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Identity HelpMeteorite identification flowchart.

20th Dec 2012 11:56 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder

I often get asked "Is this a meteorite?". After talking with other experts, and looking at the data from amateur meteorite enquirites at our local museum, etc, I have put together a flowchart I think you may find useful in trying to determine whether you have found a meteorite or not.

If you follow the flowchart through correctly it will help identify whether you have a meteorite or not with about 99.98% accuracy.

Enjoy!

Jolyon

20th Dec 2012 12:03 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager

20th Dec 2012 13:37 UTCJohan Kjellman Expert

Great Jolyon,

You could expand it to a multi-test.

As a tool for the amateur community it seems to be working equally well for gold/platinum/diamond.

cheers

20th Dec 2012 13:51 UTCScott Sadlocha

Based on the history of this question, I shouldn't have been drinking my morning coffee when opening up the flowchart, but since it was early morning I wasn't paying attention too well. I laughed so hard I sprayed little drops of coffee all over my laptop screen. :-)

That accuracy level sounds about right.

20th Dec 2012 14:23 UTCMIchael Sharpe

Thanks for sharing

20th Dec 2012 14:51 UTCClosed Account 🌟

:-D

I guess a "Diamond identification flowchart" would fit in here nicely!

20th Dec 2012 15:04 UTCAdam Berluti

That's hilarious Jolyon! :)-D

I guess that means I didn't find a meteorite then :-D

20th Dec 2012 15:33 UTCLefteris Rantos Expert

Adam,

There is still this 0,02% margin of error!!

20th Dec 2012 17:17 UTCStephen Rose Expert

Jolyon,

Had a good chuckle and then realized how inappropriate humor is today. Just a few short hours before Doomsday!

Cheers (muted)

Steve

20th Dec 2012 18:24 UTCBeth Schaefer

Ha you got me at first! I at first thought something was wrong with my connection because the whole flowchart wasn't showing, I was trying to scroll everywhere to get the rest of the chart! I agree with Johan and Branko and also think a flowchart should be made not only for diamond, but for platinum as well!

20th Dec 2012 18:46 UTCDavid Baldwin

Very funny Jolyon :-D

20th Dec 2012 19:32 UTCJim Sullivan

hahahahahahahahaha!! I want that framed and hanging on the wall in my office! Great Job, Jolyon!

20th Dec 2012 20:35 UTCRock Currier Expert

And here I thought I was the most cynical guy here on Mindat. How old does a child/person need to be before we are permitted to deny the existence of Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy.

20th Dec 2012 21:22 UTCMaggie Wilson Expert

allow me to be first to reply to Rock's comments:

WHADDYA MEAN THERE IS NO SANTA CLAUS?!

Maggie

PS - loved the flow chart, btw!

21st Dec 2012 00:37 UTCKeith Compton 🌟 Manager

Hey Rock "Grinch" Currier,

Not even you are old enough !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm with you Maggie

Cheers:)-D

Keith

21st Dec 2012 00:49 UTCAdam Kelly

That's wonderful

21st Dec 2012 01:16 UTCDanny Jones Expert

He is still bring me rocks! Who am I to say he does not exist! GO SANTA!

28th Dec 2012 09:50 UTCronald

Justin,

Anything relating to meteorites and/or meteor-wrongs sold be run past Anne (Black), as she is as her forensic handwriting analysis report indicates she, apparently is beyond reproach. She also is impossible to debate with a

successful outcome, she always wins the debate. For more info refer to: Geoff Notkin, Dan Wray, or Blaine Reed.

6th Jan 2013 16:22 UTCJason Evans

Funniest thing I have seen all day!

6th Jan 2013 16:27 UTCSteve Hardinger 🌟 Expert

Jolyon, Based on my experience as a mineral dealer who's answered this question many times over the years, I can say that your flowchart is incomplete. It's missing a second action box, which should be placed after the "no" box. The second action box should read "keep asking other people until someone says yes".

6th Jan 2013 18:06 UTCJoe Mulvey

Can you export that into a Smart Phone app?

:)-D

6th Jan 2013 20:09 UTCDon Windeler

Apparently some doctors have recommended 300 belly laughs/day for good health.

The belly laughs I got from sharing this with my wife & son (especially Steve's addendum!) met the quota for the day. Thanks!

21st Aug 2013 02:49 UTCBob King

Jolyon,

Thanks for the laugh! I love your chart. I write a daily astronomy blog called Astro Bob (astrobob.areavoices.com) and wondered whether I might use it also on my site with attribution. Please let me know. Thank you!

Bob

22nd Aug 2013 02:11 UTCEugene & Sharon Cisneros Expert

Jolyon,

As we get meteorite identification requests quite regularly, I quickly realized that your Meteorite Identification Flowchart would come in handy. I just didn't realize how soon.... I had just stopped laughing and finally regained my normal serious composure when the following occurred. I went out to retrieve today's mail and found a letter, the contents of which I reveal here.

"Enclosed is a photocopy of 2 asteroids I am selling.

1. They are lighter than normal, maybe a different type.

2. If not real, the only other possibility is a natural formation that is unknown now, but would still be valuable because they are rare.

3. I am selling them for $170-each.

Let me know."

Now I thought immediately to send the fellow your chart, but realized that it only encompasses meteorites, not asteroids and certainly not previously unknown natural formations. As you read this post, I imagine that you are already thinking of how to extend the breadth of your chart. Perhaps you could also add valuation to the chart. I anxiously await Rev.1 to be posted.

With kind regards,

Gene

PS Yes, the above mentioned letter really did arrive today.

22nd Aug 2013 04:02 UTCA. A. Faller

Absolutely PERFECT! Thanks for that...

23rd Aug 2013 00:22 UTCDan Costian

Hi Bob,

Can you confirm or infirm if this Widmanstatten belongs to a Campo del Cielo (in the begative, waht else) and if possible, which alloys are present according to this pattern? Thanks.

23rd Aug 2013 04:04 UTCDavid Garske

In many years of being a mineral dealer, I was shown 1 that probably was a nickel iron, then--- A guy in Bisbee brought in a box from a Bisbee!! fall. Had them sent to a lab and verified, was ready to really make some money until a meteorite metallurgist stopped in and checked them in his lab. They had been stolen from Meteor crater in Arizona.

Dave

23rd Aug 2013 18:57 UTCDan Costian

Thank you, David, for sharing your (bad in this case) experience of mistaken locality. Meteorites are different from minerals. First of all, their structure (revealed by etching a polished side) is somehow like a fingerprint for their origin (location). Second, it’s not enough to say “it’s an iron-nickel alloy”; there are various kinds of alloys with distinctive crystal shapes, like kamacite, taenite, schreibersite, cohenite, troilite, plessite and some included even graphite and diamonds. I agree that this has more to do with metallurgy than mineralogy.

15th Sep 2013 06:49 UTCLeor Goldberg

This is great. This should be an official mindat poster at this point, I think.

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