Hugoton meteorite, Stevens Co., Kansas, USA

Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):	37° 12' North , 101° 21' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):	37.20000,-101.35000
Non-native locality type:	Meteorite
Köppen climate type:	BSk : Cold semi-arid (steppe) climate

Ordinary chondrite, black (H5,br)
Find, 1927; 355 kg

Although a small fragment had been found in 1927, the recovery by Nininger of a partially buried 340 kg mass from a cornfield in 1935 represented — at the time — the discovery of the second largest known stony meteorite in the world. The mass itself is characterized by numerous small chondrules [<2mm], irregular grains of Fe-Ni metal, and even more numerous tiny grains of troilite. Areas of the fusion crust are visible in places, but the crust and the interior have been stained a deep rusty brown. The pre-terrestrial meteorite had suffered significant brecciation and shock-darkening of silicate grains. However, observations of such pre-terrestrial features have been complicated by pervasive weathering veins and calcareous encrustations. Compositionally, equilibrated olivine [Fa18.3] and low Ca-orthopyroxene [Fs15-22] are characteristic of the H-chondrite geochemical group. Mineralogically the meteorite consists primarily of olivine and pyroxene accompanied – in less weathered regions — by troilite and Fe-Ni metal. Accessory chromite, ilmenite, and minor sulfides are also found. Shock indicators include fractured silicate grains,disordered orthopyroxenes and minor shock-produced clinopyroxene. Metal-free veins and pervasive rust stains are indicative of severe weathering.

A cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age of 7.2 Ma has been reported.

Hugoton is the 5th most massive of over 8,000 H5 meteorites classified exactly as H5 through December 2016. The main mass has been at the Center for Meteorite Studies (Arizona State University) for approximately five decades [314.6017 kg in 2016].

Mineral List

8 valid minerals.

References

External Links