The Mexican Meteorites: General Information About Meteorites and Descriptive Catalog of Mexican Meteorites

Abstract

Commissioned by the Director of the National Geological Institute in 1919 to write a monograph on meteorites, I had the need to study in detail that branch of Lithology, which I only knew in its general features.

The task assigned to me was, therefore, quite difficult. Since I could not conduct original research and was reluctant to simply copy what so many authors had already written, my only option was to compile a catalog of Mexican meteorites, presenting photographs of those of greater interest, and completing it as far as possible by copying the accounts found in the numerous publications on the subject. Naturally, all of this had to be preceded by general information on meteorites, which, I repeat, I have taken from existing literature—primarily from the masterful work of Stanislas Meunier, included as an appendix to the second volume of Fremy's Encyclopédie Chimique. Although it is now somewhat dated, it will remain a valuable reference work for a long time, especially with regard to the classification system established by the aforementioned author.

With the permission of engineer Don Carlos F. de Landero, I have included in full his paper The Aerolite of Atemajac de las Tablas in this report, originally published in the Bulletin of the Society of Engineers of Jalisco, copies of which are now very rare.

This work does not consider the meteorite specimens housed in the National Museum and in the cabinet of the School of Engineers, whose photographs could serve to compare them with those held by the Geological Institute.