[meteorite-list] Meteorite Cracks

[Michael Murray]

Hi List,
I enjoy seeing a whole individual meteorite of course, but when going  
over some stones close up, one of my favorite surface features to see  
are cracks.  One particular favorite aspect of cracks for me is to  
see where molten material has flowed across both sides partially  
filling and adhering them together again.  And then there is the  
different ablation effects that show up inside a crack that you might  
not see anywhere else on the stone.  One example I can think of is   
where some of the material has been excavated and some left in place  
leaving a honeycomb appearance.  I might not understand the dynamics  
involved in the formation of the cracks, but it appears to me in some  
cases that parts of the stone may have warped causing the crack to  
develop.

On some stones where a fragment has split off early on in the passage  
through the atmosphere, I get the sense that the crack was a long  
time in developing (relatively speaking) as I have seen the honeycomb  
appearance on the newly exposed surface which I am assuming could  
have just as likely been made while the crack was developing.    
Anyway, I just find the (meteorite) cracks interesting and would  
always be interested in seeing examples if someone has some they  
wouldn't mind sharing.

Mike in CO
micro-hunter of southwest Colorado