- - - - "UPDATE" - [circa 2011] - - - -
- - - - ALTHOUGH MY WEBSITE (BELOW) IS MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD - - - -
- - - - IT IS STILL A GOOD HISTORICAL ACCOUNTING OF THE FIRST 17 LUCERNE VALLEY METEORITES - - - -
- - - - SINCE THAT TIME THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 100 MORE METEORITES FOUND - - - -
- - - - TO SEE A LIST OF ALL "REPORTED" LUCERNE VALLEY METEORITES, CLICK HERE - - - -

Field Work 1998 Base Camp Meteorite Hunt New Finds Map


MY WEB PAGES FOR LUCERNE DRY LAKE AND THE
LUCERNE VALLEY METEORITES

- - - REVISITING LUCERNE DRY LAKE 30 YEARS LATER - - -

The original purpose of this web page was to determine, if after 30 years, whether it can be resolved that the meteorites at Lucerne Dry Lake are members of a single strewnfield, or are multiple, overlapping falls. During the 1998-1999 field effort, 4 additional chondrites were recovered. Subsequent analysis has shown that of the 17 known chondritic stones, 9 (nine) of them are uniquely different. What was formerly considered to be 17 members of a solitary fall event, is now known to be groups of stones from at least 9 separate falls, and are now known, collectively, as the "Lucerne Valley Meteorites".

Field work between September and November 1998 has resulted in 3 new finds by this writer. These finds have been donated to the Griffith Observatory and join the 5 other specimens that are on display. Sections have been taken from these specimens and have been characterized and paired at UCLA by Alan Rubin. Since then, samples have been taken from the other "LV" finds (16 of the 17), and these have been characterized and paired by Alan Rubin, as well. Through the generosity of all the finders and holders of "Lucerne Valley Meteorites", it has been determined that "no fewer than nine (9) separate falls" have occurred at Lucerne Dry Lake! This has brought about a re-evaluation of pairings based solely on proximity. Although the ratio of "# of falls to total # of finds" is the highest yet known, it still only corroborates the generally accepted "average meteorite flux density" of ~1 fragment for every sq. kilometer.
If additional "LV" finds are made, they will be posted here:

- "UPDATE" - [circa 2001]
- - [dated] INFORMATION - -

My TABLE of Lucerne Valley Meteorites - with IMAGES, is the most current listing (has LV 013 reclassified and paired to LV 015 & LV 016) and is available to those whose browsers aren't setup to handle the MAPS ".pdf" files, just by "clicking"
HERE

Our ABSTRACT on the Pairing of L.V. Meteorites, has finally been published in the LPI Contribution No.997, for the "Workshop on Extraterrestrial Materials From Hot and Cold Deserts", July 6-8, 1999 Kwa-Maritane, Pilanesberg, South Africa, but the pre-review version is still viewable just by "clicking"
HERE

TABLE 4: Meteorites from Lucerne Valley, California, as published in Meteoritical Bulletin, No.83
This "Table 4" has been subsequently revised (classifications for LV 002 & LV 017) and is reflected in Meteoritical Bulletin, No.84
The most recent paper relating to the pairing of Lucerne Valley meteorites can be found in "Numerous unpaired meteorites exposed on a deflating playa lake at Lucerne Valley, California", RUBIN, A. E., 2000, Metorit. Planet. Sci.(MAPS) 35 (Suppl.), A181-A183

- - - REFERENCES: - - -
- - THE FOLLOWING ARE FROM THE "Meteoritical Bulletin", THE "Catalogue of Meteorites", and "The Griffith Observer" - -

A Preliminary Report on the Lucerne Valley, San Berna[r]dino County, California, Aerolites (CN 1169,345) - a photocopy of the report as it appears in "Meteoritics, 1964, 2, p.177, Meteor. Bull., 1964 (29)" by RONALD N. HARTMAN and RONALD A. ORITI.

Catalogue of Meteorites - Lucerne Valley - a photocopy of the paragraph as it appears in the "Catalogue of Meteorites" (Blue-book version) in which the following phrase "Meteoritics, 1964, 2, p.177, Meteor. Bull., 1964 (29)" appears to give credit of authorship to J.D. Buddhue, but, as I've shown above, the "preliminary report" on "p. 177" is actually authored by RONALD N. HARTMAN and RONALD A. ORITI. A document search for a paper by J.D. Buddhue netted no results. The only other reference to this meteorite was published in RUSSIAN and only the names "R.N. Hartman, R.A. Oriti, and R.W. Leonard" appeared in that report.

The Lucerne Valley Aerolites - a reprint of the November 1965 "Griffith Observer" article by Ron Oriti.

Dry Lakes and Meteorites - a reprint of the November 1965 "Griffith Observer" article by Ron Oriti.

Lucerne Dry Lake "Revisited" - a reprint of the December 1968 "Griffith Observer" article by Ron Oriti.

- - - AFTER A HIATUS OF 30 YEARS - FINALLY MORE FINDS - - -
- - THE FOLLOWING FINDS WERE MADE BETWEEN 1992 & 1999 - -
The 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th Lucerne Valley meteorite finds - the above article included a table of the 12 recorded finds from Lucerne Dry Lake. In the intervening years there have been no additional "reported" finds. A 3.4 gram individual stony (L5) with a smooth exterior was found in September 1998. Exactly 29 days later a 12.5 gram oriented individual stony (LL6) was found. This find has peculiar fusion crust (thick and frothy) and a particularly fresh interior. This appeared to be the first LL-group meteorite found in California, but subsequent analysis in 2000 has shown that LV 002 was actually an LL4 all along. Another month later, my third find was made. Another ~3 gram stony (L5-paired) with a smooth exterior. The reporting of my finds sparked renewed interest in searching for more LV finds by other field workers. At 2:30PM March 30, 1999, almost 36 years after finding the first Lucerne Valley Meteorite, Ron Hartman found a 12.8 gram specimen which is strikingly similar in appearance and shape to my September 1998 find. In 1999 it was brought to my attention that on May 9, 1992, Byron Groves recovered a 4.1 gram L5 S2 W3 stone from the same area of the lake where the original finds were made. This meteorite is now assigned as "LV 013", as of Met. Bull. 84, and my LV 014 & LV 016 are now paired to this stone. Should you find a meteorite at Lucerne Valley, you can contact me and I can help you get an "LV number" assigned to your meteorite!
Email to: bolidechaser@tripod.net ,
or write to: Meteorite Recovery Lab, c/o Bob Verish, P.O. Box 463084, Escondido, CA 92046
Lucerne Valley 014, Stone, Ordinary Chondrite (L5), 3.4 grams
Found Sept. 26, 1998 on Lucerne Dry Lake by Beth and Bob Verish and their pet dog Melvyn
Lucerne Valley 015, Stone, Ordinary Chondrite (LL6), 12.5 grams
Found Oct. 25, 1998 on Lucerne Dry Lake by Bob Verish
Note rough exterior on this flanged/oriented individual.
This is the first reported LL6 (formerly called "amphoterite") found in California.
"Click" on thumbnail image for more information.
Lucerne Valley 016, Stone, Ordinary Chondrite (L5), ~3.5 grams
Found Nov. 14, 1998 on Lucerne Dry Lake by Bob Verish
Note smooth exterior. Paired with my other L5, per A. Rubin.


- - - ALMOST 36 YEARS AFTER MAKING THE FIRST LV METEORITE FIND, - - -
- - - RON HARTMAN DISCOVERS No. 17 (LV 017) - - -

Lucerne Valley 017, Stone, Ordinary Chondrite (L6 S3 W4), 12.8 grams
Found March 30, 1999 on Lucerne Dry Lake by Ron Hartman
Note smooth exterior and rhombohedral shape.
NOT PAIRED with any other LV find, per A. Rubin.
"Click" on the above image in order to see a map of where Ron's LV 017 was found!



- "UPDATE" - [circa 2010]
- - LATEST INFORMATION - -

- - - FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AFTER RON HARTMAN DISCOVERED LV 017 - - -
- - - VARIOUS OTHER METEORITE HUNTERS CONTINUE TO FIND MANY MORE LUCERNE VALLEY CHONDRITES - - -
- - - AS OF 2010 OCTOBER 10TH THE NUMBER OF LUCERNE VALLEY METEORITES "REPORTED" IS :

121

"Click" on the above image in order to get the ENTIRE LIST of LUCERNE VALLEY METEORITES

These 121 meteorites represent 12 separate falls over geologic time upon the Lucerne Dry Lake surface (per Dr. Alan Rubin, UCLA) and given its area of 12 square kilometers, this is the highest number of falls per unit area on record (effectively, 1 fall per square km).
Also, the Lucerne Valley locality has the highest percentage of classified meteorites on record for a dense accumulation area of greater than 100 finds (outside of Antarctica)!
This is a testament to the efforts of a host of non-professional, yet highly conscientious, meteorite-recovery hobbyists. Special credit must be given to Rob Matson for his volunteer efforts as a liason for the host of finders and the Meteoritical Society.

This website is dedicated to my mentor, Ron Hartman (1935-2011)


A LOT of visits

since October 7, 1998.



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Previous Update: February 28, 2001

Last Updated: October 10, 2010