-ID: <93aaac890711061449y4b235edfud2e9d3b7984b66ae_at_mail.gmail.com>

Well, first-off, I'd have to say that you're comparing apples and oranges.
Simply put, the specimen depicted in the first two pictures appears to
have had a sustained independent flight, and has developed a crust
that can truly be deemed 'primary.'
The second specimen seems as though it might have developed something
of a layer of primary crust on one side, but it hardly seems as though
comparing this surface to that of the first specimen to determine
which fall either stone is from would be a good thing to do, in this
case, if any.
The crust of the more ablated side of the third specimen appears to be
intermediate in formation between the first and second stone; whereas
the first stone displayed true primary crust, and the second an
in-between (between secondary and true primary - it has moderately
thick crust, but surfaces are not yet rounded, etc) crust, the third
stone appears to have primary crust on one side, but the stone has
clearly gone through less independent flight time than the first
stone, and more than the second (well, this may not be true; if one
meteorite had a higher entry velocity, the time might not have been
greater, but rather the velocity and thus amount of energy to which
this side was exposed would have been greater, but the principle is
the same).
Thus, I find it impossible to use such surface characteristics to
compare meteorites. The two might have been mixed up, but who's to
say...
I would say that you should probably just go with the labels given you
- odds are that they're right (unless you're accusing dealers of
trying to cheat you, which I think wouldn't be the best thing to do
without real cause...).
I can't comment on the smell - maybe the dealer or supplier of the
stones was a smoker...? This has happened with a number of our
meteorites, namely a Chinga individual, but there have been a few
others...
Regards,
Jason

On 11/6/07, Moser Francesco <cojack at tiscali.it> wrote:
> Hi all, on the week-end I was in Munich for the show, as usually a really
> nice show with a lot of beauties (minerals, crystals and fossils) and a lot
> of nice meteorites.
>
> Here's the first question:
> In Ensisheim I have bought a Bassikounou, It's 100% Bassikounou, I'm sure
> because I have no doubt about the dealer.
> In Munich I have bought Bassikounou and Mali, the meteorites are in
> different boxes, but maybe someone have changed the place at the meteorites
> and put the Bassi in the Mali box etc... etc...
> BTW now I have 3 different meteorites and no one is similar to the
> others.... :))
>
> The Bassi I bought in Ensisheim has a black or brown-black smooth fusion
> crust without metal spot on the surface, the Bassi I bought in Munich has a
> rough black fusion crust with a lot of metal spots
> The Mali has more metal spots on the crust.
>
> I know it's really difficult to say something by my descriptions, so I have
> put some pictures on-line:
>
> Bassikounou bought in Ensisheim:
> http://web.tiscali.it/francesco.moser/Ensisheim Bassi.jpg
> http://web.tiscali.it/francesco.moser/Ensisheim Bassi1.jpg
>
> Bassikounou bought in Munich:
> http://web.tiscali.it/francesco.moser/Munich Bassi.jpg
> http://web.tiscali.it/francesco.moser/Munich Bassi1.jpg
>
> Mali bought in Munich
> http://web.tiscali.it/francesco.moser/Munich Mali.jpg
> http://web.tiscali.it/francesco.moser/Munich Mali1.jpg
>
>
> The second question:
> The meteorite I bought in Munich have a clearly smell of burned, could you
> smell yours Bassi and Mali and tell me if you feel something???
> As you can see from the pictures the Bassi bought in Ensisheim is fully
> crusted and I don't feel any odor, it's normal?
> On the other 2meteorite the odor it's very very difficult to feel something
> from the crust, the odor is clear only on the broken surfaces!
>
> Thank you!!!
> Ciao
>
> <><><><>
> Francesco Moser
>
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Received on Tue 06 Nov 2007 05:49:31 PM PST