Willamette Meteorite

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Willamette Meteorite at the American Museum of Natural History
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Willamette Meteorite at the American Museum of Natural History

The Willamette Meteorite was discovered in the U.S. state of Oregon, and is the largest meteorite ever found in the United States, and the sixth largest in the world. It is an iron-nickel meteorite. No impact crater has been found— it is probably in Canada.

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[edit] Physical characteristics

The meteorite weighs over 14,000 kg (about 32,000 pounds/15.5 tons) and is a type III meteorite. The iron content is more than 91% and the nickel content near 8%. There are also traces of cobalt and phosphorus. The approximate dimensions of the meteorite are 10' tall by 6'6" wide by 4'3" deep. The distinctive pitting on the surface of the meteorite is believed to be a result of multiple causes. Both the high-speed atmospheric entry and weathering (due to the high iron content) in situ at Clackamas County, Oregon are certainly responsible. Specifically, rainwater interacted with deposits of troilite in the meteorite which resulted in a form of sulfuric acid which slowly dissolved portions of the meteorite. This resulted (over a very long time period) in many of the pits that are visible today.

[edit] Modern history

The meteorite was discovered by European immigrants in 1902, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon at 45°22′N 122°35′W, by the modern city of West Linn. Parts have been sliced off.

When a Welsh immigrant named Ellis Hughes discovered it, it was on land owned by the Oregon Iron and Steel Company. The settler moved it in secret to his own land, which was 90 days of hard work to cover a 3/4 mile (1200 m) distance, after which he claimed ownership. However, the moving was discovered, and after a lawsuit, the Oregon Iron and Steel Company became owner. [1]

Willamette Meteorite in the early 20th century
Willamette Meteorite in the early 20th century

In 1905, the meteorite was purchased by Mrs. William E. Dodge for $26,000 and donated it to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City where it is now on display.

[edit] The meteorite today

In the past, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, a group of Native American tribes, claimed to have used the meteorite to perform an annual ceremony, but no evidence of ritual use has been found.[citation needed] These tribes have requested that the meteorite be returned. The museum, however, was built around the meteorite and to remove it would require damaging the museum. There is now an agreement between the tribe and the museum, and once a year tribal members may conduct their private ceremony.

[edit] Replicas

A replica of the meteorite is in Eugene, Oregon, outside the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History on the University of Oregon campus. [2] Another replica stands near the Willamette Methodist Church in West Linn, Oregon. [3]

[edit] External links and references

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