Adelie Land
is a
meteorite
A meteorite is a rock (geology), rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical ...
discovered at 12:35pm on December 5, 1912, in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
by
Francis Howard Bickerton (1889-1954), a member of Sir
Douglas Mawson
Sir Douglas Mawson (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was a British-born Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader during ...
's
Australasian Antarctic Expedition, which took place between 1911 and 1914.
It was named after
Adélie Land
Adélie Land ( ) or Adélie Coast is a Territorial claims in Antarctica, claimed territory of France located on the continent of Antarctica. It stretches from a portion of the Southern Ocean coastline all the way inland to the South Pole. Franc ...
, where it was found, and it was the first meteorite found in Antarctica. The meteorite was found approximately 20 miles from the base at
Cape Denison, lying in the snow in a shallow depression.
Composition
One fragment was found, which weighed before it was sliced for examination by the scientists on the base. Afterwards, the specimen weighed . The specimen was listed in the scientific report, published in 1923 as being "a little elongated in one direction, being long, broad, and high. It has rather a pointed nose, and a broad, smoothly sloping tail."
The surface of the meteorite is covered with a dark brown/black crust, with some chips and cracks visible. As the meteor was sliced for study, we are able to see the core, which contains flecks of nickel-iron metal.
It was classified as L5
ordinary chondrite
The ordinary chondrites (sometimes called the O chondrites) are a class of stony chondritic meteorites. They are by far the most numerous group, comprising 87% of all finds. Hence, they have been dubbed "ordinary". The ordinary chondrites are t ...
. The meteorite is roughly 3.49 Ga old.
Display
Chemical analysis of the meteorite was carried out in the Laboratory of the
Geological Survey of Victoria
Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
.
After the analysis of the meteorite, and subsequent publication of scientific reports in 1923, the specimen was donated to the
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum, originally known as the Colonial Museum or Sydney Museum. is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney, William Street, Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, New South Wales. It is the oldest natural ...
for display, where it remains to this day.
See also
*
Glossary of meteoritics
This is a glossary of terms used in meteoritics, the science of meteorites.
#
* 2 Pallas – an asteroid from the asteroid belt and one of the likely parent bodies of the CR meteorites.
* 4 Vesta – second-largest asteroid in the asteroid bel ...
References
External links
Report by amonline.net.au
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adelie Land Meteorite
Meteorites found in Antarctica
1912 in Antarctica
Adélie Land
Australasian Antarctic Expedition