I may have found a couple of meteorites

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the identification of potential meteorites found by a participant using a metal detector in a creek. Participants explore various methods for testing the samples, including chemical reactions and physical tests, while sharing personal experiences and suggestions for further investigation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant found three possible meteorite candidates and is conducting tests to determine their nature, including rub tests and vinegar exposure.
  • Suggestions for using muriatic acid as a testing method were provided, with one participant sharing their experience of its effectiveness on metals.
  • Another participant noted that vinegar can be converted into a weak hydrochloric acid by adding salt, which may aid in cleaning samples.
  • Concerns were raised about the reliability of the initial link provided for meteorite identification, prompting a correction with a new link.
  • Participants discussed the importance of density and fusion crust in identifying meteorites, with one participant noting a need to repair their density measuring tool.
  • A "streak" test was suggested as a method to differentiate between magnetite and hematite, with one participant reporting a gray streak indicating possible magnetite.
  • Another participant shared their personal method of searching for meteorites in stone walls, reflecting on past experiences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various methods for testing the samples, but there is no consensus on the identification of the rocks as meteorites. Some participants suggest they may be magnetite, while others remain uncertain and emphasize the need for further testing.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention limitations in their testing methods, such as the condition of their measuring tools and the effectiveness of the tests performed. There is also uncertainty regarding the chemical reactions discussed and their implications for identifying meteorites.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to amateur meteorite hunters, geology enthusiasts, and individuals curious about methods for identifying rocks and minerals.

  • #91
Ivan Seeking said:
Yeah, that was definitely news to me. I knew it was highly unlikely that one might go out and find one in fifteen minutes, but I also was under the impression that if you spend a good amount of time looking, sooner or later you're likely to find one. Not so. At least, not in Oregon.
Did he happen to mention where the most meteorites are found?
What makes me cringe a bit is to think that for about seventeen summers, we've walked that creek and looked very carefully for quartz, petrified wood, and semi-precious stones. And we've found about five, five-gallon buckets full of those treasures. But it never occurred to me before that we should be looking for meteorites as well.
Seriously, if you have quartz you may well have gold/silver. Of course, it's going to be fine particles, but I think it would be worth it to do some panning.
 
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  • #92
zoobyshoe said:
Did he happen to mention where the most meteorites are found?

No.

[qsuote]Seriously, if you have quartz you may well have gold/silver. Of course, it's going to be fine particles, but I think it would be worth it to do some panning.

I told you my solution there. I have a guy who will do all the work and split any finds. Trust is an issue, but assuming that can be managed, it works for me. Doing it myself sounds like too much like work and not enough like fun. :biggrin:
 
  • #93
Ivan Seeking said:
I told you my solution there. I have a guy who will do all the work and split any finds. Trust is an issue, but assuming that can be managed, it works for me. Doing it myself sounds like too much like work and not enough like fun. :biggrin:
Yes, but you said he never got back to you. I, personally, would want to check and see if there is any there at all, even if you don't feel like trying to recover it.
 
  • #94
zoobyshoe said:
Did he happen to mention where the most meteorites are found?

Antarctica and deserts, for the obvious reason that in these environments they are, well, obvious.
 
  • #95
Ivan Seeking said:
As it turns out, 99.8% of all potential finds are leaverites.

Even if it winds up NOT being anything worth money, don't call it a leaverite! I would still put it on my fireplace mantle in a place of honor. This has been a fun thread to follow, and the rocks would make a GREAT conversation piece. It is far more interesting than MY "meteorite." It looks like a golf ball (meteorites aren't round) and it is non magnetic. But I keep my "meteorite" on the fireplace mantle anyway. Although I can still hear my dad's voice in my head muttering it is a leaverite.

Your meteorites/rocks/whatever don't qualify as leaverites in my book.
 
  • #96
zoobyshoe said:
Yes, but you said he never got back to you. I, personally, would want to check and see if there is any there at all, even if you don't feel like trying to recover it.

True, and I have a customer who has also been pushing me to check for gold. When I mentioned the other interested party, he said he would bring his kit down next time, so I should have a chance to take a look for myself. However, I'm not about to spend my time panning for gold. I'll have a CAT D8 in here before that happens. :biggrin: But I think any real evidence of gold would have the first guy here with his equipment, almost immediately.
 
  • #97
Ms Music said:
Even if it winds up NOT being anything worth money, don't call it a leaverite! I would still put it on my fireplace mantle in a place of honor. This has been a fun thread to follow, and the rocks would make a GREAT conversation piece. It is far more interesting than MY "meteorite." It looks like a golf ball (meteorites aren't round) and it is non magnetic. But I keep my "meteorite" on the fireplace mantle anyway. Although I can still hear my dad's voice in my head muttering it is a leaverite.

Your meteorites/rocks/whatever don't qualify as leaverites in my book.

:smile: Tsu and I have been planning to put in a new rock retaining wall, about 40 feet long, along the back of the house. We are thinking about taking our buckets of treasures mentioned and embedding them in the face of the wall [the treasures, not the buckets :biggrin:].
 
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