Meteorite Sikhote-Alin

	Links to information related sites about Sikhote-Alin meteorite and territory
whc.unesco.org	Brief Description The Sikhote-Alin mountain range contains one the richest and most unusual temperate forests of the world. In this mixed zone between taiga and subtropics, southern species such as the tiger and Himalayan bear cohabit with northern species such as the brown bear and lynx. The site stretches from the peaks of Sikhote-Alin to the Sea of Japan and is important for the survival of many endangered species such as the Amur tiger...
en.wikipedia.org	The fall of this meteorite occurred in the daytime, and was observed by many eyewitnesses. The evaluation of this observational data allowed V. G. Fesenkov, chairman of the meteorite committee of the USSR Academy of Science, to compute the orbit of the original body. It is most likely that the former orbit of the Sikhote-Alin meteoroid is similar to that of many other small bodies of the solar system. It is ellipse-shaped, and its point of greatest distance from the sun lies within the asteroid belt. This suggests that the creation of the meteoroid,..nd its subsequent passage to earth, was precipitated by the collision of asteroids.
www.fegi.ru	SIKHOTE ALIN NATIONAL NATURAL BIOSPHERE SANCTUARY The Sikhote Alin National Natural Biosphere Sanctuary (area of territory 390,184 ha, area of water body 2.9 thousand hectares) is situated in the northern part of Primorye (Ternei and Krasnoarmeisk Districts) to include the eastern slope of Sikhote Alin range from its watershed (maximum altutude within the Sanctuary 1,598 m above sea level) to the coastline (including the littoral 1 km-wide zone) and also part of ridge western slope. The initial purpose of creating the Sanctuary was to preserve and restore the then almost exterminated sable. V. K. Arseniev, well-known explorer of the region, initiated its founding, and K. G. Abramov and Yu. A. Salmin grounded the need for its organization. Today, when there are increasingly fewer untouched corners of nature on Earth, it would be highly important to have a preserve site in every geographic zone—a sample of originsal landscape that would serve to assess the consequences of man’s economic activity. This task has been imposed on biosphere sanctuaries. The UNESCO 1979 Forum conferred this high status on Sikhote Alin. In respect to its considerable area and relatively little disturbed natural complexes and remoteness from industrial centers and farming territories, the Sikhote Alin Sanctuary is unequalled in the Russian Far East....
wwwa.britannica.com	...also spelled Sichote-Alin mountain complex in the Russian Far East, fronting the Tatar Strait and the Sea of Japan for 750 miles (1,200 km) northeast-southwest. Major geologic fault lines bound the area, and the structural trench of the Ussuri River valley lies along the northwest. The relief is complicated; the features of the region include eight main ranges, rising to a maximum height of 6,814 feet (2,077 m) in Mount Tardoki-Yani. Although the highest summits are bare, most of the mountains are densely forested with birch and conifers on higher slopes and mixed deciduous forest lower down. The mountains are one of the leading lumbering areas of the Russian Far East. A number of minerals are exploited, including lead, zinc, and tin. The population is extremely sparse....
www.rockssearch.com	The largest shower in historical time occurred in Eastern Siberia on February 12, 1947. The unique phenomenon was observed by many eyewitnesses and has been the subject of numerous, very thorough studies by the Russian scientists. In full daylight, a fireball moved from north to south and, about 10:38 A.M. local time, fragmented in the Earth's atmosphere. When this iron fell it went off like a grenade. The debris covered an elliptical area of 1.6 km on the snow-covered western spurs of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains. The apparent diameter of the bolide with its luminous envelope was estimated to be 600 m. The brightness exceeded that of the sun, according to eyewitnesses, and the dust trail was observed for several hours before the particles precipitated or were scattered by the wind. Most of the impacting meteorites did not, however, penetrate the eluvial and alluvial debris, which covered the bedrock with 1-2 m thicklayers, and moreover, at the time of impact, were solidly frozen to adepth of one meter.... ...Sikhote-Alin is a coarse iron octahedrite.It's composition is as follows: 5.9% nickel, 0.42 % cobalt, 0.46% phosphorus, 0.28% sulfur,smaller amounts of germanium and iridium, and the remainder (approximately 93%) is iron.The following minerals are present: taenite, plessite, rhabites, troilite, chromite, kamacite, andschreibersite crystals...
www.alaska.net	Character of the Sikhote-Alin Meteorites Specimens from this fall are of two types. Some -- those called "complete individuals" -- show ablation and fusion crust. These are probably the ones that broke off of the main mass early in the decent. The surface was vaporized and eroded by the trip through the atmosphere. These are characterized by regmaglypts -- or thumb prints -- ablation cavities in the surface of the specimen.... The second type of Sikhote-Alin specimen is the fragments. These show the violent effects of being torn apart in the atmosphere or being blasted apart on impact with the ground. A metallurgist would say they were cold-worked. These are probably the fragments from the explosion 3.5 miles high. Many look like shrapnel from violent explosions. Some show shield shapes or orientation. Striations may be seen on some flatter surfaces.....