[meteorite-list] ORIENTATION'/Definition

From: Michael L Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:43:43 -0700
Message-ID: <C34CD77F.10D1B%mlblood_at_cox.net>

on 10/30/07 10:09 AM, bobe5531 at comcast.net at bobe5531 at comcast.net wrote:
> Oh come on Steve,
> Orientation has absolutely nothing to do with an persons interpretation.
> Orientation will have obvious proof that the meteorite maintained a stable
> flight for a significant duration of its descent.
> Sorry flow lines dont cut it. Last time I was at the Tucson show and that one
> guy had like 3000 SA individuals for sale, I could find a flow line on every
> piece that I Iooked at. Were they all oriented ??
----------
Hi all,
        First, let me state that I, personally, do not consider a meteorite
"worth collecting" ON THE BASIS OF ORIENTATION unless it is approaching
One of the two following states:
1) Oriented so long it took on the shape of a bullit, or, better yet, a half
Bullit or 1/2 ball, with the shape clearly resulting from the vast majority
Of the mass being melted back, with roll over lipping and a flat back side
With bubbling fusion crust
OR
2) A shield shape with similar characteristics.
HOWEVER, that being said, "oriented" as a term, in my experience, is widely
Used to describe ANY meteorite that remained fixed in orientation during its
Fall long enough for flow lines to form.
        Would I collect them, personally, as "oriented" - no, and I don't
use that term in sales, but rather the term, "shows orientation" and then
Provide a description of exactly what I mean by that. None-the-less,
"oriented" is commonly used for ANY meteorite showing flow lines, so, the
Short answer to your question about whether the above 3,000 S-As were
All oriented can't really be answered with a simple "yest" or "no." While
You might say none of them were, I would say all of them showed signs off
Orientation and someone else would say they all were "oriented."
        Best wishes, Michael
Received on Tue 30 Oct 2007 03:43:43 PM PDT