[meteorite-list] Question Regarding Lunars

[Greg Stanley]

Thanks Everyone:

I really appreciate the detailed responses. That's what I suspected.  Perhaps the soils in Oman contain more iron based sediment, and the strewn fields there are older.  I always assumed that the iron within meteorites caused the oxidation, but now it's clear that once any rock (meteorite) falls to earth, it can be altered in the same ways (weathering, erosion, oxidation and surface staining) terrestrial rocks are subjected too.  Thus, makes it even more difficult to find a lunar.

Best,

Greg S.   

----------------------------------------
> From: riffraff at timewarp.de
> To: stanleygregr at hotmail.com; meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: RE: [meteorite-list] Question Regarding Lunars
> Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 20:12:41 +0100
>
> Dear Greg, and All,
>
> The reddish, brown and pinkish colors of these lunars (particullary from
> Oman) are from hematite staining, i.e., from terrestrial weathering.
> Pristine lunars look more like this:
>
> http://www.meteoris.de/img/ncc-lun/NWA2200-1.388g.jpg
>
> http://www.meteoris.de/img/ncc-lun/Dho910-1.912g.JPG
>
> It seems that especially the lunars with a very long terrestrial residence
> time, such as Dhofar 025 which fell more than 400,000 years ago, display the
> effects of heavy hematite staining:
>
> http://www.meteoris.de/img/ncc-lun/Dho025-0.352g.JPG
>
> Hope this helps,
> Norbert Classen
> www.meteoris.de
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>
> List:
>
> I have a question regarding Lunar meteorites.  In many of the pics on
> various websites I have noticed a reddish/brown color in the meteorites.  I
> figured that most would be more grayish and white.  Is the reddish color
> from terrestrial means?  Does it oxidize after landing?  Or is this reddish
> color not related to oxidation at all and is the actual color it would be on
> the moon?  I would think that there would be no oxidation on the moon or in
> space, due to the lack of oxygen.
>
> Shisr161 is an example.
>
> http://www.meteoris.de/img/ncc-lun/Shisr161-2.884g.jpg
>
> I can't get over how 'terrestrial' lunars look.  Who knows... maybe I've
> stepped on one without knowing it.
>
> Greg S.
>
>
 		 	   		  
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