[meteorite-list] Holbrook Tektites ( Magnet canes are evil)

From: cdtucson at cox.net <cdtucson_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:15:36 -0400
Message-ID: <20100826131536.NDR3W.609053.imail_at_fed1rmwml39>

Dennis, Mark,List,
Interesting you mention finding rocks that resemble certain tektites. You describe them as looking translucent and weathered with a tektite texture.
Years ago I found what I thought was a strewnfield of tektites in Southern AZ.
They too looked like what you found.
I took them to ASU and Dr. Moore had his assistant attempt to melt one of them.
He explained that a true tektite would simply melt like glass similar to the way a glass blower melts glass.
If however it gets frothy and white it is not a tektite but likely natural obsidian glass. This had something to do with the amount of water. Apparently tektites are much dryer than obsidian.
Well, they tested frothy and therefore deemed to be sand blasted obsidian. I believe he also said they are not magnetic. Some of mine were magnetic others were not.
Curiously, I have since found that Surf-tumbled Sea glass has exactly the same appearance as these sand blasted obsidian orbs I found in the desert. The only difference is that sea glass does melt like tektites so, the melting test does not work on them.
In fact other than the flanged buttons, to me many of the "Tektites" look more like Sea-glass than anything else.
If you are unaware of it. Sea glass is largely a product of surf tumbled glass that has been littered or discarded by human activity in the past.
If you Google it there are lots of people selling it.
What I found looks like either Columbianite or Georgia Tektite. two different looking types all in the same find area.
Really Makes me wonder about the true origin of Tektites.
Carl

--
Carl or Debbie Esparza
Meteoritemax
---- Mark Bowling <minador at yahoo.com> wrote: 
> Dennis,
> I have found?tiny glass spherules in some areas along the tracks - lots of 
> them.? I think it's welding slag from RR operations.? I was pretty excited until 
> someone suggested it (I never had them tested, but?hard to believe folks would 
> overlook something significant until me...).? 
> 
> 
> Nothing as big as you mention (other than the marbles we occasionally 
> find).???In other places I?have found weathered obsidian which often has a 
> tektite texture (though not the same).? I think it's caused by solution 
> weathering.
> 
> I have a magnet cane, but I never used it to pick up a meteorite.? It's just a 
> fashion statement I guess (peer pressure).? ;-)
> 
> Mark B.
> Vail, AZ
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Dennis Miller <astroroks at hotmail.com>
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Sent: Tue, August 24, 2010 3:08:13 PM
> Subject: [meteorite-list] FW: Magnet canes are evil
> 
> > My modified ski pole (with Magnet) is more a walking stick and snake flipper!
> > I have a question, Has anyone ever found small tektites around the Holbrook?
> > I know if there were, that they were not the result of the Holbrook splatter.
> > While there Sunday, I found what is either an egg shaped (5/8") obsidian ball
> > or a tektite of sort. Light will pass through it but it has an unusual 
> textured
> > skin. I have seen a lot of Apache tears (obsidian orbs) but none like this 
> >little
> > guy.
> > Carrying a big stick at all times.
> > Dennis Miller
> >
> >
> > > Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:10:10 -0700
> > > From: ROBERT.D.MATSON at saic.com
> > > To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> > > Subject: [meteorite-list] Magnet canes are evil
> > >
> > > Mark wrote:
> > >
> > > > As soon as everyone stops using metal detectors and magnet canes
> > > > to look for meteorites then the first Lunars in Europe or USA
> > > > will eventually be found, .... until then!
> > >
> > > I have never used a magnet cane, nor will I ever, and I always
> > > advise new hunters against their use. A magnet cane is basically
> > > an H-, L-, iron, and stony-iron filter. I sometimes carry an LL6
> > > with me to the desert on the off-chance I'll run into someone using
> > > a magnet cane. That usually "cures" them. ;-)
> > >
> > > --Rob
> > > ______________________________________________
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> >? 
> >
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Received on Thu 26 Aug 2010 01:15:36 PM PDT