Have any of you ever found a meteorite under the sea?

capt dom

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Nov 9, 2006
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extractor

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Hi capt dom, Ya should send it to ASU for an ID , The size of it ,if it is one, it might be worth $$$
 

Tuberale

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May 12, 2010
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To answer your title question: Mel Fisher while searching for the Nuestra Senora de Atocha supposedly claimed to have found many meteorites ... and left them where he found them. Meteorites can be quite valuable. Not sure who owns a meteorite found underwater, though ... maybe Mel was wise to leave them where he found them.

It has been said that meteorites degrade quickly in or near water. "Quickly" is a relative term, though. Would you say a meteorite that oxidizes after 500 years underwater was "quick"? Maybe compared to the age of many meteorites estimated to be 3.5 billion years old or more.

The Willamette Meteorite was found near West Linn, Oregon in 1903. It arrived in Oregon, theorized by Dick Pugh, on an iceberg during one of the Bretz Floods 12,000 to 15,000 years ago. Oregon's acidic rainfall helped oxidize it. But a fusion crust remains visible. Over 15 tons of meteorite remain. Not exactly rapid oxidation, especially considering I found a zinc Lincoln cent recently within 30 miles of West Linn that was nearly completely eaten away, and know of several other local detectorists who have found just the copper sheath of zincolns remaining after 30 years. Keep in mind that most meteorites are 90-95% iron, and 5-10% nickel, or basically stainless steel: the same thing most spoons and forks are made of now.
 

ethanmckinley10

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Dec 29, 2015
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Meteorite

Thats funny you metion that because i live in west linn and i walk past the meteorite every other day or so and ive never really taken the time to read/find out why its there. But ive always wondered. Unfortunately ive been to about three parks in west linn and ive havent found anything. So not much luck with W.L.
 

Tuberale

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What you walk by is a replica, not the real thing. It is considerably smaller than the Willamette is.

There are almost certainly more meteorites in the area. It has been estimated that every square mile one earth has a few.
 

Fugio

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I would get it tested brother. From the picture above that looks just like a fusion crust to me. But on the other hand many terrestrial rocks can be surprisingly deceiving. If it is really heavy and is strongly magnetic, send in a piece to get tested.
 

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