[meteorite-list] Canyon Diablo Shale Balls, from Arizona Meteorite Craters, Nininger

[MARK BOSTICK]

Harvey. H. Nininger, in his book, Arizona Meteorite Craters (1956), page 30 
wrote the following:

     "In addition to the metallic fragments, all collectors had found masses 
of iron-oxide associated with the crater.  Most of these were in the form of 
laminated chips or blocks, the larger of which showed more or less curvature 
as a form.  Barringer justifiably attracted great importance to these.  He 
called attention to the fact that they had evidently been detached from more 
or less rounded masses of which he found many and which were called shale 
balls.  Some of these were described as being iron cores, and chemical tests 
by the U. S. National Museum showed the cores to be slightly different in 
composition from the unoxidized metallic masses which, since 1891, had been 
known as Canyon Diablo irons.  It has long been known that the presence of 
chlorine in meteorites served as an acceleration of oxidization."

I have a good sized “shale ball” with "curvature" shown on the following 
page:

http://www.meteoritearticles.com/colcanyondiablo.html

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
Wichita, Kansas.
www.meteoitearticles.com
www.kansasmeteoritesociety.com
www.imca.cc