Slaton (b)        33.4336, -101.7498

Lubbock County, Texas, United States

Found: 1940s

Classification: Iron meteorite (IIAB)

History: The meteorite was found at Cade Farm on Union Rd., west of Slaton, Texas, by H.M. Cade reportedly sometime in the 1940s when he was plowing his cotton field. This comes from the same farm and was found by the same person as the L4 chondrite Slaton, which now takes on the synonym Slaton (a). Mr. Cade would always challenge his grandchildren to see if they could pick up this meteorite. It sat on Mr. Cade’s fireplace mantel until his death and was eventually passed down to his grandson. Frank Carroll purchased the meteorite from the grandson in August, 2013.

Physical characteristics: Single iron mass, approximately 20 × 15 × 8 cm, with a centered, large rounded depression, oxidized exterior with some exfoliation; saw cut reveals bright metallic interior with a few small weathering cracks or oxidized grain boundaries.

Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) This iron meteorite consists primarily of kamacite (~99%) with minor amounts of schreibersite and taenite. Schreibersite frequently occurs as isolated en echelon rhabdites 10-200 μm wide, up to ~1 mm long. Most taenite occurs as isolated skeletal inclusions 10-200 μm wide, up to 1 mm long, within host kamacite. No troilite or silicates observed. Etched surface on 60 × 30 mm slice shows kamacite bands with apparent widths 2-6 mm, abundant Neumann lines.

Geochemistry: (C. Agee, UNM) Bulk composition, ICPMS: Ni 5.7 wt%, Co 0.40 wt%, Cu 88 ppm, W 180 ppm, Ga 370 ppm, Ge 84 ppm, As 12.5 ppm, Ir 21 ppm, Au 1.3 ppm. Kamacite, EMPA, focused beam: Fe 94.3±1.8 wt%, Ni 6.1±0.4 wt%, Co 0.48±0.03 wt%, W 340±170 ppm, Cu <100 ppm, Ga 570±100 ppm, Ge <100 ppm, n=16.

Classification: Iron meteorite (IIAB). Coarsest octahedrite.

Specimens: 24 g on deposit at UNM, Frank Carroll holds the main mass.