How Can You Identify Meteorites?

[TFM]

Following on from a couple of recent topics on meteors and fireballs got me thinking. how do you tell the difference between ordinary stones/rocks and meteors?

TFM

(Sorry if this is the wrong area to post)

 

[ray b]

meteor in the sky, meteorite on the ground

burned melted or hi iron content [ lots are found with metal detectors]
chemical content of meteorites differs from normal Earth rocks

 

[Vanadium 50]

TFM, many (I believe most, in fact) identified meteorites come from Antarctica. It's not because meteorites have a preference for landing there, it's because if you find a rock on top of two miles of ice, you're pretty sure it came from the sky. That's not so obvious if it lands in a more temperate region among terrestrial rocks, where it takes an expert to tell - particularly if nobody saw it fall.

 

[TFM]

Thanks everyone. now you mention it, I do think I recall somewhere about meteorites being mainly found in Antartica. So the 'best' hope (other then a trip to Antartica) is to use a metal detector, and looks like it has been burned/scorched marks.

Thanks again,

TFM