Aletai: The longest meteorite strewn field on Earth

Wang, Kechao; Hsu, Weibiao

doi:10.1360/n972016-00536

Cited by 3 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…). Many dense meteorite collection areas have been recognized in Xinjiang Province over the last decades (e.g., Alaer, Hami, Lop Nur, and Tuya; Hsu and Li ; Li and Hsu ; Wang and Hsu ; Li et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Kumtag 016 L5 strewn field, Xinjiang Province, China

Zeng

Leya

et al. 2018

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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The Kumtag 016 strewn field was found in the eastern part of the Kumtag desert, Xinjiang Province, China. In this study, 24 recovered meteorites have been characterized by a suite of different analytical techniques to investigate their petrography, mineralogy, bulk trace elements, noble gas isotopic composition, density, and porosity. We attribute to the strewn field 22 L5 chondrites with shock stage S4 and weathering grade W2–W3. Two different meteorites, Kumtag 021, an L4 chondrite and Kumtag 032, an L6 chondrite, were recognized within the strewn field area. Moreover, Kumtag 003, an H5 chondrite, was previously found in the same area. We infer that the Kumtag 016 strewn field most likely consists of at least four distinct meteorite falls. The effects of terrestrial weathering on the studied meteorites involve sulfide/metal alteration, chemical changes (Sr, Ba, Pb, and U enrichments and depletion in Cr, Co, Ni, and Cs abundances), and physical modifications (decrease of grain density and porosity). Measurements of the light noble gases indicate that the analyzed Kumtag L5 samples contain solar wind‐implanted noble gases with a 20Ne/22Ne ratio of ~12.345. The cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) ages of the L5 chondrites are in a narrow range (3.6 ± 1.4 Ma to 5.2 ± 0.4 Ma). For L4 chondrite Kumtag 021 and L6 chondrite Kumtag 032, the CRE ages are 5.9 ± 0.4 Ma and 4.7 ± 0.8 Ma, respectively.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, some well‐known meteorites were also recovered from this area, e.g., the 28 tons of the Armanty IIIE iron meteorite (Ammon et al. ) and the 1 ton Fukang pallasite (Hsu and Li ; Wang and Hsu ). The Kumtag desert located in Xinjiang Province is the sixth largest desert in China (He et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Kumtag 016 L5 strewn field, Xinjiang Province, China

Zeng

Leya

et al. 2018

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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“…IIIE is a small iron meteorite group, consisting of only 16 members. Group IIIE irons are chemically similar to IIIAB irons but can be distinguished from IIIAB irons based on (i) the occurrence of haxonite or graphite (from the decomposition of haxonite during shock) in plessite ( 26 studies of Armanty, Ulasitai, and Wuxilike masses suggested that Aletai belongs to IIIE irons based on the element-Ni diagrams (10,13,27). A better resolution can be made if Au is used as an independent variable rather than Ni (28).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Petrographic studies have previously been conducted for some large masses, such as Armanty, Wuxilike, and Ulasitai (10,11,13,17).…”

Section: Petrographic Study Of Akebulake and Wuqilikementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wuxilike and Akebulake show low levels of 10 Be (0.03 to 0.39 dpm/kg; table S5), compatible with the results from other large irons such as Gibeon (0.09 to 0.58 dpm/kg) (23,24). Assuming that the density is about 7800 kg/m 3 and the production rate of 10 Be near the surface of iron is ~6 dpm/kg (23), the estimated buried depth is about 56 cm for Wuxilike and 108 cm for Akebulake. This suggests that Wuxilike would be at a relatively shallow depth.…”

Section: Radionuclide Contents and The Initial Massmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A unique stone skipping–like trajectory of asteroid Aletai

Hsu

et al. 2022

Sci. Adv.

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Meteoroids/asteroids could deposit energy to Earth during their entries, which arouses great concerns. Strewn field, as a product of meteoroids/asteroids breakup, comprehensively reflects the trajectory, dynamics, and physical properties of meteoroids/asteroids. It typically has a length of several to a dozen kilometers. Nevertheless, the recently found massive Aletai irons in the northwest China comprise the longest known strewn field of ~430 kilometers. This implies that the dynamics of Aletai could be unique. Petrographic and trace elemental studies suggest that all the Aletai masses exhibit unique compositions (IIIE anomalous), indicating that they were from the same fall event. Numerical modeling suggests that the stone skipping–like trajectory associated with a shallow entry angle (e.g., ~6.5° to 7.3°) is responsible for Aletai’s exceptionally long strewn field if a single-body entry scenario is considered. The stone skipping–like trajectory would not result in the deposition of large impact energy on the ground but may lead to the dissipation of energy during its extremely long-distance flight.

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In Situ SIMS Carbon Isotopic Analysis Of Carbon-Bearing Minerals In Nantan And Aletai Iron Meteorites: Implications On Genesis

Li¹

2022

At.Spectrosc.

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A better understanding of the fractionation properties of carbon isotope between different carbon-bearing minerals will provide insights into the core-forming process of planets. In this study, we carried out an integrated study of petrography and in situ secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) carbon isotopic analysis for Nantan and Aletai iron meteorites. Haxonite in Aletai IIIE-an iron meteorite has a δ 13 C value of −14.80 ± 2.31‰, which is different from that of haxonite in Colonia Obrera IIIE iron meteorite. This suggests that the parent body of Aletai has a different initial carbon isotopic composition or experienced different planetary processes (e.g., degassing of CO2/CH4). A graphite-rich nodule in Nantan IAB iron meteorite, characterized by a coremantle-rim texture, was systematically studied. Some graphite grains in the nodule mantle (GNM; δ 13 C value as low as −14.65‰) and all graphite grains in the nodule rim (GNR; δ 13 C = −12.65 ± 2.90‰) are more depleted in 13 C than those in the nodule core (GNC; δ 13 C = −7.17 ± 2.42‰). This could be due to the preferential incorporation of 13 C into the early-crystallized GNC. The carbon isotopic fractionation (Δ 13 C = 6.9 ± 2.7 ‰) between coexisting GNR (δ 13 C = −12.65 ± 2.90‰) and cohenite (δ 13 C = −19.60 ± 2.59‰) yielded an equilibrium temperature of ~950-1310 °C, supporting the melt-crystallization genesis for nodule. We concur with previous studies that the early differentiation of Earth could have led to positive carbon isotopic fractionation between graphite/diamond in the mantle and metallic melt sinking to the core.

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Aletai: The longest meteorite strewn field on Earth

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

The Kumtag 016 L5 strewn field, Xinjiang Province, China

The Kumtag 016 L5 strewn field, Xinjiang Province, China

A unique stone skipping–like trajectory of asteroid Aletai

In Situ SIMS Carbon Isotopic Analysis Of Carbon-Bearing Minerals In Nantan And Aletai Iron Meteorites: Implications On Genesis

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