The Braunschweig meteorite − a recent L6 chondrite fall in Germany

Bartoschewitz, Rainer; Appel, Peter; Barrat, Jean-Alex; Bischoff, Addi; Caffee, Marc W.; Franchi, Ian A.; Gabelica, Zelimir; Greenwood, Richard C.; Harir, Mourad; Harries, Dennis; Hochleitner, Rupert; Hopp, Jens; Laubenstein, Matthias; Mader, Barbara; Marques, Rosa; Morlok, Andreas; Nolze, Gert; Prudêncio, Maria Isabel; Rochette, Pierre; Ruf, Alexander; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe; Seemann, Erhard; Szurgot, Marian; Tagle, Roald; Wach, Radosław A.; Welten, Kees C.; Weyrauch, Mona and Wimmer, Karl (2017). The Braunschweig meteorite − a recent L6 chondrite fall in Germany. Chemie Der Erde - Geochemistry, 77(1) pp. 207–224.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2016.10.004

Abstract

On April 23rd 2013 at 2:07 a.m., a 1.3 kg meteorite fell in the Braunschweig suburb Melverode (52° 13′ 32.19″ N. 10° 31′ 11.60″ E). Its estimated velocity was 250 km/h and it formed an impact pit in the concrete fall site with a diameter of 7 cm and a depth of 3 cm. Radial dust striae are present around the impact pit. As a result of the impact, the meteorite disintegrated into several hundred fragments with masses up to 214 g. The meteorite is a typical L6 chondrite, moderately shocked (S4) – but with a remarkably high porosity (up to 20 vol%). The meteorite was ejected from its parent body as an object with a radius of about 10–15 cm (15–50 kg). The U,Th-He gas retention age of ∼550 Ma overlaps with the main impact event on the L-chondrite parent body ∼470 Ma ago that is recorded by many shocked L chondrites. The preferred cosmic-ray exposure age derived from production of radionuclides and noble gas isotopes is (6.0 ± 1.3) Ma.

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