Muonionalusta (IVA) - 306g Half Slice with Displacement Lines

Muonionalusta  was originally discovered in 1906 just a few kilometres from Kitkiojärvi in Muonionalusta, Sweden.  It is an iron meteorite which falls under the IVA classification and displays a very bright and beautiful Widmanstätten Pattern when etched with acid as can be seen below. This specimen is a 306g Half Slice and shows two very distinct lines running through the pattern which seem to be displacement indicators and probably induced through an event of relatively significant shock or maybe even something as simple as movement within the parent-body. In the third photo some of the lines of the Widmanstätten Pattern have been colour-coded to show where they originally matched.

The vertical line shows a displacement of about 10.5mm from the initial position while the shorter side-line indicates a variable movement probably along multiple axis. This can be seen in the differing movements along the same line where the Up/Down lines have barely moved while the lines running through the other directions show a movement of two or three times more. This specimen is part of the Meteorites Australia Collection. (MA.05.0056)

Muonionalusta (IVA) - 306g Half Slice.

Muonionalusta (IVA) - 306g Half Slice.
(Close-up of Widmanstätten Pattern & Distortion Lines) - Click image to enlarge (269kb)

Muonionalusta (IVA) - 306g Half Slice.
(Coloured Coded Close-up of Widmanstätten Pattern & Distortion Lines) - Click image to enlarge (310kb)

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