New Stony Meteorite Finds Including Two Ureilites from the Nullarbor Plain, Western Australia

G. J. H. McCall and W. H. Cleverly
Geology Department, University of Western Australia;
Western Australian Museum
Geology Department, School of Mines, Kalgoorlie;
Western Australian Museum
(with analyses by E. Jaresowich, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, U.S.A., and W. R. O'BEIRNE, Geology Department, University of Western Australia)

Summary: Two groups of meteorite finds in separate areas of the Nullarbor Plain are reported. It is suggested that the grouping is due to the fact that these are areas in which a family of rabbit trappers operates: these people have made most of the finds. There is, however, one shower of 71 small meteorites represented. Several arrivals on earth are represented by each group. The meteorites are described and it is shown that several distinct types are represented. Two quite different ureilites have been identified—only the fourth and fifth ever discovered in the world. Analyses are given for these rare carbonaceous achondrite meteorites. The remainder of the stones are olivine-hypersthene and olivine-bronzite chondrites. The whole question of the reason for the profusion of meteorite recoveries now being made on the Nullarbor Plain is briefly discussed.

Mineralogical Magazine; March 1968 v. 36; no. 281; p. 691-716; DOI: 10.1180/minmag.1968.036.281.12
© 1968, The Mineralogical Society
Mineralogical Society (www.minersoc.org)