Imilac
Encyclopedia
Imilac is the name given to a pallasite
meteorite
found in the Atacama Desert
of Northern Chile
in 1822.
. Imilac specimens are highly prized by meteorite collectors due to its high concentration of beautiful olivine
grains.
is long about 8 km.
grains are present only on large specimens (over 1 kg). Smaller samples contains darker alterated olivine
cristals. On the market there are also a lot of very small (few grams) Imilac individuals called metal skeletons: they are severely weathered and lack olivine
grains.
Pallasite
A pallasite is a type of stony–iron meteorite.-Structure and composition:It consists of cm-sized olivine crystals of peridot quality in an iron-nickel matrix. Coarser metal areas develop Widmanstätten patterns upon etching...
meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
found in the Atacama Desert
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America, covering a strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is, according to NASA, National Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the world...
of Northern Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in 1822.
Classification
Imilac is classified as a stony–iron pallasitePallasite
A pallasite is a type of stony–iron meteorite.-Structure and composition:It consists of cm-sized olivine crystals of peridot quality in an iron-nickel matrix. Coarser metal areas develop Widmanstätten patterns upon etching...
. Imilac specimens are highly prized by meteorite collectors due to its high concentration of beautiful olivine
Olivine
The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....
grains.
Strewn field
Numerous masses were found in a valley to the SW of Imilac. The total weight of the Imilac fall is estimated to be around 1000 kg. The primary strewn fieldStrewn field
The term strewnfield indicates the area where meteorites from a single fall are dispersed.It is also often used with tektites produced by large meteorite impact.-Formation:There are two strewnfield formation mechanisms:...
is long about 8 km.
Specimens
Due to weathering, intact olivineOlivine
The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....
grains are present only on large specimens (over 1 kg). Smaller samples contains darker alterated olivine
Olivine
The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....
cristals. On the market there are also a lot of very small (few grams) Imilac individuals called metal skeletons: they are severely weathered and lack olivine
Olivine
The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4. It is a common mineral in the Earth's subsurface but weathers quickly on the surface....
grains.