Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science
METEORITE FALLS

PACIFIC COAST, WASHINGTON

PACIFIC COAST, WASHINGTON

PACIFIC COAST, WASHINGTON

DATE/TIME

3/7/2018 @ 7:05 PM

3/7/2018
7:05 PM

LAT/LONG

47.4312 • -124.3448

47.4312
-124.3448

This is an estimated landing site map for this fall, color coded according to mass and using circle to estimate landing sites for clarity. Red is kg-mass meteorites, scaling down to yellow single-gram

STREWN FIELD

This is an estimated landing site map for this fall, color coded according to mass and using circle to estimate landing sites for clarity. Red is kg-mass meteorites, scaling down to yellow single-gram

SUMMARY

This event was a probable meteorite fall that occurred at 7:05 PM local time on 07 March 2018, or 03:05:21 UTC on 08 March 2018 UTC. Events are recorded as “probable” if they produce well-defined signatures of a meteorite fall in weather radar imagery at the time and place described by eyewitnesses, but no meteorites have been recovered from the event to date. The fireball occurred during overcast skies covering the local area, restricting the number of American Meteor Society eyewitnesses to 22. Four eyewitnesses reported sonic booms to AMS, with additional reports in local media. Eyewitness reports center on the western end of the Olympic peninsula in western Washington state.

Meteorites have not been recovered from this event to date. However, the exploration vessel E/V Nautilus performed a search for meteorites using mapping sonar and two remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The ROVs found that the seafloor at the site is very soft and any meteorites likely sank into it but recovered seven seafloor sediment samples for laboratory analysis.

This event is recorded as American Meteor Society event number 914 for 2018. Signatures of falling meteorites can be found in imagery from three nearby weather radars. In the NEXRAD weather radar network operated by NOAA, the KRTX (Portland, OR), KLGX (Langley Hill, WA), and KATX (Seattle, WA) radars record signatures of falling meteorites.

The first appearance of falling meteorites on radar occurs at 03:05:26 UTC and 19,750 m above sea level (ASL) in the 0301 UTC data set for the KRTX radar in the 3.9 degree elevation radar sweep. This signature appears only five seconds after the fireball terminus, as recorded by a video found on the AMS page for this event. This detection is unusual because of its very high altitude, and meteorites in this radar signature have not yet size-sorted through aerodynamically limited fall toward the ground. Signatures consistent with falling meteorites appear in a total of no fewer than twenty-six radar sweeps from the three radars, with a final signature appearing at 03:15:42 UTC. The radar sweeps made at 0.12 degrees elevation from the KLGX radar feature anomalously high total reflectivity – these sweeps are recording a mixture of falling meteorites and spray kicked up by meteorites striking the ocean.

Calculations of mass and total number of meteorites based on weather radar data indicate that this meteorite fall is approximately 31x the total mass of the Park Forest, IL meteorite fall in 2003. The fragmentation behavior of this probable fall is not typical, showing a preference for survival of larger meteorites compared to other meteorite falls seen on radar.

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RADAR & MAPS

This composite image shows all the radar signatures from falling meteorites as blue/gray polygons. The Pacific Ocean meteorite fall has not been recovered to date.

RADAR SUMMARY

This composite image shows all the radar signatures from falling meteorites as blue/gray polygons. The Pacific Ocean meteorite fall has not been recovered to date.

GET DIRECTIONS

Click on the View larger map link that is displayed in the address box above in order to get directions to the strewn field area.

EVENTS TO DATE

Learn more about other fall events and possible landing sites that have been identified across the United States.

EVENT UPDATES

Find out more about recent searches and possible discoveries that have taken place around the United States.

METEORITES 101

This step-by-step guide will show you how to locate possible meteorite fall sites using radar software and weather data along with info provided by reporting agencies and monitoring systems.
These instructions will show you how to best preserve the meteorites you discover and how to make contact with the organizations that are willing to accept and analyze your find.
Don't know exactly what a meteorite is, what they are made of or where they come from? If that's the case, we have provided a mini-"crash" course in what you need to know about them.
It turns out that meteorites have provided us a lot of scientific insight, not only into the origins of our solar system and planet Earth, but what the future might hold for mankind.
There's a lot going on in the study of meteorites, both here at NASA and in other places. Here are a few links to the people and institutions who are leading the research in this field.
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