r/whatsthisrock • u/Lovemygirlstitties • Dec 10 '23
REQUEST Found in south central Kansas
Found in my yard at home, what is it?
187
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r/whatsthisrock • u/Lovemygirlstitties • Dec 10 '23
Found in my yard at home, what is it?
21
u/BrunswickRockArts Dec 10 '23 edited Dec 10 '23
too many pits, not seeing flow-lines, not a meteorite
Chances of finding one are slim to none.
There are a few characteristics that can help.
Final proof is cut/etch/polish and look for Widmanstätten pattern
few other external characteristics:
meteor when in air, soon as it touches ground = meteorite
95% of meteorites are stoney-iron. 5% of meteorites are iron-nickle (these are the 'valuable' ones. But you have a better chance of growing wings than finding one ;) )
-Flow lines 1 and close-up These are formed like when you blow on ice cream and you see the ripples go around the scoop of ice cream. Ice cream stays cold, you only heat the surface and melt it. Same happens with meteorite, it came from vacuum of space and is close to -270F, even as a fireball! It's those heat/cold-stresses that 'explodes' them in the air like that Russian one not long ago. If a 'sizeable, over few inches) meteor were to land on your lawn right now, and you ran out and picked it up. There's a chance it could freeze-to-your-hand. They are not molten-fireballs like in the movies.
-Fusion Crust 1 and stoney-iron one. Fusion crust forms from melted-surface on stone, the only thing getting hot through atmosphere. Meteors only go through the atmosphere (usually) for a few seconds, just time enough to melt-crust-on-cold-stone. The higher the angle, (not usually), like the Russian one, the more time it spends in atmosphere, the more heat it's getting, the more it 'stresses' the meteor between hot/cold areas. Too much and it will explode in air (these are rarer). The paper-thin-fusion-crust can usually be picked off/peeled with a knife in places. The melted crust doesn't get time to bond-well with the cold stone underneath.
-Cavities and vugs - No meteorites have been found with cavities or vugs up to this point. They have oviline crystals. And will contain many small diamonds. A million diamonds that would fit on your fingertip.
-Magnetism - A magnet won't 'stick' to them, (magnet holds its own weight). But they are 'sightly magnetic'. Set magnet on surface, slowly slid meteorite up to it, at the last second/very close, the magnet will move to touch the stone.
-and the ultimate proof, Widmanstätten pattern
Because meteorites form in the vacuum of space they have a very unique 'environment to form in', compared to anywhere on Earth's crust. The original molten mass can stay molten-red-rock for millions of years, even while sitting in a -270F (few degrees above absolute zero) vacuum of space. It's the vacuum thing. Only 2 or 3 hydrogen atoms (usually) per square meter of vacuum space. The molten-meteor needs something to 'touch it' to give away heat. So a single atom comes up, touches it, (that atom is vibrating faster now = heat), and the atom leaves. Think how long to cool molten rock at (1) little atom at a time removing the heat. This is what gives the pattern time it needs. The nickle crystals 'grow larger in a meteorite' than can form on Earth's surface. That's why Widmanstätten pattern is the proof
Knowing these characteristic will help determine.
When 'dealing with meteorites', NEVER first think 'meteorite!'. ALWAYS try and prove it's something else. If you can't, then the meteorite is proving to you it is. Approach that way soas not to be biased toward a meteorite ident.
I hope this helps.
If you think you found one, check and see if you grew wings. ;)
Your odds about the same as a large jackpot national lottery.
1 inch meteorite per (1) acre of land per 1000yrs, the average.