Report of the Meteorite Committee

Abstract

Work on meteorites has slowed perceptibly since 1969, because many meteoriticists are now working on lunar samples. Nonetheless, progress has been made. Meteorites are providing new clues to traditionally astronomical questions, such as early stellar evolution, interstellar molecules, and composition of comets and asteroids. Numerous reviews have appeared in 1971-72, and the present report will therefore be brief. The 1967-71 U.S. report to the IUGG is a well-referenced, comprehensive source of information (though restricted mainly to U.S. work), with excellent reviews on noble gases (Bogard, 1971), ages (Burnett, 1971), chondrites (Dodd, 1971), and other meteorite classes (Wasson, 1971a). Reviews concerned mainly with meteorites and the early solar system were written by Pellas (1972), Wasson (1972), and Anders (06.107.002; 1972a, b). Interrelations with asteroids and comets as well as with orbital data were discussed by Wetherill and Anders {Coll. 12). A variety of cosmochemical topics are covered in a book by Sobotovich (1971). Data on the chemical composition of meteorites are compiled in a handbook edited by Mason (06.003.027). More specialized reviews or monographs have been published on the following topics: Canyon Diablo meteorite (Vdovykin, 1971), diamonds in meteorites (03.003.133), composition of basaltic achondrites (06.003.031), ureilites (03.105.075), carbonaceous chondrites (05.105.062; Van Schmus and Hayes, 1973), meteorites and interstellar molecules (Anders, 1972c), trace elements in meteoritic minerals (Mason and Graham, 1970), and meteorite craters (05.105.088; Horz and Ronca, 1971). To conserve space, the reference list comprises only reviews and books. Papers are cited in the text by year only, but the reader can trace them through the sources given or through Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts.