[meteorite-list] The World's Largest Meteorite Field Found in Egypt?

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Oct 11 01:18:53 2004
Message-ID: <200410110518.WAA23935_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/14415_meteorite.html

The world's biggest meteorite field found in Egypt
Pravda.ru (Russia)
October 9, 2004

A team of French and Egyptians scientists claims it has discovered the
biggest meteorite field on Earth.

Numerous satellite photographs helped the scientists discover the
world's biggest meteorite site (with more than a hundred traces of
crashed meteorites) in the region of Egyptian-Lebanese border.

According to a spokesman of the french scientific research center CNRS,
the team has already conducted digs at the site and unearthed 13 spots
of crashed meteorites.

The scientists claim the meteorite shower remains had hit the earth
about 50 million years ago and covered the territory of 5 000 sq km.
Craters ranging from 20 meters to 1 kilometer in diameter have been
created as a result of the clash. Meteorite remains are buried at
80-meter depth, note the scientists.

Up until recently, Argentinian meteorite field (60 sq kilometers) has
been considered the biggest in the world.

This Egyptian find is significant due to the fact that all known
meteorite fields have been formed as a result of a clash of remains of a
single meteorite, which had fallen into pieces while entering dense air
stratum.

According to the scientists, the newly discovered field in Egypt could
have been formed by not one but several meteorites.
Received on Mon 11 Oct 2004 01:18:49 AM PDT