ecatalogue > Meteorites
This tab captures data specific to meteorites. Basic meteorite metadata, including name, type, and find/fall, is aligned annually with the Meteorite Bulletin Database (MBDB).
Meteorite Name
Field |
Value |
|---|---|
ItemPrompt |
Meteorite Name |
ColumnName |
MetMeteoriteName |
DataKind |
dkAtom |
DataType |
Text |
The official name of the meteorite
Usage
Required
Format
For non-Antarctic meteorites, the name should exactly match the Name field for the corresponding MBDB record. Most meteorites are named after the nearest named place to where they fell, so these names are usually simple strings.
For Antarctic meteorites, the name must be the meteorite number as currently asssigned by NASA. The NASA meteorite number consists of two components: a generic identifier identifying a mass and an optional specific identifier (often referred to as a comma number) identifying a subsample. The generic identifier includes:
A three-character alphabetic prefix identifying the general area where the meteorite was collected
A space
A five- to six-digit number (YYDDD or YYDDDD, where YY is the last two digits of the collection year and DDD/DDDD is the number identifying a mass)
If a specific identifier has been assigned, append a comma followed by that identifier to the generic identifier. A representative example is “ALH 83101,15”, where “ALH 83101” is the generic identifier and “15” is the specific identifier.
Some notes on meteorite numbers:
Meteorites collected early on in ANSMET used a letter to separate the locality prefix from the specimen number. The letter was intended to signify different field seasons within a year. Those additional field seasons never materialized, but some meteorites from the early years of the program were originally numbered named using an “A” instead of a space. MBDB retains the original identifiers, but NASA’s public documentation has standardized all meteorites numbers to use a space. In other words, “ALHA76001” in MBDB is the same as “ALH 76001” in NASA’s documentation. We use the NASA identifiers but retain the original numbers in the Other Numbers grid.
MBDB includes the NASA meteorite number in the Abbrev. field. MBDB uses the Name field to provide the full name of the collection area. For example, for ALH 83101, MBDB uses “Allan Hills 83101” for the name and “ALH 83101” for the abbreviation.
Names are aligned with MBDB annually. Roughly 100 meteorites in the collection could not be matched to an entry in MBDB.
Synonym
Field |
Value |
|---|---|
ItemPrompt |
Synonym |
ColumnName |
MetSynonym |
DataKind |
dkAtom |
DataType |
Text |
The verbatim name of the meteorite if originally cataloged under a synonym
Usage
Required if meteorite was originally cataloged under a synonym
Format
For meteorites originally cataloged under a synonym, use this field to record the verbatim name. This field should not be used to record every synonym for a meteorite.
Meteorite Type
Field |
Value |
|---|---|
ItemPrompt |
Meteorite Type |
ColumnName |
MetMeteoriteType |
DataKind |
dkAtom |
DataType |
Text |
LookupName |
Meteorite Type |
The type of meteorite
Usage
Required
Format
The type should exactly match the Type field for the corresponding MBDB record. MBDB uses a different format for meteorite type than NASA.
A handful of specimens collected during ANSMET were determined to be terrestrial in origin. These specimens are assigned the type “Terrestrial rock”.
Meteorite types are aligned with MBDB annually.
Record Number
Field |
Value |
|---|---|
ItemPrompt |
Record No |
ColumnName |
MetRecordNumber |
DataKind |
dkAtom |
DataType |
Text |
No idea
Usage
Legacy
Find/Fall
Field |
Value |
|---|---|
ItemPrompt |
Find Fall |
ColumnName |
MetFindFall |
DataKind |
dkAtom |
DataType |
Text |
LookupName |
Meteorite FindFall |
Whether the meteorite fall was observed
Usage
Required
Format
Usually “Find” or “Fall”, but more recent meteorites sometimes included more specific information.
Historically, meteorites are categorized as “falls” if they are witnessed falling and “finds” otherwise. These categories elide much of the uncertainy in assigning fall status. In Agee et al. (2015), the Meteorite Nomenclature Committee revised fall categorization for recent meteorite discoveries to better capture that uncertainty. The terms they settled on are included in the Allowed Values list. We plan to implement that vocabulary but, as of 2022, none of the meteorites in the collection has been assigned to one of the new categories.
Fall status is aligned with MBDB annually.
Allowed Values
Fall
Fall, confirmed
Fall, probable
Find
Find, possible fall
Find, doubtful fall
Locality
Field |
Value |
|---|---|
ItemPrompt |
Event/Site Ref |
ColumnName |
BioEventSiteRef |
DataKind |
dkAtom |
DataType |
Reference |
RefTable |
ecollectionevents |
The collection locality and event
Usage
Required
Format
Reference to Collection Events
Lot Description
Field |
Value |
|---|---|
ItemPrompt |
Live Specimen |
ColumnName |
BioLiveSpecimen |
DataKind |
dkAtom |
DataType |
Text |
A long-form description of the specimen
Usage
Omit if no appropriate data is available
Condition Determination
Field |
Value |
|---|---|
ItemPrompt |
Condition Determination |
ColumnName |
MetConditionDetermination |
DataKind |
dkAtom |
DataType |
Text |
A description of the condition of the specimen
Usage
Omit if no appropriate data is available