[meteorite-list] Meteorite Cracks

From: Michael Murray <mmurray_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:12:32 -0600
Message-ID: <B1A1958F-A3E7-418D-A7C4-A895E52A4501_at_montrose.net>

Hi List,
I enjoy seeing a whole individual meteorite of course, but when going
over some stones close up, one of my favorite surface features to see
are cracks. One particular favorite aspect of cracks for me is to
see where molten material has flowed across both sides partially
filling and adhering them together again. And then there is the
different ablation effects that show up inside a crack that you might
not see anywhere else on the stone. One example I can think of is
where some of the material has been excavated and some left in place
leaving a honeycomb appearance. I might not understand the dynamics
involved in the formation of the cracks, but it appears to me in some
cases that parts of the stone may have warped causing the crack to
develop.

On some stones where a fragment has split off early on in the passage
through the atmosphere, I get the sense that the crack was a long
time in developing (relatively speaking) as I have seen the honeycomb
appearance on the newly exposed surface which I am assuming could
have just as likely been made while the crack was developing.
Anyway, I just find the (meteorite) cracks interesting and would
always be interested in seeing examples if someone has some they
wouldn't mind sharing.

Mike in CO
micro-hunter of southwest Colorado
Received on Thu 10 Apr 2008 04:12:32 PM PDT