Meteorite identification

stuart7

Jr. Member
Sep 13, 2023
20
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I found this a few months ago and I have had one geologist look at it and they couldn't tell me what it was, I have since had a search around online and found that it has alot of features that a meteorite would have, it is magnetic and pretty heavy for its size.
If anyone can help with this it would be much appreciated
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Definitely not a meteorite.

If you found this south of Glasgow it's from a sedimentary formation. North and west of Glasgow in the Highlands you get into metamorphic geology. Like you I could find no evidence of volcanic activity or deposits anywhere near that region. Since it's been glaciated no trace will be found of any original igneous rock formation. Any past volcanics have long ago been metamorphosed or eroded to sand and dirt.

Pictures can only give us a hint as to what a rock may be composed of. There are quite a few tests that can help determine what you have found. Without those tests anyone viewing this picture will have to rely on their past experiences with rocks which is why at this point we are all guessing - that's about all anyone can do without more information.

My best experienced guess is It could be flint, which is common there but based on the appearance It looks like a concretion, probably Hematite or Goethite also common in those sedimentary rocks.

Here's a link to an interactive geology map of that area. If you zoom in to the area you found this rock and click on the map it will tell you about the geology at the point of your click. Share that info and we might be able to narrow down the possibilities even further.

 

It looks to me like a lava bomb, very cool specimen. :icon_thumright:

I agree, and it's a particular kind of volcanic bomb known as a 'breadcrust bomb'.

The most likely origin for those in your region would be from the period of volcanic activity that created the Clyde Plateau Volcanic Formation plus lava flows and other deposits into the Clyde Valley during the Carboniferous period.

It's a nice find.
 

Bomb.jpg

Ardoch Burn, east of Carrot and south of Eaglesham. Lower Carboniferous bedded trachytic agglomerates and tuffs with large ejected lava blocks. Note how the bedding is distorted around the blocks by impact and later differential compaction. Volcanic 'bombs' in bedded, trachyte ashes. Located in the southern part of the Clyde Plateau volcanic outcrop this exposure is part of the c. 900 m. thick succession of salic lavas and associated pyroclastic rocks.

The trachyte ash deposits do extend as far as South Lanarkshire
 

This may help those who have small clocks:

 

South of the Clyde River, the geology of Scotland primarily consists of a range of Paleozoic rocks that are often exposed due to erosion. Here are the major geological formations found in this region:

  1. Southern Uplands: The Southern Uplands mainly consist of Lower Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, including mudstones, siltstones, and sandstones. These rocks were formed from the deposition of sediments in a shallow marine environment during the Ordovician and Silurian periods.
  2. Highland Boundary Fault: Running diagonally across Scotland, the Highland Boundary Fault separates the Southern Uplands from the Highlands. It marks a major geological boundary where older rocks of the Southern Uplands collided with younger rocks of the North Atlantic region.
  3. Carboniferous Limestone: To the south of the Highland Boundary Fault, extensive Carboniferous Limestone deposits are found in the Lowlands. These sedimentary rocks were created from the accumulation of marine shell fragments during the Carboniferous Period, around 360 to 300 million years ago.
  4. Coal Measures: The Lowlands also contain the Coal Measures, which are made up of alternating layers of sedimentary rocks, including sandstones, shales, and coal seams. These rocks represent the accumulation of plant debris in swampy environments during the Carboniferous Period.
  5. Permian and Triassic rocks: In some parts of the region, there are deposits of Permian and Triassic rocks, including sandstones, mudstones, and evaporites. These rocks were formed in an arid climate with intermittent periods of flooding and include the famous red sandstone used in many Scottish buildings.
  6. There are no volcanic bombs south of Glasgow, Scotland. The closest volcanic activity to Glasgow is found in the Inner Hebrides islands, such as the Isle of Arran, but there are no recent volcanic eruptions or volcanic bombs in that area.
  7. Breadcrust rock is a type of sedimentary rock.
Overall, the geology of Scotland south of the Clyde River is dominated by sedimentary rocks from the Paleozoic era, with different formations representing different geological periods and environments of deposition.
 

A felsic intrusion is a type of igneous rock intrusion that is rich in felsic minerals, which are light-colored minerals containing higher amounts of silica and aluminum. Felsic minerals include quartz, feldspar, and muscovite. Felsic intrusions are typically composed of granitic or granodioritic rocks and are lighter in color compared to mafic or ultramafic intrusions, which are typically dark-colored. Felsic intrusions are commonly associated with continental crust and can form large plutons or batholiths. They are often associated with the formation of mountains and can be found in various types of geological settings.
 

Trachytic rocks, with felsics comprising 0-5% quartz and alkali feldspar/total feldspar: 0.65-0.9
A group of fine-grained, generally porphyritic, extrusive rocks having alkali feldspar and minor mafic minerals (biotite, hornblende, or pyroxene) as the main components, and possibly a small amount of sodic plagioclase; also, any member of that group; the extrusive equivalent of syenite. Trachyte grades into latite as the alkali feldspar content decreases, and into rhyolite with an increase in quartz.
 

This may help some. You can easily find pictures of volcanic breadcrust bombs from Scotland by searching on the internet using keywords like "volcanic breadcrust bomb Scotland" in a search engine or image search website. This should provide you with a variety of visual references.
 

There are no volcanic bombs south of Glasgow, Scotland. The closest volcanic activity to Glasgow is found in the Inner Hebrides islands, such as the Isle of Arran, but there are no recent volcanic eruptions or volcanic bombs in that area.

Breadcrust rock is a type of sedimentary rock.

Oh dear!

I don’t know where you are getting this information from (most of which is irrelevant), but you are interpreting it incorrectly and portraying in a misleading way. You’re just trawling stuff from the net without any real understanding of what it means.

The picture of volcanic bombs in trachyte and tuff deposits that I provided is from the British Geological Survey. The picture was taken at Ardoch Burn, which is just 30 miles north of Glasgow. The same kinds of deposits are also found to the south of Glasgow and are certainly found as far south as South Lanarkshire.

That doesn’t mean there was volcanic activity in the immediate region of Glasgow. Only that volcanic activity elsewhere deposited ash, lava bombs and other volcanic ejecta in that region.

Breadcrust bombs are not themselves sedimentary. They’re igneous and of volcanic origin. However, because they are air-carried and deposited away from the eruption source, the deposits are regarded as sedimentary. The deposits around Glasgow are essentially compacted volcanic ash composed mainly of trachytes and tuffs (some of it welded) agglomerated with discrete blocks of fragmented lava that had already solidified before airborne election, and bombs that solidified as they cooled during their travel from the point of ejection.
 

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Scotland does not have volcanic activity and therefore volcanic bombs are not found there. The closest active volcanic region to Scotland is Iceland.

Volcanic bombs are fragments of lava that are ejected from a volcano during an explosive eruption. They are usually molten or semi-molten when they are thrown into the air and can have various shapes, ranging from spherical to streamlined or elongated. The term "bomb" is used to describe them because of their resemblance to military projectiles.


Trachyte and tuff are both types of volcanic rocks that can be associated with explosive eruptions. Trachyte is an igneous rock that is rich in potassium and sodium, with a fine-grained texture. Tuff, on the other hand, is a type of volcanic rock that forms from the consolidation of volcanic ash and other pyroclastic material.


In deposits of trachyte and tuff, volcanic bombs can be found embedded within the layers. These bombs are typically made of the same material as the surrounding rock, but their distinctive shape differentiates them from other fragments. The bombs are formed when the molten or semi-molten lava is ejected from the volcano and cools rapidly in the air, solidifying into these unique shapes before landing on the ground or being incorporated into the tuff or trachyte deposits.


The presence of volcanic bombs in trachyte and tuff deposits can provide valuable information about the eruption dynamics, such as the explosivity of the eruption and the distance they were ejected from the volcano. Studying these deposits and the associated volcanic bombs can help scientists understand past eruptions and make predictions about future volcanic activity.
 

Scotland does not have volcanic activity and therefore volcanic bombs are not found there. The closest active volcanic region to Scotland is Iceland.

Oh dear, Oh dear!

:BangHead:

I'm sorry, but that is simply not correct and you are still quoting the information in a very misleading way without understanding of what it really means. I refer you back to the picture I posted and the information from BGS. The picture shows volcanic bombs in trachtye and tuff deposits just 30 miles from Glasgow in Scotland, and these are not uncommon.

Scotland does not have volcanic activity NOW (or recently) but the bombs found there today are ancient (all the way back to the Carboniferous), and therefore from a time when the geography of the landmasses was very different. There was no Scotland as we know it now, but a combination of continental drift and other geological changes have subsequently pushed those volcanic deposits into the current Scottish landscape we see today.
 

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Carboniferous volcanic bombs are a type of volcanic rock fragment that was formed during the Carboniferous period, approximately 359 to 299 million years ago. They are commonly found in areas with volcanic activity during this time period, such as the Carboniferous coal swamps.

Volcanic bombs are pieces of molten or semi-molten rock ejected from a volcano during an eruption. They are usually spherical or elongated in shape and range in size from a few centimeters to several meters in diameter. These bombs are formed when blobs of magma are forcefully expelled from the volcano and solidify into a hardened rock before they reach the ground.

During the Carboniferous period, which was characterized by extensive volcanic activity, these volcanic bombs could be found within the area where coal swamps formed. The bombs would have been transported during volcanic eruptions and then deposited in the surrounding environment, eventually becoming buried and preserved within the layers of sediment that formed the coal deposits.

The study of Carboniferous volcanic bombs provides valuable information about the volcanic activity and environmental conditions during this period, and can help scientists understand the geologic history of that time.
 

Oh dear, Oh dear!

:BangHead:

I'm sorry, but that is simply not correct and you are still quoting the information in a very misleading way without understanding of what it really means. I refer you back to the picture I posted and the information from BGS. The picture shows volcanic bombs in trachtye and tuff deposits just 30 miles from Glasgow in Scotland, and these are not uncommon.

Scotland does not have volcanic activity NOW (or recently) but the bombs found there today are ancient (all the way back to the Carboniferous), and therefore from a time when the geography of the landmasses was very different. There was no Scotland as we know it now, but a combination of continental drift and other geological changes have subsequently pushed those volcanic deposits into the current Scottish landscape we see today.
Just ask chatgpt and it sounds almost exactly like what clay posted
 

OK so curve ball🤣 I took this to 2nd geologist who specialises in minerals and she told me that this is just a pyrite nodule, she said it with confidence and with no excitement so I'm going to presume it's rubbish🤣, would you guys agree with this or?
 

OK so curve ball🤣 I took this to 2nd geologist who specialises in minerals and she told me that this is just a pyrite nodule, she said it with confidence and with no excitement so I'm going to presume it's rubbish🤣, would you guys agree with this or?

Personally, I wouldn't agree... but then I haven't been able to examine it in hand. Who am I to argue with a geologist?

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If it is pyrite then it will streak black or greenish-black on the unglazed side of a porcelain tile. Streak firmly once or twice rather than rubbing to and fro, then blow the dust away and examine the colour of the streak itself.
 

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