Springwater

Formerly in the collection of Harvey Nininger (1887-1986), the "Father of Meteoritics."

Formerly in the collection of the Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University

A PARTIAL SLICE OF A HISTORIC CANADIAN PALLASITE WITH HARVEY NININGER AND ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PROVENANCE

Three pieces of the Springwater pallasite were discovered in 1931 in a field near the town of Springwater, about 100 miles west of Saskatoon in Canada. Soon after their discovery, in August 1931, well-known meteoriticist Harvey Nininger bought the samples from the Springwater residents who collected them, had them cut into slices, and distributed them to institutions around the world. This slice originates from that original series of cuttings and is characterized by unusual thickness – 12 mm compared to the 3 mm of more recent cuttings – and having been part Arizona State University's meteorite collection until being deaccessioned into a private collection.

Nininger was interested in Springwater not only because of the rarity of pallasites in general — making up just 1 out of every 500 meteorite finds — but because Springwater was the first pallasite found on Canadian soil. Indeed, Springwater is still one of only three pallasites ever found in Canada. Springwater contains smaller than average olivine crystals, but a much higher percentage of the surface area is covered by these gem-like silicates than in most other pallasites. The crystals in this Springwater slice are also pleasingly round and incredibly bright and translucent. As is the case with all pallasites, the olivine crystals found embedded in Springwater are the remnants of pieces of an asteroid's stony mantle becoming suspended in the molten metal of its iron-nickel core. The prominent metallic latticework found on the display side of the slice is referred to as a Widmanstätten pattern and is the result of slow cooling over millions of years, providing sufficient time for the two iron-nickel alloys present in the meteorite to orient into a crystalline habit. As Widmanstätten patterns can only occur within certain types of asteroids in the vacuum of space, their presence is diagnostic in the identification of a meteorite.

In 2009, a group of meteorite hunters returned to the original site of the Springwater find and recovered over 100 kg (220 pounds) of new material. The largest single meteorite from this new find, weighing in at over 52 kg (114 pounds), was acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum and is exhibited there as a veritable Canadian national treasure.

REFERENCES:

Meteoritical Bulletin Entry for Springwater