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The Oxide of the Monahans, Texas, Meteorite
Author(s) -
Buddhue John Davis
Publication year - 1939
Publication title -
contributions of the society for research on meteorites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 0096-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.1939.tb00222.x
Subject(s) - meteorite , crust , geology , oxide , iron meteorite , materials science , mineralogy , geochemistry , metallurgy , astrobiology , physics
A bstract The Monahans, Texas, meteorite belongs to the Cape Group of ataxites and was discovered from the rust stains in the sand above it. The meteorite was in‐closed in a loosely adherent oxide crust. The metal core was almost divided in halves by a deep fissure. When this fissure was completed, a fracture like that of armor plate was produced, although the metal is malleable. Etching produces a dull but not a very dark surface, with indistinct irregular patches visible at certain angles. Some slices produced cuts in carborundum‐cloth grinding disks. It is believed that these cuts may have been produced by small diamonds. The rust is blackish‐brown, lamellar, and magnetic, and has a specific gravity of about 3.1. It contains some residual metal and consists of 2 bodies with the same structure as the metal. A green stain is probably zaratite. A chemical analysis of the oxide crust is given and shows that the crust has lost some of its nickel. Tap water dissolves still more material, but this is possibly lawrencite.