Potter meteorite, Cheyenne County, Nebraska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Potter meteorite	Meteorite Fall Location
Cheyenne County	County
Nebraska	State
USA	Country

Ordinary chondrite, brecciated (L6,br)
Find, 1941; 261 kg

After being struck by a plow a large number of meteorite fragments were recovered. Lying close together on a hillside, it is not possible to separate possible fragmentation upon impact from the influence of terrestrial weathering. Inspections reveal indistinct chondrules within a largely equilibrated, but brecciated grayish matrix. Prominent veins, especially, appear to be products of both preterrestrial shocks and subsequent terrestrial weathering. Compositionally, equilibrated olivine (Fa23) and low Ca-orthopyroxene ('hypersthene') are characteristic of the L-chondrite geochemical group. Mineralogically, the meteorite consists primarily of dominant olivine accompanied by pyroxene along with minor troilite and Fe-Ni metal. Much of the kamacite has been altered or removed by weathering. Accessory chromite and ilmenite have also been reported.

The main mass is at the at Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Another large mass is also found at ASU's Center for Meteorite Studies in Tempe (45.179 kg in 2017). The Bushnell (H4, 1939 find) and Dix (L6, 1927 find) were also found in nearby counties largely in response to the recovery efforts of Harvey H. Nininger during those years.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References