What tell-tale sign of atmospheric transit is often lacking in rocks called "meteorwrongs"?
Answer
A fusion crust
The term "meteorwrongs" is used to describe the vast number of terrestrial rocks that are frequently mistaken for genuine meteorites by the public due to superficial similarities, such as being dense or dark. However, these common Earth rocks invariably lack the definitive physical evidence resulting from atmospheric entry. The most crucial indicator of a rock having survived passage through the atmosphere is the formation of a fusion crust—a thin, glassy layer created when the rock's exterior melts due to intense friction and heat during transit. The presence or absence of this melted layer is often the immediate giveaway used by experts to distinguish a genuine meteorite from a terrestrial mimic.
Related Questions
Which major compositional group is often cited as the rarest type encountered on Earth?How many other observed aubrite falls are known globally besides the 2024 BX1 event?What fraction of the approximately 1200 observed falls belong to the Carbonaceous Chondrite class?What primary components define Iron meteorites in the compositional spectrum?What substance characterizes Stony meteorites, placing them in the most common group?To which specific class does the Winchcombe meteorite, recovered in the UK in 2021, belong?Approximately how many in every 1,000 recognized meteorite finds originate from the Moon (Lunar meteorites)?What trait makes Lunar and Martian meteorites hard to distinguish from common Earth rocks?What universal mineral inclusion do achondrites like Aubrites lack due to parent body melting?What tell-tale sign of atmospheric transit is often lacking in rocks called "meteorwrongs"?