[meteorite-list] Weird Meteorwrong from Austria

From: Paul H. <oxytropidoceras_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:19:52 -0500
Message-ID: <20121022221952.OMJSB.2781568.imail_at_eastrmwml114>

While surfing the web recently, I came across this weird
meteorite claim in an article, "Mystery Ball Is A Meteorite
Claim" by Marija Andric from the December 19, 2009
CroatianTimes at:

http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/Around_the_World/2012-09-19/29743/Mystery_Ball_Is_A_Meteorite_Claim

It briefly mentions a "4-tonne" "mystery ball," which
was found during road work" between Waizenkirchen
and Grieskirchen," Austria. Although it is reported to
be made of metal, I seriously doubt this as the picture,
which accompanies the article, shows an object that
appears to be virtually identical to large cannonball
concretions. According the article, local people have
postulated that it is either a meteorite, religious artifact,
or somehow related to UFOs. These interpretations fall
well into the wide range of ways, including dinosaur
eggs, in which I have found people to have
misidentified large cannonball concretions. Given that
it was found within the North Alpine Molasse Basin,
I suspect that this large, round object is a cannonball
concretion. If so, a number of people have let their
imaginations get carried away with them and it is
certainly a bizarre example of a meteorwrong.

I would be interested if anyone on this list has heard
anything about this object.

For the cannonball concretions that were
misidentified as dinosaur eggs, a person can go to:

Dinosaur eggs said found in Russia's Chechnya
Rueters April 17, 2012
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/04/17/russia-chechnya-dinosaurs-idINDEE83G0EH20120417

[Rockhounds] Dinosaur eggs said found in Russia's Chechnya
http://lists.drizzle.com/pipermail/rockhounds/2012-April/037533.html

For other pictures of cannonball concretions, a person can go to:

(1.) "Tout ce que la nature ne peut pas faire, IV : sph?res de pierre" at:
http://irna.lautre.net/Tout-ce-que-la-nature-ne-peut-pas,45.html

(2.) " Boules de pierre en Slovaquie, R?publique Tch?que et Pologne"
http://irna.lautre.net/Boules-de-pierre-en-Slovaquie.html

(3.) "The Moeraki Boulders" at:
http://homepages.ezysurf.co.nz/~middleimage/MoerakiBoulders.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moeraki_Boulders

(4.) Koutu Boulders (Northland) at:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=186163b5-4303-4d0f-9e12-44a28d20c08f
http://hokiangatourism.org.nz/activities/attractions/koutu-boulders
http://www.hokianga.net.nz/hokianga/koutu/koutu_boulders.htm

Some papers about the North Alpine Molasse Basin.

Krenmayr, H. G., 1999, 2.3. The Austrian sector of the
North Alpine Molasse: A classic foreland basin.
Berichte der Geologischen Bundesanstalt. Band 49,
pp. 22-27.
http://www.landesmuseum.at/pdf_frei_remote/BerichteGeolBundesanstalt_49_0022-0026.pdf
http://www.geologie.ac.at/filestore/download/BR0049_001_A.pdf

Hamilton, W., L. Wagner, and G. Wessely, 2000, Oil and
gas in Austria. Mittcilungen der Oslerrcichischen
Geologischen Gesellschaft. Band 92, pp. 235-262
http://www2.uibk.ac.at/downloads/oegg/Band_92_235_262.pdf

Best wishes,

Paul H.
Received on Mon 22 Oct 2012 10:19:52 PM PDT