Meteorite Recon | Chondrites
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Archive

Aiquile

Stone, chondrite, H5, S3, W0
Cochabamba, Bolivia
Fall: 2016 Nov 20, 17:57 local time
TKW: > 50 kg

Individual with Impact marks: 202.0 g

„A bright fireball appeared over Aiquile, Cochabamba district of Bolivia, on 20 November 2016, 17:57 local time (UTC-4). Stones fell in a strewn field of at least 12 × 2 km (northeasterly direction) in the following Aiquile communities: Tablamayu, Panamá, Chawar Mayu, Chaqo K’asa, Barbechos and Cruz Loma. The main bolide fragmentation occurred over the Tablamayu community, 12 km north of Aiquile. In the Cruz Loma community, C. Veizaga witnessed the fall of the largest stone (36.3 kg) about 500 m from him. He recovered the stone and in the following day the local Aiquile government (Luiz L. Arnez, Marco Cardona, Franz Navia, William Rodriguez, Jesus Yave) took the stone to the city museum. In the Panamá community, Roberto Soto witnessed the fall and recovered two other fragments (565 g, 2.2 kg). SERGEOMIN (Miguel A. Muriel, G. Villca, A. Perez), UMSA (Gonzalo Pereira), Brazil NM collaborators (Andre R. Moutinho, José M. Monzon) and S. Medina found additional fragments in the Panamá community. A. Moutinho found a 98 g fragment which was used for classification.

This is a pristine 202 g individual with well preserved impact marks. It was found the day after the fall on a hill slope in the Panamá community (specimen exported before November 29).

Bassikounou

Stone, chondrite, H5, S2, W0
Hodh, Ech Chargui, Mauritania
Fall: October 16, 2006,  04.00 hrs
TKW: 93.85 kg

Individual: 1,304.40 g

„A fireball was witnessed in the area, but no records of the direction of movement were recorded. A single stone of 3,165 g was found by A. Salem El Moichine, a local resident, on the same day at 13:00 hrs local time. The sample for classification was provided to NMBE by M. Ould Mounir, Nouakchott, who obtained it from his cousin who recovered the meteorite. According to S. Buhl (Hamburg, Germany), more than 20 specimens were later recovered by locals and meteorite finders. These finds define a 8 km long strewnfield. The total recovered mass is 46.00 kg“ (Meteoritical Bulletin, no. 92), although additional specimens were found subsequently, bringing the TKW to at least 93 kg. This is a pristine brick-shaped individual with 100 percent fusion crust, distinct flowlines and impact marks.

Sulagiri

Stone, chondrite, LL6, W0

Sulagiri, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu, India

Fall: 12 September 12, 2008; 08:30 h (Indian Standard Time) (UT+5.5)

TKW: 110 kg

Individual 394 g

Friday morning, September 12, at 0830 hrs a brilliant orange light appeared at 70° in the north-northwestern sky above the sleepy Hosur Taluk in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, India. The light flashed for an instant, turned darker and followed by a train of thick black smoke several fiery tongues radiated down towards the ground, as if an irate deity had spit fire from the skies of Krishnagiri.

 

Only seconds later the villages of Attakuruki, Ullukurukki and Kamanadody became the ground zero of a tremendous blow as several meteorites, each consisting of a few kilos of extraterrestrial rock, slammed into roads and fields. The rural countryside echoed with thunderous explosions as shockwaves from atmospherical explosions rattled houses and dwellings in their foundations.

 

This is the text from the write up in the Meteoritical Bulletin 96:

 

History: On September 12, 2008, around 08.30 h, a meteorite fell from the NW sky and was observed by several people of villages closely located around the town of Sulagiri. A screeching noise was heard coming from the north and a bang was heard subsequently by some eye witnesses. The meteorite fragmented at least once in transit, which led to multiple falls around a cluster of villages, defining an elliptical strewn field measuring 3 km along the NW-SE direction and 1 km across. The sizes of the meteorites increase from W to E.

Seven pieces were retrieved and field data were collected (V. Krishnan and K. Nagarajan, GSI). Three pieces from Adda Gurikki village (12°41′00′′N, 77°57′10′′E), weighing a total of 50 kg (13 kg, 11 kg, and 26 kg), two pieces from Rautapalli village (12°41.53′N, 77°56.67′E), weighing 45 kg (29 kg and 16 kg) and one piece each from Gangapuram (12°41.32′N, 77°55.53′′E) and Addagurikki Kottur (12°41.46′′N, 77°56.88′E), 6 kg each, were recovered. The total mass of the fall is more than 110 kg, the largest reported fall in the Indian subcontinent. The meteorite samples are fresh, light gray colored on broken surfaces and covered by thin, light brownish to dark colored fusion crust on partly broken to complete faces.

Mreïra

Stone, chondrite, L6, S6, W0
Tiris Zemmour, Mauritania
Fall: December 16, 2012
TKW: 6 kg
Individual 104.0 g

“History: According to Ait Hiba Abdelhadi, a fireball was seen in the afternoon sky on December 16, 2012, several school children saw the fireball explode and detonations were heard near the village of Mehaires, Western Sahara. Pieces were recovered approximately 40 miles south of Mehaires, near Mreïra, Mauritania, only a few days after the event. The strewn field is in the area called “Stailt Omgrain”, which is a local nomadic name. This is south of Mehaires and north of the mountain “Galbe lahmar”. Therefore this is a possible fall associated with the fireball of December 16, 2012. A total of approximately 6 kg of freshly crusted stones were recovered.. “Meteoritical Bulletin 104.
This specimen is an exceptionally fresh, fully crusted wedge-shaped individual displaying small regmaglypts and streaks of red soil from its impact on the surface.

Izarzar (Beni Yacoub)

Stone, chondrite, H5, W0, shock: moderate

Tata, South Morocco
Probable Fall: 23 October 2012
TKW: 79 g

Individual 62.70 g (main mass)

On 23 October 2012, a bright fireball was witnessed over Beni Yacoub, near Tata and Taliounie, Morocco. Meteorites were found the day following the event. The strewnfield was searched over extensively, but the meteorite was extremely friable and the majority of the mass disintigrated mid-flight, leaving only small crusted fragments and loose chondrules to be found. This almost complete 62 g specimen is among the biggest pieces recovered. It is coated by very thin secondary fusion crust with individual hollows still visible in crust texture, indicating where chondrules became detached during ablation.

 

This is the text from the write up in the Meteoritical Bulletin 104:

History: (H. Chennaoui, FSAC). On 23 October 2012 at 00:30 GMT, people from the cities of Tata, Ighrem, Taghmout, and Faddouks in southern Morocco witnessed a large fireball illuminating the night sky. They saw the meteor fragmentation. Inhabitants from Izarzar and Beni Yacoub village reported to have been awaken by a thunder-like blast followed by a tremor. The fall was also reported by newspapers. A number of local hunters proceeded to the fall area and the first piece was discovered on October 30, broken apart after landing on rocks on Azaghzaf mountain, about 6 km SW of Izarzar. The first discovery was made by Mohamed Azeroual. Very few pieces have been reported. This fall is also known as “Beni Yacoub”. The concordance between the testimonies on the place of the fall and the real find of pieces in this area are consistant with the fact that this meteorite corresponds to the eyewitnessed fall. When the rock was found, powder of the meteorite was still adhering to the rock with which it collided.

Aridal 006

Stone, chondrite, H6, W4
Boujdour, South Morocco
Find: April 21, 2013
Finder: S. Buhl
TKW: 325 g
2 endcuts: 179.0 g and 61.3 g

Heavily weathered chondrite found during the 2nd Meteorite Recon expedition in the Bir Aridal DCA, which was discovered by the team in the previous year. The specimen was found on a pleistocene alluvial gravel plain and shows progressed effects of intense surface abrasion.

Xining

Stone, chondrite, L5, S3, W0

Qinghai Province; China
Fall: November 2, 2012
TKW: 100 kg

Fragment 45.70 g

On February 11, 2012, at 13:30-14:00, the villagers of Xining heard a loud noise. Shortly thereafter villagers recovered around 10 stones in Huangzhong county, Xining city of Qinghai Province. Miao Buikui and Liu Xijun, GUT, heard the news of the fall and visited the fall site. The total weight of the fall is more than 100 kg. The largest meteorite is 17.3 kg and second is 12.5 kg. The two meteorites were bought from the villagers by meteorite lovers. The meteorite fall area is a ellipse including the villages of Baina, Small Sigou, Yehong, Heergai, and Baiya. The area is 20-30 km in length and 4-5 km in width oriented NNE, centered at 36°51’35.77″N, 101°25’33.70″E.

This collection specimen is a crusted fragment with Bob Haag provenance, showing a single black shock vein.

Homestead

Stone, chondrite, L5, W0
Amana County, Iowa, USA
Fall: February 12, 1875
TKW: 225 kg

Fragment 86.11 g

“On the evening of Friday, February 12, 1875, at twenty minutes past ten o’clock, one of the most brilliant meteors, of modern times illuminated the entire State of Iowa, and adjacent parts of the States of Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The southeastern portion of Iowa was bright as day, while the great meteor, in descending to the earth, passed from Appanoose County to Iowa County. The meteor, in rapidly moving through the atmosphere, produced a great variety of sounds—rolling, rumbling, and detonations of fearful intensity—which in a large portion of Iowa County shook the houses as if moved by an earthquake.” The Great Iowa Meteor, Gustav Hinrichs, Popular Science Monthly ,Volume 7 September 1875.

This collection sample is a pristine fragment with six surfaces, four of which are coated with fresh fusion crust.

Sayh Al Uhaymir 001

Stone, ordinary chondrite L4-5, S2, W1
Sayh al Uhaymir, Sultanate of Oman
Find: March 16, 2000
TKW: 408 kg
Individual 194.5 g

Fully crusted individual showing well preserved fusion crust on a small corner that was protruding from the sand. The larger portion of the meteorite was burried in the sand and displays caliche coating with quartz sand grains embedded in the deposit. The lower image shows the meteorite in situ. Note the difference in surface preservation between the embedded and the exposed portion.

Sayh Al Uhaymir 001 (SAU 001) is among Oman’s largest known meteorite showers. With more than 2670 fragments collected and mapped by Russian researchers it is beside JAH 073 one of the best researched strewn fields in the Omani desert. The mapped find locations of the SAU 001 meteorites show a typical distribution pattern indicating that the SAUH 001 bolide traveled from northeast to southwest, bearing 233°, and breaking-up in several stages under a trajectory angle of 70°. In 2003, during the 66th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting, a paper on the distribution pattern of the SAU 001 meteorite field was contributed by A. V. Korochantsev et al.: A STUDY OF THE FRAGMENT DISPERSAL AND TRAJECTORY OF THE SAYH AL UHAYMIR 001 METEORITE SHOWER.

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Dar Al Gani 364

Stone, chondrite, L6, S6, W1
Al Jufra, Libya
Find: 1997
TKW: 982.00 g
Endcut 206.00 g

This streamlined endcut of DAG 364 comes from one of the earliest finds in the Dar al-Ghani. It shows a moderately oxidized crust and a very fresh matrix that has a weathering grade of only W1. As the cut section shows the crust on DAG 364 reaches a thickness of up to 1 mm and is particularly well defined.