Geology Question - Nickel in Earth Rocks

[megahurts]

I've read that it is very rare for nickel to be found in earth rocks. However I have found several rocks (suspect meteorites) that test positive for nickel. I don't think the rocks i've found are meteorites for other reasons, but I'm trying to identify what the rocks are so I can eliminate them in the future.

 

Does anyone now what earth rocks naturally contain nickel?

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[freeztar]

It occurs most often in combination with sulfur and iron in pentlandite, with sulfur in millerite, with arsenic in the mineral nickeline, and with arsenic and sulfur in nickel galena.[5] Nickel is commonly found in iron meteorites as the alloys kamacite and taenite. Similar to the elements chromium, aluminium and titanium

 

Nickel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Do you have pictures? What are the dimensions of the rock? Mass? Etc...

[Turtle]

I've read that it is very rare for nickel to be found in earth rocks. However I have found several rocks (suspect meteorites) that test positive for nickel. I don't think the rocks i've found are meteorites for other reasons, but I'm trying to identify what the rocks are so I can eliminate them in the future.

 

Does anyone now what earth rocks naturally contain nickel?

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

 

just curious, but how did you test for nickel? anyway, here's a good page on how to id meteorites vs. earth rocks. :)

 

>> metal, iron, & nickel in meteorites

[megahurts]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I use a nickel allergy test to test for nickel. Based on what I've read if the cotton swab stays pink for at least 5 minutes there is enough nickel present for a possible meteorite.

 

The challenging thing for me is finding rocks that come close and pass all of the meteorite home tests, but still aren't meteorites. Most of what I have read states that it is very rare for nickel to be present inside earth rocks e.g. if it tests positive for nickel there's a good chance its a meteorite.

 

So ultimately what I'm trying to do is ID rocks that do naturally contain nickel so I can detect them and move on if they are in fact meteor wrongs. Knowing what rocks can possibly contain nickel and what they look like is what I'm trying to figure out. The wiki page helps.

 

Here is a picture of the rock. It is <20 grams. I found it in area where meteorites are expected to be found.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[Turtle]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I use a nickel allergy test to test for nickel. Based on what I've read if the cotton swab stays pink for at least 5 minutes there is enough nickel present for a possible meteorite.

 

The challenging thing for me is finding rocks that come close and pass all of the meteorite home tests, but still aren't meteorites. Most of what I have read states that it is very rare for nickel to be present inside earth rocks e.g. if it tests positive for nickel there's a good chance its a meteorite. ...

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

 

from reading at the link i posted, they give some physical tests for determining if the nickel is metallic and if so whether it's a meteorite or slag. :) i should ask the obvious i suppose; have you used a magnet to see if the sample is magnetic? :eek:

 

metal, iron, & nickel in meteorites

...Because of[sic] they contain much iron-nickel metal, all metal-bearing meteorites are magnetic. ...

...

With a few rare and well known exceptions, naturally occurring terrestrial rock do not contain iron metal or iron-nickel metal. There are two reasons. First, early in Earth's history the iron-nickel metal sank to form the Earth's core. Second, any metal that did not sink has oxidized (rusted) over Earth's long history. The Earth's environment is far more oxidizing (oxygen atmosphere and water) than space, where meteorites originate. Earth rocks do contain iron and nickel, but only in oxidized (non-metallic) form. Therefore, if you find a rock that contains iron-nickel metal, it's probably a meteorite. That sounds simple, but there are two problems.

 

First, many people find slags and other by-products of metal manufacturing. Some of the samples that have been brought to us may have been from forges or blacksmith shops that are more than 100 years old (see meteorwrongs) ...

 

you might consider getting some nitric acid and testing your sample for Widmanstatten patterns

[megahurts]

Thanks. I did read the page from University of Washington, thanks for posting that.

 

The rock is magnetic.

 

Its also not slag. It is definitely a stone.

 

Also I think the Widmanstatten patterns only apply to iron meteorites and not stone meteorites.

 

The University of Washington page is actually what gets me confused as it clearly states the only exceptions would be 1) slag and 2) non-real metal flecks (e.g. not magnetic)

 

I know the rock is not slag, as the texture, bulk density etc don't resemble slag.

 

On the negative side for it being a meteorite, the interior looks like ingenious which is not common with meteorites.

 

So my belief is it is either a meteorite or there are some earth rocks that contain nickel. (i'm leaning towards the later).

 

Thanks

[Turtle]

...The University of Washington page is actually what gets me confused as it clearly states the only exceptions would be 1) slag and 2) non-real metal flecks (e.g. not magnetic)

 

I know the rock is not slag, as the texture, bulk density etc don't resemble slag.

 

On the negative side for it being a meteorite, the interior looks like ingenious which is not common with meteorites.

 

So my belief is it is either a meteorite or there are some earth rocks that contain nickel. (i'm leaning towards the later).

 

Thanks

 

if you can't make the determination yourself, submit it to a university or other authority. mind you, depending on where you found it, you may not be allowed to keep it if it is indeed a meteorite. meteorites falling on private land belong to the landowner and meteorites falling on government lands belong to the government. here's a source that can help you identify your specimen. :)

 

Meteorite Adventures, Meteorite Hunters, Cash and Treasures, Steve Arnold, Geoffrey Notkin

...CAN I OWN A METEORITE?

YES Private ownership of meteorites in the United States and most other countries is entirely legal. In the USA, meteorites found on Federal land belong to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and should be turned over to the appropriate authorities. Meteorites found on private land belong to the landowner or, in some cases, to the person or company owning the mineral rights to that land. ...

[Turtle]

did the 800 pound gorilla squash some plans? :evil: i refer of course to whether you dear op poster (and other meteorite-gatherers) got your meteorite(s) legally or nicht. :phones: there is a way around this.

so if it's not legit, then first, put it back.

second, if it was on private property, contact the property owner and try to make a deal to either get part of it or share in the profit if it's sold.

third, if it was on government land, photograph it, weigh it, describe it, and/or take just a small sample, record the location, then contact the authorities (arizona state university i think is the main government/smithsonian representative) and make a deal, in writing, to tell them where it is in exchange for a piece of the meteorite. (i believe i heard all this from robert haag, the meteroite man, holder of the largest private collection of meteorites in the world. google him. :phones:)

 

note that much of the value in meteorites is in where & when they fell, so lying about that to make a sale just won't make the grade as buyers are savvy and will recognize the lie and moreover know it is illegal. :) damned if ya do & damned if ya don't.

[stereologist]

It's not that rare to find rocks containing nickel. Sudbury Ontario is a major nickel mining area. For a while the Canadian nickel could be picked up with a magnet since its nickel content was high. Rocks that originated form the mantle are often high in nickel. High nickel areas are often poor soils since the soils are somewhat toxic.