Ocean Falls        52°21.2’N, 127°41.4’ W

British Columbia, Canada

Find: 1960s

Classification: Iron meteorite (IAB-MG)

History: The single, rusted mass was unearthed from the backyard of Clara and Willy Buysse in the town of Ocean Falls, British Columbia, in the 1960s. The specimen remained with the family and is currently owned by the finders’ grandson and spouse.

Physical characteristics: Consists of a single, blocky mass with a rough, red-brown exterior. The metallic interior is exposed on one side.

Petrography: (C. Herd, UAb) Optical and SEM investigation of a 2.5 × 3 cm polished and etched surface reveals an equilibrated texture of equant kamacite grains up to 5 mm across. Elongate schreibersite grains approximately 10 × 50 μm are found between kamacite grains. Larger (mm-scale) inclusions of schreibersite and graphite are present. Alteration extends along grain boundaries into the interior.

Geochemistry: ICP-MS data, using sample of North Chile (Filomena) as standard (C. Herd and S. DuFrane, UAb): Ni = 64.5, Co = 4.60 (both mg/g); Ir = 3.8, Ga = 94, Ge = 316, As = 11.6, Sb = 0.19, Sn = 4.6, Ru = 7.0, Pd = 3.6, Re = 0.34, W = 1.4, Pt = 7.9, Cu = 125 (all µg/g).

Classification: (C. Herd, UAb): IAB Main Group iron, based on As-element plots, by comparison with data from Wasson and Kallemeyn (2002). Equilibrated texture.

Specimens: Type specimen of 35.1 g at UAb. Main mass with Heather Webb and Robert Buysse of Victoria, B.C.