Cranfield Meteorite, Adams Co., Mississippi, USAi

Regional Level Types
Cranfield Meteorite	Meteorite Fall Location (Inferred)
Adams Co.	County
Mississippi	State
USA	Country

On April 27, 2022, at 8:03 a.m. CDT (1303 GMT) multiple eyewitnesses from Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi reported a bolide and sonic booms (AMS Event 2022-2591). Doppler radar data revealed falling meteorites approximately 24 km east of the city of Natchez, Mississippi. The radar reflectivity data overlay rolling hills of dense woodland interspersed with open flat residential areas. Dark-flight modeling suggested meteorites landed both north and south of the divided four-lane U.S. Hwy 84E, next to the sparsely populated subdivision called Cranfield. Total mass of recovered samples is at least 596.83 g.

Petrography: (D. Sheikh, M. Hutson, A. Ruzicka, Cascadia): Petrographic and geochemical data were obtained on sample CML 1526 in the Cascadia collection. The first two recovered samples N1 (41.31g) and N2 (37.65 g) were imaged using X-ray computed tomography by S. Eckley at JSC. Total mass of recovered samples is at least 596.83 g (see Samples), but another 500+ grams has been reported through social media but with actual masses and locations unsubstantiated. Regarding the main mass: 122 g fragment is the largest confirmed mass found to date. It is held by Roberto Vargas and Matthew Stream. A notable distinction in color between two lithologies (lighter and darker in color) is observed in thin section in transmitted light. The light lithology displays a chondritic texture with uneven chondrule-matrix integration. Many chondrules can be discerned, with a few having relatively sharp edges. Abundant large (<= 600 μm) metal (with scalloped edges) and sulfide grains are visible; both contain silicate inclusions. Abundant feldspathic-chromite assemblages are also observed. Secondary sodic feldspar (Av. ~20 μm across), chlorapatite, and merrillite are present. The dark lithology displays a brecciated texture composed largely of a texturally and compositionally heterogeneous assemblage of well-defined chondrules (Av. diameter 444±177 μm, n=26) and sub-rounded to angular isolated mineral grains and lithic fragments (both zoned and unzoned) within a fine-grained matrix containing silicates, Fe-Ni metal, troilite, and merrillite. Most chondrules contain a turbid, devitrified mesostasis, although a few chondrules preserve a primary glassy mesostasis. Red-brown spinel grains are present in two chondrules. In BSE imaging, abundant zoned olivine grains are present, along with Mg-rich olivine and pyroxene, and numerous micro-faults.

Geochemistry: (M. Hutson, D. Sheikh, A. Ruzicka, Cascadia): Light lithology: Olivine Fa18.3±0.2, N=19; Low-Ca pyroxene Fs15.9±0.1Wo1.1±0.2, N=18. Dark lithology: Olivine Fa17.2±8.1 (Fa ranges from 0.5 to 35.6, with median Fa=18.4), N=45; Low-Ca pyroxene Fs11.6±5.5Wo0.8±0.4 (Fs ranges from 0.7 to 16.9, with median Fs=15.6), N=28. Aluminous spinel: Mg# (100*Mg/(Mg+Fe)) = 69.9±4.0 Cr# (100*Cr/(Cr+Al)) = 0.47±0.21, N=4.

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