Marlow - L5 Ordinary Chondrite

Marlow is an L5 Ordinary Chondrite from Stephens County, Oklahoma, USA, first recognised as a meteorite in 1936. The first known piece was a small weathered fragment found on a farm west-southwest of Marlow, with a much larger mass recovered later by ranchers while making a stock pond. As an L Chondrite, Marlow has lower metallic iron than H Chondrites, while its type 5 classification indicates significant thermal metamorphism on its parent asteroid.

Marlow specimens typically show the compact, equilibrated texture of an L5 Ordinary Chondrite, with a grey to brown stony matrix, scattered metal grains, and subdued chondrules. The type 5 classification means that many original Chondritic features have been partly recrystallised by heat, producing a more uniform internal texture than less altered type 3 or 4 material. Natural pieces may show weathered exterior surfaces from terrestrial exposure, while cut fragments reveal the internal Chondritic structure more clearly.

Studying Marlow provides insight into the L Chondrite parent body, thermal alteration, and the preservation of Ordinary Chondrites in the American Great Plains. For collectors, it offers a recognised Oklahoma meteorite with historic recovery context, official classification, and classic L5 characteristics. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid material formed over 4.5 billion years ago, preserved as part of a valid USA meteorite find.