Meteorite Boxhole 0,7g – Australia
Type: iron meteorite / Type IIIAB
Locality: Australia
Weight: 0,7g
Dimensions: 11 x 7 x 5 mm
Year found: 1937
Total known weight: 500 kg
Surface treatment: none – raw
Packaging: Transparent plastic box (5,8 x 3,8 x 1,6 cm)
| Category: | Boxhole |
|---|---|
| By name: | Boxhole |
| ? Type: | Iron |
| ? Surface treatment: | Natural (raw) |
| Packaging: | In box |
Boxhole – Iron Meteorite with a Well-Preserved Impact Crater
Boxhole is an iron meteorite found in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was discovered in 1937 and is directly associated with the impact crater of the same name. It is one of the few cases where both meteorite fragments and the impact crater that produced them have been found.
Boxhole Impact Crater
The Boxhole crater is nearly circular and measures approximately 170 metres in diameter. It is considered one of the best-preserved small impact craters in Australia. The impact occurred about 5,400 years ago, making it a geologically very young impact structure.
Classification and Composition
Boxhole is classified as a Group IIIAB iron meteorite. It consists mainly of an iron-nickel alloy, primarily the minerals kamacite and taenite. When an etched section is examined, the characteristic Widmanstätten pattern may be revealed, formed by the extremely slow cooling of metallic material within its parent body.
Shale Balls
The area surrounding the crater also contains heavily weathered meteoritic fragments known in the scientific literature as shale balls. These consist of a partially or completely preserved meteoritic core surrounded by a thick layer of iron oxides and hydroxides formed through long-term weathering after the impact.
Scientific Importance
The distribution of metallic fragments and oxidized shale balls has helped scientists better understand the breakup of the meteoroid during atmospheric entry and its subsequent impact at Boxhole. The combination of a well-preserved crater, metallic meteorite fragments and heavily weathered specimens makes Boxhole an important site for impact geology.
Impact Glass
In addition to iron meteorite fragments, impact glass was also formed during the collision. The extreme temperature and pressure melted local rocks and sand, which rapidly cooled into natural glass. Unlike tektites, this impact glass was not ejected over long distances but remained within the material surrounding the crater. It provides valuable evidence of the extreme conditions generated by the impact of the iron meteorite.