MALOTAS: A NEW VIEW OF AN OLD FALL FROM ARGENTINA

ROSZJAR J.; VARELA M.E.; HUMAYUN M.; LIRA R.; SAAVEDRA M.E; TANAKA R.

Sapporo

Encuentro; 82nd Annual Meeting of The Meteoritical Society (2019); 2019

Lunar and Planetary Institute

In 1931, collected rock samples of the meteorite fall were given to Professor Juan A. Olsacher from Córdoba University who decided to inspect the fall locality and collect some further pieces. His report indicates that the fall covered an area of 5 x 2.5 km with the main axis having a NE to SE direction in the vicinity of the Dulce River. Therefore many of the individual pieces were likely lost. As the area was covered by a dense forest he was able to collect three pieces only. His studies showed that the meteorite is made up of fragments that correspond to two different types based on their composition and structure: one is chondritic, composed by olivine and pyroxene with abundant metallic minerals; the second one is feldspar-rich with scarce presence of the previous components and with an ophitic texture. In 2015, during a visit of the small meteorite collection of the Museo de Mineralogía y Geología Dr. Alfred Stelzner, one of us (MEV) found that two different stones (a chondrite and an achondrite) were exhibited in the showcase, labeled as Malotas, 1931. After further investigation of the achondritic fragment, the meteorite turned out to be a basaltic eucrite.