Hi Is this a Meteorite

[Captainj 0]

This was found while fossil hunting in Florida in recently dredged sand. The sand came from just offshore in an area that was land several thousand years ago in the gulf of mexico. I thought this was a fossil at first but noticed a bit of rust and the item is magnetic but not as magnetic as normal iron. Measures 1 3/4 inches long and has a weight of over 36 grams.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o6Z_N9EdYZs14Fs5E3NLWEYnltvEnAfL/view?usp=drivesdk

Edited December 20, 2018 by Captainj

[Captainj 0]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bP6abZ67ZC9mMmq43GNV7MWNh2HiIauB/view?usp=drivesdk.     https://drive.google.com/file/d/159glP6kGkqQbRcjhL4rgNLDsG1SUjKKA/view?usp=drivesdk

Edited December 20, 2018 by Captainj

[Morlock 1,249]

I think it's a piece of slag. Meteorites don't have vesicles.

[Captainj 0]

I looked up vesicles and they say 1 in 1000 meatorites have them.  If it is slag not sure how it would have been burried under 10 or 20 feet of sand at the bottom of the gulf of mexico. We found fossils millions of  years old that day. 

[Bedrock Bob 2,816]

It looks just like tramp metal to me. Any metal that sits in salt water rapidly turns to shale. That shale is non magnetic and will make the specimen "less magnetic than regular iron".

It does not have any characteristics of a meteorite at all from my point of view. But then if an iron meteorite fell into the ocean it would look a lot like that as it rusted away. So would any other piece of iron. I am not sure anyone could tell the difference by a photo once it is severely corroded like that.

If you are convinced it is a meteorite then you need to file a window, do a nickel test and get an expert to evaluate it. Otherwise I would call it a piece of rusted metal from the bottom of the ocean. 

 

[hardtimehermit 298]

What kind of fossil did you think it could be? Why do you think it's a meteorite, slag or a meteorite could be found under 20 of sand.

7 minutes ago, Captainj said:

I looked up vesicles and they say 1 in 1000 meatorites have them.  If it is slag not sure how it would have been burried under 10 or 20 feet of sand at the bottom of the gulf of mexico. We found fossils millions of  years old that day. 

 

[Captainj 0]

Just looks like it was melted at one time and it does look like more than one kind of metal as some parts are not rusted. Who knows it could be anything. Guess I just had a feeling. Never know what you will find in dredge material.

[Captainj 0]

Thanks for your help 

[Bedrock Bob 2,816]

15 minutes ago, Captainj said:

Just looks like it was melted at one time and it does look like more than one kind of metal as some parts are not rusted. Who knows it could be anything. Guess I just had a feeling. Never know what you will find in dredge material.

IMHO it is probably weld metal or slag. Lots of that on a ship and lots of it going over the sides. The ocean bottom is covered with the products of ship building/repairing and there must be thousands of tons of rusted metal laying on the sea floor just off the coasts.

If it looks like it was melted that is a pretty good indication it is not a meteorite. Meteorites don't melt nor do they look melted. Only a welder or a torch melts metal and allows gas bubbles to form. So there is very good evidence this is man made and little to no meteoritic characteristics. 

 

[Captainj 0]

Thanks for your help.