Cherokee Springs meteorite, Spartanburg Co., South Carolina, USA
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84): | 35° 1' 60'' North , 81° 52' 60'' West |
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Latitude & Longitude (decimal): | 35.0333333333, -81.8833333333 |
Ordinary chondrite (LL6; S1; W0)
Fell, 1 July 1933 at 09:42; 8.4 kg, 2 stones
After passing over adjoining counties of North and South Carolina, two stones (5.7 kg and 2.7 kg) were recovered after falling 11 km apart in Spartanburg County. For a couple of minutes some people near Cherokee Springs had thought they heard an airplane approaching, but after seeing a stone strike the ground they soon recovered the larger stone about 25 cm from a freshly created 25-30 cm deep hole. Similar sounds accompanied the smaller stone which landed only 15 m from a lady working on a farm. Both crudely prismatic stones were partially oriented and covered by a nearly complete fusion crust. They appeared to have broken apart from a single stone as their bases could be crudely fit together. Only vestiges of spheroidal and oval chondrites (up to 12 mm in size) are seen within a granular matrix as the silicates are very largely equilibrated. The dominant olivine (F28.0) and accompanying orthopyroxene are accompanied by interstitial untwinned plagioclase. Fe-Ni metal and troilite (≤ 5 mm) are found as aggregates between the silicates. The somewhat Ni-rich Fe-Ni metal has experienced some serious disruptions as martensite and disordered taenite have been revealed through Mössbauer spectroscopy. Very small amounts of diopside, Ca-poor clinopyroxene, and accessory chromite are also reported.
A cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age of 11.9 Ma has been reported which may reflect membership in a small cohort of LL6 meteorites with similar CRE ages. The LL chondrites are the smallest group of ordinary chondrites (~10% of fully classified falls) with nearly half of them (42) classified exactly 'LL6' chondrites at the Meteoritical Bulletin Database (in early 2016). The main masses of both stones ('fragments') have been at the United States National Museum (Washington, DC).
Mineral List
6 valid minerals.
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References
Perry, S. H. (1934) The Cherokee Springs meteorite: Popular Astronomy 42 (7): 349-357. (Aug-Sept 1934).
Mason, B. (1963) Olivine in ordinary chondrites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 27(9): 1011-1023. (Sept 1963).
Keil, K. & Fredriksson, K. (1964) The Fe, Mg and Ca Distribution in Coexisting Olivines and Rhombic Pyroxenes of Chondrites. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 69 (16): 3487-3515. (August 1964).
Bunch, T.E., Keil, K. & Snetsinger, KG. (1967) Chromite composition in relation to chemistry and texture of ordinary chondrites: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 31:1569-1582.
Danon, J., Souza Azevedo, I. & Scorzelli, R. B. (1989) Mössbauer spectroscopy study of the nickel-iron alloys in metal particles of Cherokee Spring LL6 chondrite: Meteoritics 24: p. 260. (Dec 1989).
Graf, T. & Marti, K. (1994) Collisional records in LL-chondrites. Meteoritics 29(5): 643–648. (Sept 1994).
Grady, M.M (2000). Catalogue of Meteorites (5/e). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge; New York; Oakleigh; Madrid; Cape Town. 689 pages.
Dunn, T.L., Cressy, G., McSween Jr, H.Y. & McCoy, T.J. (2010) Analysis of ordinary chondrites using powder X-ray diffraction: 1. Modal mineral abundances. MAPS 45(1):123-134. (Jan 2010).
Grady, M.M., Pratesi, G. & Moggi-Cecchi, V. (2015) Atlas of Meteorites. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, United Kingdom. 373 pages.
Mason, B. (1963) Olivine in ordinary chondrites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 27(9): 1011-1023. (Sept 1963).
Keil, K. & Fredriksson, K. (1964) The Fe, Mg and Ca Distribution in Coexisting Olivines and Rhombic Pyroxenes of Chondrites. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 69 (16): 3487-3515. (August 1964).
Bunch, T.E., Keil, K. & Snetsinger, KG. (1967) Chromite composition in relation to chemistry and texture of ordinary chondrites: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 31:1569-1582.
Danon, J., Souza Azevedo, I. & Scorzelli, R. B. (1989) Mössbauer spectroscopy study of the nickel-iron alloys in metal particles of Cherokee Spring LL6 chondrite: Meteoritics 24: p. 260. (Dec 1989).
Graf, T. & Marti, K. (1994) Collisional records in LL-chondrites. Meteoritics 29(5): 643–648. (Sept 1994).
Grady, M.M (2000). Catalogue of Meteorites (5/e). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge; New York; Oakleigh; Madrid; Cape Town. 689 pages.
Dunn, T.L., Cressy, G., McSween Jr, H.Y. & McCoy, T.J. (2010) Analysis of ordinary chondrites using powder X-ray diffraction: 1. Modal mineral abundances. MAPS 45(1):123-134. (Jan 2010).
Grady, M.M., Pratesi, G. & Moggi-Cecchi, V. (2015) Atlas of Meteorites. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, United Kingdom. 373 pages.
External Links
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php - MeteoriticalBulletinDatabase
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=5340 -Cherokee Springs@MetBullDatabase
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/get_original_photo.php?recno=5628467
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1934PA.....42..349P -Fall & Recovery
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1989Metic..24Q.260D -Mössbauer study
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=5340 -Cherokee Springs@MetBullDatabase
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/get_original_photo.php?recno=5628467
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1934PA.....42..349P -Fall & Recovery
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1989Metic..24Q.260D -Mössbauer study