Murchison Meteorite X-ray CT Scan at 3-Micron Resolution

A 3-micron resolution X-ray CT scan of a tiny chip from the CM2 Murchison chondrite meteorite, specimen USNM 5487. The dataset contains 889 total slices, scanned at The University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray CT Facility on 26 January 2015. This high-resolution volumetric data was created for Romy Hanna of UT DOGS with support from NASA grant NNX13AO64H.

Use Cases

• Analyze the 3D internal microstructure and porosity of the chondrite based on the volumetric CT data.
• Segment and classify mineral phases and inclusions within the meteorite fragment.
• Train or validate machine learning models for automated feature detection in planetary material scans.
• Conduct comparative material analysis with other meteorite or geological samples using the high-resolution imagery.

Strengths

• High-resolution volumetric data with a voxel size of 3.00 microns in all dimensions.
• Scanned at a specialized facility (UTCT) with clear provenance and a specific scan date of 26 January 2015.
• Data is associated with a well-known meteorite specimen (USNM 5487 Murchison chondrite).

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality, file formats, and size require manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics and data structure must be inferred after download.
• The dataset represents a single, tiny chip from a larger specimen, limiting generalizability.

Provenance

Source

The University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray CT Facility (UTCT)

Collection Method

X-ray CT scanning

Time Range

Scanned 26 January 2015

Freshness

Last updated 2024-03-18 07:44:13; freshness should be verified

Geography

Specimen origin: Murchison meteorite (fall location: Murchison, Victoria, Australia)