[meteorite-list] CALIFORNIA-REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGIST - Final

[Dave Freeman mjwy]

Dear Ken, List;
Inquiring minds want to know, did my call of So. Utah/Henry Mountains 
stand the location test with the neighborhood wood expert?   I would 
brim with happiness to learn that one.
Woodly,
Dave F.

Norm Lehrman wrote:

>Ken,
>
>Congrats to you for pursuing this to a conclusion. 
>They aren't always this receptive to dissenting
>opinions.  Once in a while, it works, and helps to
>restore a bit of our confidence.
>
>Thanks,
>Norm
>http://TektiteSource.com
>
>--- ken newton <magellon at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Norm and others,
>>I asked Mr. Rant to examine the specimen for growth
>>rings. He replied:
>>
>>"Due to the interest by others and the quandary it
>>presents (experts are 
>>puzzled!) I have removed the item from eBay until a
>>qualified expert 
>>evaluates the stone.
>>
>>"It never occurred to me that a local petrified wood
>>expert lives four 
>>houses down from me.  I called him up and asked if
>>he would give me his 
>>professional opinion to a problem stone in my
>>possession.  I just 
>>returned from a visit with him.
>>
>>"He not only instantly recognized this specimen as
>>petrified wood but 
>>was able to give a close approximation of the type
>>of hardwood it was.  
>>He believes my specimen is from American Chestnut or
>>Giant Chinkapin.  
>>He described the cell structures as the reasons why
>>he believes that is 
>>what it is.
>>
>>"I asked him if there was any doubt whatsoever in
>>his opinion, even one 
>>or two percent doubt.  Zero doubt--it is petrified
>>wood with 100 percent 
>>certainty!  The only doubt is the type of tree;
>>could certainly be wrong 
>>in that area of his opinion.
>>
>>"So, you were persistent and hung in there.  Thank
>>you so much for 
>>helping me with this auction.  I will relay similar
>>information to those 
>>others who were also puzzled.  I was totally fooled
>>on this one, which 
>>will make me more aware next time.
>>
>>"I will stick to selling what I am more comfortable
>>with from now 
>>on--you know, stuff with a label on it. :-) Best
>>regards, Kenneth Rank"
>>
>>Norm, Thanks for solving this and restoring the
>>credibility of geologist 
>>worldwide (or until the next non-List geologist
>>deems an obvious 'wrong' 
>>to be a genuine meteorite :>)
>>
>>Best,
>>ken
>>
>>
>>
>>Norm Lehrman wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Ken and list,
>>>
>>>This image:
>>>http://i7.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/94/59/e4ce_3.JPG
>>>
>>>looks highly silicous, which could explain the lack
>>>      
>>>
>>of
>>    
>>
>>>streak.  Am I imagining it, or can you detect some
>>>concentric banding, convex towards the upper left
>>>(opposite the saw marks)?  If that's real, this may
>>>well be petrified wood!  Surely the seller would've
>>>recognized that---
>>>
>>>Norm
>>>http://tektitesource.com
>>>
>>>--- ken newton <magellon at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Hi Norm and others,
>>>>Thanks for your reply.
>>>>The photos do not show up well in the little ebay
>>>>viewer so here are 
>>>>three urls.
>>>>http://i7.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/94/59/e4ce_3.JPG
>>>>http://i2.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/94/59/e233_3.JPG
>>>>http://i1.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/94/6b/a18e_3.JPG
>>>>
>>>>I asked about a streak test, Mr. Rank replied:
>>>>"No, I did not do a streak test, but I did one
>>>>        
>>>>
>>just
>>    
>>
>>>>now per your request.
>>>>The finding is negative for any color
>>>>        
>>>>
>>whatsoever--no
>>    
>>
>>>>blacks, rust,
>>>>hematitic, ochre, or yellows present. Thank you
>>>>        
>>>>
>>for
>>    
>>
>>>>the interest."
>>>>
>>>>Very curious reply (in my opinion) when looking at
>>>>the red interior of 
>>>>the photos.
>>>>Best,
>>>>Ken
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Norm Lehrman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>Ken and all,
>>>>>
>>>>>How embarassing for geologists everywhere and
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>another
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>general downer for serious meteorite people. 
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>This
>>    
>>
>>>>>stuff is frustrating and sad.  I hate seeing
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>people
>>    
>>
>>>>>ripped off.
>>>>>
>>>>>My bristles go up everytime someone says: "I know
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>it's
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>real 'cause I had a geologist look at it---"
>>>>>
>>>>>As a career practicing geologist with over
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>10-years
>>    
>>
>>>>>college-level teaching on the side, I can assure
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>you
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>that most geology curricula do not include ANY
>>>>>significant training or information regarding
>>>>>meteorites, much less, their identification.
>>>>>
>>>>>It is true that we geologists see a lot of earth
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>rocks
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>and are in a generally advantageous position to
>>>>>recognize something out of the ordinary when we
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>see
>>    
>>
>>>>>it, but I have described to this list before that
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>in
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>well-intentioned nievete, I used to pass around
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>some
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>fine SLAG pieces as examples of meteorites.
>>>>>
>>>>>Everyone, please be advised that, in general,
>>>>>professional geologists and geological
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>academicians
>>    
>>
>>>>>know less about meteorites than list members! 
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>Anyone
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>reading this has been exposed to more meteorite
>>>>>information on this list than any geologist gets
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>in
>>    
>>
>>>>>multi-degree training unless they are involved in
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>a
>>    
>>
>>>>>course of study specifically involving
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>meteorites!
>>    
>>
>>>>>Cheers,
>>>>>Norm
>>>>>(http://tektitesource.com)
>>>>>
>>>>>--- ken newton <magellon at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>>Check out this professional geologist's
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>'Ureilite
>>    
>>
>>>>>>meteorite with diamonds.'
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>=== message truncated ===
>
>______________________________________________
>Meteorite-list mailing list
>Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>
>
>  
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/private/meteorite-list/attachments/20070325/6a358ca6/attachment.html>