[meteorite-list] sulphurous smell of meteorites (was Temperature of meteorites)

From: Count Deiro <countdeiro_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:32:58 -0500 (EST)
Message-ID: <4294879.1290547978598.JavaMail.root_at_elwamui-hybrid.atl.sa.earthlink.net>

Hello Piper, Mark and Listees,

I suggest that a well received and valuable scientific experiment for some energetic young graduate student, or doctorial candidate, would be to undertake the study of heating a suitable meteoritic specimen to the temperature encountered in atmospheric entry and reporting the results as to ablation, encrustation, temperature changes and residual presence of human detectable odors. Does anyone know if this has as been acomplished, or attempted? Published?

Count Deiro
IMCA 3536

 


-----Original Message-----
>From: "Piper R.W. Hollier" <piper at xs4all.nl>
>Sent: Nov 23, 2010 3:03 PM
>To: Mark Grossman <markig at westnet.com>, meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>Subject: [meteorite-list] sulphurous smell of meteorites (was Temperature of meteorites)
>
>Hello Mark and list,
>
>Reports of some meteorites having a sulphurous smell have been of
>interest to me for several years now. My thanks to Mark Grossman for
>the mention of the Sears article (1974) and Ursula Marvin's
>speculations on the subject (2007). I've not seen either reference
>yet and am curious about both.
>
>While reports of sulphurous smells may have subsided, they have not
>by any means ceased entirely. This list had a lively thread on this
>subject back in the fall of 2007 soon after the Carancas fall. I'll
>recount a few salient points of that discussion for those who are new
>to the list.
>
>Visitors to the Carancas crater soon after the impact reported a
>sulfurous odor, and the symptoms of people who reported becoming ill
>at Carancas (irritation of respiratory tract, nausea, vomiting,
>stomach pain, dizziness, headache, skin lesions) are consistent with
>exposure to sulfur dioxide gas and/or to the sulfurous acid (H2SO3)
>that forms when sulfur dioxide dissolves in water (e.g. in the moist
>lining of the lungs and airways). One witness reported that
>meteoritic dust that had been stored in a closed container after
>being collected near the crater gave a sensation that she likened to
>the "stinging of a thousand little bees" when the container was
>opened and the vapors inhaled.
>
>Other relatively recent reports include:
>
>- The Tagish Lake fall in March 2000: "The crumbly, black, porous
>rock fragments have charred, pocked surfaces and retain the smell of
>sulfur." (CNN)
>
> - The Park Forest, Chicago fall in March 2003: Colby Navarro
>stated, "Plaster blew all over me and all over the upstairs; then I
>found the rock," then added that it was warm to the touch and smelled
>like the sulfur from fireworks.
>
>It is a well-know fact that sulfur is present in many types of
>meteorites. Ordinary chondrites contain on average 2.1% sulfur, and
>carbonaceous chondrites may contain as much as 6.6%. Sulfur in
>meteorites is normally present entirely as troilite (FeS), but other
>sulfides are found in some meteorites, and carbonaceous chondrites
>contain free sulfur, sulfates, and possibly other sulfur compounds.
>(summarized from B. Mason, "Meteorites", p. 160)
>
>Less well-known is the fact that troilite dissociates at the rather
>low temperature of 427 C (Sterling Webb found this figure somewhere
>during the 2007 discussion). This releases elemental sulfur that can
>in turn combine with atmospheric oxygen to produce sulfur dioxide.
>The distinctive sharp smell that a match gives off when being lit is
>due to the sulfur dioxide formed when sulfur in the matchhead burns.
>
>Thus it should not surprise us all that much that we continue to hear
>reports of freshly-fallen meteorites having a sulfurous smell. It
>would be a natural consequence of heating troilite in air.
>
>Also interesting are reports that sulfurous odors may emanate from
>cut meteorites long after the fall date. From my own experience, I
>can relate that Darryl Pitt showed me a slice of Hvittis (fell in
>Finland, 1901, EL6) at the meteorite fair in Gifhorn, Germany some
>years ago (1999?) and suggested that I sniff it. There was a
>distinctive sulfurous odor, similar to the smell that a match makes
>when you light it -- not especially strong, but nevertheless
>unmistakable. The catalog of the Macovich Meteorite Auction at the
>Tucson mineral show in February 2001 mentions a "smell of sulfur" in
>the description of a Hvittis specimen, possibly the same one that I
>"sampled" in Gifhorn.
>
>There would seem to be good reasons to believe that the laws of
>physics and chemistry, and not just superstitious expectations, are
>behind these "nose-witness" reports.
>
>Best wishes to all,
>
>Piper
>
>
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Received on Tue 23 Nov 2010 04:32:58 PM PST