A CENSUS OF THE METEORITES OF ROOSEVELT COUNTY,NEW MEXICO

In the five years from June, 1967, to June, 1972, a total of 99 meteorites were found in Roosevelt County, New Mexico and in adjoining Curry County. Of this number, 74 were found by one man. The finds include two achondrites, one pallasite, one carbonaceous chondrite, and 95 chondrites. They appear to represent more than 50 separate meteorite falls. The finding of a large number of meteorites in a small area provides data for an estimate of the probable quantity and average size of the meteorite specimens reaching the earth. The problems involved in allocating a total of 17 available local place names among more than 50 meteorite falls are discussed.     

THE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF TELLURIUM IN THE ABEE METEORITE

Smith et al. (1978) measured the isotopic composition of tellurium in a number of whole rock meteorites by solid source spectrometry and concluded that all the data were identical to a terrestrial standard within experimental errors. However, Oliver et al. (1981) reexamined the data reported by Smith et al. (1978) and argued that, in the case of the Abee meteorite, a negative anomaly in ¹²⁴Te may be present, supporting the claim for a similar anomaly in Allende. The present work reports two sets of measurements of the tellurium isotopic composition of Abee, and compares the meteoritic data with a terrestrial tellurium standard. No isotopic anomalies can be distinguished within the error limits. However, further work on the isotopic composition of Te in residues from the Allende meteorite need to be pursued by accurate mass spectrometric analysis.     

RARE EARTH AND OTHER ABUNDANCES IN THE MURCHISON CARBONACEOUS METEORITE

The abundances of 27 elements are reported for the Murchison meteorite. Nine of these elements (Al, Ca, Fe, Mn, Na, K, Cr, Co, and Sc) have been determined previously for different Murchison specimens. Abundances for 18 elements (In, Cd, V, Y, and REE) are new data for this meteorite. The chemical composition is similar to the type II carbonaceous chondrites, particularly on the basis of REE, Mn, and In abundances.     

A NEW SPECIMEN OF THE MOUNT DOOLING IRON METEORITE FROM MOUNT MANNING,WESTERN AUSTRALIA

A 701 kg iron meteorite has recently been discovered near the Mount Manning Range in Western Australia. The meteorite has a fan-shaped or delta wing configuration, one side being smooth and slightly concave with a well-defined fusion crust, whilst the other side is rough, convex and possesses numerous regmaglypts. It is probable that the meteorite pentrated much of the earth's atmosphere in an aerodynamically stable orientation, typical of the stalled attitude of delta wing aircraft. The meteorite is a member of Chemical Group 1C. A comparison of the chemical composition, surface features, microstructure and location of this meteorite with the Mount Dooling meteorite confirms that the find is a larger specimen of Mount Dooling. It is possible that other fragments of the Mount Dooling meteorite may be found in the Mount Manning Range region.     

FORMS OF CARBON IN THE NEW HAVERÖ UREILITE OF FINLAND

Based on its mineral composition and structure the Haverö meteorite, which fell on August 2, 1971, in Finland, is a ureilite, the sixth meteorite in this rare group. Elementary carbon in this meteorite is represented by diamond, lonsdaleite, graphite and chaoite microcrystals in the intergrowths. The presence of lonsdaleite and chaoite indicates that diamonds were formed in the Haverö meteorite due to the action of strong shock waves     

THE COMPOSITION OF THE JOHNSTOWN METEORITE

A new analysis of the Johnstown meteorite, a hypersthene achondrite, gives the following results (weight percent): SiO₂ 53.48, TiO₂ 0.12, Al₂O₃ 1.43, Cr₂O₃ 0.83, FeO 15.63, MnO 0.54, MgO 25.87, CaO 1.40, Na₂O 0.04, K₂O 0.00, P₂O₅ 0.00, H₂O+ <0.1, H₂O- 0.05, Ni <0.05, Co <0.01, FeS 1.18, sum 100.57. Published and unpublished data on minor and trace elements in the bulk meteorite and in the pyroxene are presented in tabular form.     

MOUNTING PROBLEMS IN THE NAMING OF METEORITE DISCOVERIES

One of the most important steps in the recovery and study of meteorites is the concise naming of each fall so that confusion of one fall with another is avoided. The presently-used system of naming meteorite falls has been arrived at through an evolutionary process spurred on by necessity. The evolutionary history of the naming of meteorite falls is briefly sketched. Current naming practices are defined and the mounting problems of the present system are discussed. Measures for forestalling growing confusion in the naming of contiguous and overlapping falls, based upon a partial survey of curators of meteorite collections, are presented. A suggestion for the elimination of confusion in the dating of meteorite discoveries is included     

THE ELLA ISLAND,GREENLAND, CHONDRITE

The Ella Island, Greenland, meteorite was found in August of 1971. Electron microprobe study of the meteorite revealed it to contain olivine, low-calcium pyroxene, high-calcium pyroxene, plagioclase, kamacite, taenite, chromian-hercynite and troilite. On the basis of fayalite and ferrosilite content, poorly-defined chondrules, absence of glass in chondrules, presence of well-developed feldspar in the matrix and chondrules, and degree of recrystallization of the matrix, the Ella Island meteorite is classified as an L-6 chondrite.     

THE CANYONLANDS METEORITE

The Canyonlands meteorite weighing 1,520 grams was found near the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers, Utah, near lat 38°11′N.; long 109°53′W. It is a shocked, brecciated H6 chondrite containing large black veins which do not differ in composition from the main chondritic mass. A black fusion crust remains on part of the meteorite.     

THE CHEMISTRY AND MINERALOGY OF THE HOMEWOOD,MANITOBA, METEORITE

The Homewood meteorite is a slightly weathered find of 325 grams discovered in 1970 about 64 km southwest of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It consists of olivine (Fa_25.4; 43.8 normative wt. percent), orthopyroxene (Fs_23.3; 28.5 percent), kamacite and taenite (7.5 percent), troilite (5.6 percent), maskelynite (8.3 percent), chromite (1.0 percent), whitlockite (0.7 percent) and minor patchy Ca pyroxene. Bulk chemical analysis yielded Fe_total 21.60 wt. percent, Fe/SiO₂0.55, SiO₂/MgO 1.53 and Fe^O/Fe_total 0.29. Barred olivine, radiating pyroxene and porphyritic chondrules, all with ill-defined outlines, occur in the meteorite. Most chemical and mineralogical features characterize the Homewood meteorite as an L6 (hypersthene) chondrite. The presence of maskelynite, the undulatory extinction, extensive fracturing and pervasive mosaicism of olivine, and the poor definition of chondrule outlines suggest that the Homewood meteorite has been shocked in the range of 300–350 kbar.     

THE RANSOM METEORITES

A number of stony meteorite specimens, presumably from a single fall, have been recovered from an area about 5–6 miles north of Ransom, Kansas. This paper presents a map of discovery locations, so far as known. Megascopic appearance, external and internal, of a typical (?) specimen is described. The Ransom meteorite has already been classified as an olivine-bronzite chondrite — chemical group H of Van Schmus and Wood. Features observed in thin section are characteristic of petrologic type 4     

THE SASKATCHEWAN FIREBALL OF 1922 AND A POSSIBLE LINK WITH THE WYNYARD CHONDRITE

A brilliant smoking meteor appeared in a clear sky in bright sunlight at 11 a.m., July 24, 1922 near Wynyard, Saskatchewan, Canada. The sight and thunderous sounds were witnessed by many hundreds of people in the rural district but no craters or meteorites were found at that time. Investigation and interviews with surviving witnesses in 1981 indicated a defined area near Big Quill Lake in which a meteorite may have fallen. Field investigation led to the Wynyard meteorite which had been found by a farmer sometime in the late 1960's at 104° 11'W 51°33'N. The Wynyard meteorite is a chondrite weighing 3.5 kg. It is moderately weathered and it may or may not have been part of the 1922 fall.     

A STUDY OF THE RELATIVE RATES OF METEORITE FALLS ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE

Meteorite camera networks have provided reliable data on typical orbits for meteorites. Using an adopted distribution of 20 orbits we determine the relative rates of meteorite falls over the surface of the earth taking account of the important effects due to the earth's gravity. The data are then used to study the expected variation in rates as a function of daylight, twilight or night conditions; time of day; season of the year; and geographic latitude. The rates of meteorite falls have a deep minimum near the area of the earth facing the earth's apex but a surprisingly broad maximum on the opposite side, facing the antapex. Twilight rates are lower than average and nighttime rates 3% higher than daytime rates. Minimum rates occur near 6^h local time and there is a broad maximum from noon to midnight. Rates are highest near the beginning of spring for either hemisphere and lowest near the beginning of autumn. The decline in rates with increasing latitude is quite moderate. The existing camera networks observe average fall rates at night which are very close to the average rate over the whole earth for the whole year.     

THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE BENARES CHONDRITE

The Benares meteorite is an LL4 chondrite, not LL6 as recorded in the literature. Some specimens labelled Benares are misidentified.     

CLASSIFICATION OF THE ALLAN HILLS A77307 METEORITE

The Allan Hills A77307 meteorite has variously been described as a CO, CV, and a unique CO-CM related chondrite. We have found that its thermolum-inescence properties are very different from the established members of the CO chondrite class; it has a TL peak at 170 and a suggestion of a peak at 250°C, while CO chondrites have peaks at 91 ± 7 and 203 ± 11°C. Either the meteorite has suffered some form of alteration or it is not a normal CO chondrite. The latter is consistent with petrologic and compositional data which we interpret to indicate that although Allan Hills A77307 is related to CO chondrites it is not a normal member of that group.     

THE MUNDRABILLA METEORITE SHOWER

A detailed examination of the geographical location, external appearance, microstructure and chemical composition of the Loongana Station, Mundrabilla and Premier Downs siderites has led to the conclusion that they are all members of the one meteorite shower. The cobalt, nickel, gallium and germanium contents of four of these meteorites have been measured by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and this data enables them to be classified as anomalous, but probably related to Chemical Group I     

FURTHER FINDS FROM THE MUNDRABILLA METEORITE SHOWER

Two new large iron meteorites, weighing 840 kg and 800 kg respectively, have been recovered from the Nullarbor Plain in the vicinity of the original Mundrabilla meteorite site, and are now at the Western Australian Museum in Perth. Numerous small knucklebone-shaped irons were also found at Tookana Rock Hole in the vicinity of Eucla. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of these meteorites confirms that the additional finds are members of the Mundrabilla meteorite shower.     

A NOTE ON THE ALLAN HILLS A77278 UNEQUILIBRATED ORDINARY CHONDRITE

Petrographic measures of disequilibrium in the ALHA 77278 chondrite indicate that this meteorite is more equilibrated than its exceptionally high volatile element contents suggest. Based on its metal compositions, this meteorite should be classified as an LL3 rather than an L3 chondrite.     

THE METEORITE CRATERS OF MORASKO IN POLAND

In 1914, in Morasko near Poznań, a 77.5 kg iron meteorite was found. Later there were additional findings. In 1955 seven crater-like structures, situated in the neighborhood of the meteorite finds, were identified. Until now it has been doubtful whether the iron meteorites and the craters belong together. New examinations by the author confirm beyond any doubt that the meteorites and the craters were caused by the same event.