Pratesi, G.* ; Cuppone, T.* ; Bischoff, A.* ; Patzek, M.* ; Schmitt-Kopplin, P. ; Laubenstein, M.* ; Busemann, H.* ; Krietsch, D.* ; Maden, C.* ; Greenwood, R.C.* ; Macke, R.J.* ; Shehaj, X.* ; Barghini, D.* ; Carbognani, A.* ; Gardiol, D.*
Matera: A not so ordinary H5 chondrite breccia with very low density and high porosity.
Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 60, 2125–2148 (2025)
On the evening of February 14, 2023, at 17:58 UT, a fireball was detected by three cameras of the Italian PRISMA network (FRIPON network). The first samples of the Matera meteorite, collected 3 days after the fall, lay on the balcony of a private home. Meanwhile, four samples weighing more than 10 g (including the main mass of 46.21 g) and many minor samples (less than 10 g each) were recovered, with a total mass of 117.5 g. The analyses show that Matera is a monomict chondrite breccia, exhibiting no weathering (W0) and shock (S1). Based on the mineral compositions of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene (Fa18.0 +/- 0.3 and Fs17.0 +/- 0.3, respectively), the rock is an H-group ordinary chondrite. Since all low-Ca pyroxene is orthoenstatite, an H5-type classification is appropriate; although texturally, a type 4 classification could be assigned to distinct portions of the rock with well-defined chondrules. The analyzed oxygen isotopes also align with an H chondrite (delta 17O parts per thousand = 2.750 +/- 0.051; delta 18O parts per thousand = 4.036 +/- 0.103; Delta 17O parts per thousand = 0.650 +/- 0.004). X-ray tomography and a structured light 3D scanner yielded a mean bulk density of 2.87 +/- 0.04 g cm-3, whereas ideal gas pycnometry yielded grain densities of 3.47 +/- 0.05 g cm-3, resulting in a porosity of 17.2 +/- 1.2 vol%. The magnetic susceptibility of this meteorite is log chi = 5.46 +/- 0.05. The radionuclides and fireball observations suggest that the Matera meteoroid was relatively small (with a maximum radius of 20 cm, though more likely around 15 cm). This datum is also consistent with (21Ne/22Ne)cos, which suggests the origin of Matera samples from the uppermost cm of a small meteoroid, <= 10 cm radius. Different from many other H chondrites, the transfer time in space for Matera, based on 3 He alone, is 10-12 Ma. Moreover, the Matera meteorite does not contain solar wind gases. In conclusion, the Matera meteorite is not a fairly typical ordinary chondrite, due to its low bulk density and high total porosity. The presence of ordinary chondrites with these physical characteristics must be taken into account during the asteroid modeling process, as in the case of the Didymos-Dimorphos binary system.
Impact Factor
Scopus SNIP
Web of Science
Times Cited
Scopus
Cited By
Altmetric
Publikationstyp
Artikel: Journalartikel
Dokumenttyp
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Typ der Hochschulschrift
Herausgeber
Schlagwörter
Breccia ; Ordinary Chondrite; Shock Metamorphism; Condensation Temperatures; Magnetic-susceptibility; Organic-matter; Classification; Regolith; Oxygen; Meteorites; Evolution; Nuclides
Keywords plus
Sprache
englisch
Veröffentlichungsjahr
2025
Prepublished im Jahr
0
HGF-Berichtsjahr
2025
ISSN (print) / ISBN
1086-9379
e-ISSN
1945-5100
ISBN
Bandtitel
Konferenztitel
Konferzenzdatum
Konferenzort
Konferenzband
Quellenangaben
Band: 60,
Heft: 9,
Seiten: 2125–2148
Artikelnummer: ,
Supplement: ,
Reihe
Verlag
University of Arizona, Department of Geosciences
Verlagsort
111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, Nj Usa
Tag d. mündl. Prüfung
0000-00-00
Betreuer
Gutachter
Prüfer
Topic
Hochschule
Hochschulort
Fakultät
Veröffentlichungsdatum
0000-00-00
Anmeldedatum
0000-00-00
Anmelder/Inhaber
weitere Inhaber
Anmeldeland
Priorität
Begutachtungsstatus
Peer reviewed
POF Topic(s)
30202 - Environmental Health
Forschungsfeld(er)
Environmental Sciences
PSP-Element(e)
G-504800-001
Förderungen
Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
Copyright
Erfassungsdatum
2025-10-08