Cedar (Texas) meteorite, Fayette County, Texas, USAi

Regional Level Types
Cedar (Texas) meteorite	Meteorite Fall Location
Fayette County	County
Texas	State
USA	Country

Ordinary Chondrite, veined (H4; S3)
Find,1900; 14 kg

Three meteoritic stones were found [#1-7.5 kg, #2 - 1.1 kg, #3 -5.7 kg]. A fourth stone (11.6 kg) was found circa 1906. The four stones lie along a straight line nearly 4 km long and represent a strewnfield. Aerodynamic markings indicate that the stones were broken apart during flight. Olivine and pyroxene composition [Fa18.6-18.8; Fs16.3-Fs16.7] and textures are virtually identical for all four stones and are characteristic of the H chondrite geochemical group. Troilite is more abundant than Fe-Ni metal. Distinct chondrules and striated pyroxenes indicate an H4 petrologic type. A few accessory phases (chromite, copper, sulfides) are also present. Undulatory extinction and planar fractures of the olivine are characteristic of the S3 shock stage. Shock-melted veins and melt pockets rich in metal and sulfide provide evidence of thermal effects associated with the shock events. These veins, in turn, are often filled with hydrated iron oxides produced by terrestrial weathering. Likewise, terrestrial weathering has also converted some troilite into pentlandite. A cosmic ray exposure age of 17.7 Ma has been reported.

Stone#1 was obtained by the Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago). Stone#2 has been lost. Stone#3 was distributed to several institutions — the largest, 2.4 kg, to the United States National Museum (Washington); Stone#4 has been at the Texas Memorial Museum.

What's in a name?? The proper name for the meteorite is 'Cedar (Texas)'. It is not to be confused with the 'Cedar (Kansas)' meteorite — an H6 chondrite found in 1938 in Smith County, Kansas.

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References