TY - JOUR
T1 - The densest meteorite collection area in hot deserts
T2 - The San Juan meteorite field (Atacama Desert, Chile)
AU - Gattacceca, Jérôme
AU - Valenzuela, Millarca
AU - Uehara, Minoru
AU - Jull, A. J.Timothy
AU - Giscard, Marlène
AU - Rochette, Pierre
AU - Braucher, Régis
AU - Suavet, Clement
AU - Gounelle, Matthieu
AU - Morata, Diego
AU - Munayco, Pablo
AU - Bourot-Denise, Michèle
AU - Bourles, Didier
AU - Demory, François
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - We describe the geological, morphological, and climatic setting of the San Juan meteorite collection area in the Central Depression of the Atacama Desert (Chile). Our recovery activities yielded 48 meteorites corresponding to a minimum of 36 different falls within a 3.88km2 area. The recovery density is in the range 9-12fallskm-2 depending on pairing, making it the densest among meteorite collection areas in hot deserts. This high meteorite concentration is linked to the long-standing hyperaridity of the area, the stability of the surface pebbles (> Ma), and very low erosion rates of surface pebbles (approximately 30cmMa-1 maximum). The San Juan meteorite population is characterized by old terrestrial ages that range from zero to beyond 40ka, and limited weathering compared with other dense collection areas in hot desert. Chemical weathering in San Juan is slow and mainly controlled by the initial porosity of meteorites. As in the Antarctic and other hot deserts, there is an overabundance of H chondrites and a shortage of LL chondrites compared with the modern falls population, suggesting a recent (< few ka) change in the composition of the meteorite flux to Earth.
AB - We describe the geological, morphological, and climatic setting of the San Juan meteorite collection area in the Central Depression of the Atacama Desert (Chile). Our recovery activities yielded 48 meteorites corresponding to a minimum of 36 different falls within a 3.88km2 area. The recovery density is in the range 9-12fallskm-2 depending on pairing, making it the densest among meteorite collection areas in hot deserts. This high meteorite concentration is linked to the long-standing hyperaridity of the area, the stability of the surface pebbles (> Ma), and very low erosion rates of surface pebbles (approximately 30cmMa-1 maximum). The San Juan meteorite population is characterized by old terrestrial ages that range from zero to beyond 40ka, and limited weathering compared with other dense collection areas in hot desert. Chemical weathering in San Juan is slow and mainly controlled by the initial porosity of meteorites. As in the Antarctic and other hot deserts, there is an overabundance of H chondrites and a shortage of LL chondrites compared with the modern falls population, suggesting a recent (< few ka) change in the composition of the meteorite flux to Earth.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01229.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01229.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:80052938898
SN - 1086-9379
VL - 46
SP - 1276
EP - 1287
JO - Meteoritics and Planetary Science
JF - Meteoritics and Planetary Science
IS - 9
ER -