[meteorite-list] AD - Black Beauty

From: Carl Agee <agee_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2013 09:20:56 -0700
Message-ID: <CADYrzho7xpmJP5xqSoEVeV3RKsp6Csb8s5vdjryvL-+P9CDK0w_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Mendy,

No, cutting in distilled water has no effect on the oxygen isotopes of
the bulk rock, nor does it affect the hydrogen isotopes of the martian
water in NWA 7034. Simply drying the slice after cutting is all you
need to do. Remember, this is a desert meteorite, exposing it to
distilled water for a few minutes at room temperature in a saw is
nothing compared to many years of exposure to the elements in the
Sahara. Nonetheless, NWA 7034 is relatively unweathered meteorite, it
is amazingly hard and solid, tough to chip or break. I attribute this
to its welding during volcanoclastic eruption and/or impact. The only
weathering products we have identified in NWA 7034 are some fine
calcite veins that can be traced back to the surface. These are found
primarily in the outer edges, and are less common the deeper you go
into the 320 g main mass. On the other hand, we are planning to break
some material from the deep interior, without water, to search for any
water soluble minerals that may be affected by water cutting. Lots of
work still to do! -- mainly because every slice Black Beauty shows
something new. In my opinion, this rock is actually a volcanic
conglomerate, that has picked up pebbles and soil particles during its
flow over the martian surface or during impact. So, in a way each new
piece of Black Beauty may reveal something more about Mars. I'll stop
there, as you can see asking me about NWA 7034 is dangerous --
especially if you are not ready for a lengthy reply!

Carl Agee

-- 
Carl B. Agee
Director and Curator, Institute of Meteoritics
Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences
MSC03 2050
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131-1126
Tel: (505) 750-7172
Fax: (505) 277-3577
Email: agee at unm.edu
http://meteorite.unm.edu/people/carl_agee/
On Thu, Feb 14, 2013 at 8:34 AM, Mendy Ouzillou <ouzillou at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Carl,
>
> I'm curious. Would cutting the stone in distilled water affect the oxygen isotope ratios? If I remember correctly that was one indicator that was used as proof of water on Mars.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Mendy
>
> On Feb 13, 2013, at 11:37 PM, jason utas <jasonutas at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello Carl,
> On the contrary, the only reason I included the statement regarding
> ethylene glycol was because I was informed by a customer that at least
> some of the material on the market had been cut with synthetic
> lubricant.  S/he made a point of purchasing specimens that had not
> been 'messed with' after making inquiries.
>
> And, yes, that statement applies.  Perhaps not to the material from
> the 320 gram stone, but the vast majority of the material I have seen
> for sale has come from other sources.
>
> I've only seen a few grams of slices from Mr. Piatek's stone, but it
> does not surprise me that you would have curated it well.
>
> Though I will say that it was a bit steep.
>
> Regards,
> Jason
>
> On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 7:31 AM, Carl Agee <agee at unm.edu> wrote:
>> Hi Jason,
>>
>> I looked at your link. I think you need to revise it since it contains
>> false information about the cutting of Black Beauty (NWA 7034) -- at
>> least if you are referring to the 320 g main mass that is at the IOM?
>> The cutting was done with distilled water -- NOT ethylene glycol
>> (antifreeze). Also, stating in your link that our samples were "messed
>> with" seems to be a rather unusual way to describe cutting with a fine
>> diamond wire.
>>
>> If you want to know anything specific about Black Beauty, I would be
>> happy to talk to you about it and how to identify it in hand sample
>> and nature of the reduced carbon -- my team has been studying this
>> meteorite with numerous lab techniques since August 2011.
>>
>> PS: the Science Article print version will be on newsstands Feb. 15.
>>
>> Carl Agee
>>
>> --
>> Carl B. Agee
>> Director and Curator, Institute of Meteoritics
>> Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences
>> MSC03 2050
>> University of New Mexico
>> Albuquerque NM 87131-1126
>>
>> Tel: (505) 750-7172
>> Fax: (505) 277-3577
>> Email: agee at unm.edu
>> http://meteorite.unm.edu/people/carl_agee/
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 3:24 AM, jason utas <jasonutas at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello All,
>>> I just finished the page for some fragments of the unique water and
>>> soil-bearing Martian regolith breccia paired with NWA 7034 and a few
>>> other stones.
>>> Please see our website for available specimens.
>>>
>>> http://www.fallsandfinds.com/page88.php
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>> Jason
>>>
>>> IMCA 7630
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Received on Thu 14 Feb 2013 11:20:56 AM PST