Outer Recovery Icefields 18018 (OUT 18018)        81°28.80817’S, 17°56.95433’W

Antarctica, Antarctica

Find: 2019 Jan 11

Classification: Mesosiderite

History: The meteorite was recovered as part of the Lost Meteorites of Antarctica project, which was funded in the UK by the Leverhulme Trust and supported by the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Manchester. These samples were collected as part of the project’s first field season in austral summer December 2018 - January 2019 by a two person field party consisting of Katherine Joy and Julie Baum. Found on blue ice surface/snow at Outer Recovery Icefields ice field 3 (west icefield). Altitude 1411 m.

Physical characteristics: Mass: 153.4 g. Pieces: 1. Dimensions: 7 cm × 5 cm × 4 cm. A blocky, part stone with 85% dark gray fusion crust and dark gray exterior. Orange rust visible.

Petrography: Mineral and lithic clasts, and a network of metal grains up to 1 mm in size. Approximately 30% metal (including minor taenite), 30% pyroxene (including minor Ca-rich pyroxene), 23% plagioclase, 6% silica. Minor iron sulfide and merrillite.

Geochemistry: Mineral compositions and geochemistry: All analyses by EPMA. Low-Ca pyroxene Fs_30.6±0.5Wo_3.3±0.7 (N=10).

Classification: Mesosiderite. Likely paired with the two stones that comprise OUT 18014.

Specimens: 151.25 g type specimen (main mass) held at the NHM. Similarity (petrography, mineral chemistry) of this stone with the two stones of OUT 18014 suggests a likely pairing relationship.