[meteorite-list] Meteorwrongs at the beach

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:34:08 -0400
Message-ID: <e51421551003260834t656cad76g687a402a543a2d68_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Jerry, Michael, and List,

I'll break the silence with a goofy thought about meteorwrongs.

Has anyone ever found meteor wrongs while treasurehunting at the beach
or beachcombing?

I've found several little iron slags which likely fell or broke off
from ships and they become wave-tumbled and rounded. At first glance,
they look like a small iron meteorite laying amongst the broken shells
and bits thrown up on the shore. Some of them stick to a magnet and
some don't. Some are heavy and obviously iron, while others are
vesiculated and less dense. The lightweight vesiculated types don't
stick to a magnet.

My wife found something on Fort Desoto beach that looks like a
teardrop-shaped indochinite. It's a dead ringer for one. I'll have
to post a pic of it later. It is black, about 2 inches long, teardrop
shaped, and it has faux flowlines on it leading away from the head and
back towards the "tail". But it's some kind of strange seed pod and
not inorganic.

I've also found a few small pebbles that have been wave tumbled and
their coloration reminds me of a wind-polished stony chondrite with
desert varnish. Of course, they don't stick to a magnet, and they are
obviously terrestrial when examined with a loupe. One was so
convincing that I windowed it just to be sure.

I know my chances of finding a meteorite at the beach are not that
good, but it's fun to see a meteorwrong while shelling. My mind is on
shells, and I am looking for flashes of color or size profiles, and my
eye will catch a meteorwrong instead.

Best regards,

MikeG

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Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
http://www.galactic-stone.com
http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
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Received on Fri 26 Mar 2010 11:34:08 AM PDT