Why a meteorite repository?

• To classify new meteorite samples and submit the resulting classifications to the Meteoritical Society for official nomenclature.
• To house a permanent collection of type specimens under state-of-the-art curation.
• To make samples available to qualified investigators for scientific research.

Before Pelom Kura existed

• There was no repository in Chile, only unofficial collections in a few universities, the Chilean Geological Survey (Sernageomin) and private museums.
• Without the support of the Meteoritical society, it was not possible to carry out classifications in Chile, which was an aberration considering that Chile is an important provider of meteorites worldwide.
• The classification of Chilean meteorites was made abroad, which resulted in an important loss of meteorite samples for Chile-based scientific studies.

The achievements of Pelom Kura

• Its creation has helped minimize the loss of type specimens, offering the service of meteorite classification free of charges.
• The collaborative work with Chilean meteorite hunters has allowed the growth of the meteorite collection to over 100 samples.
• Several samples are currently on loan to support scientific research.
• The repository has access to preparation laboratories and analytical facilities from the Earth Science Institute and the Electronic Microscopy Unit of the Austral University of Chile. Sophisticated analysis that are sometimes required are carried out through international collaborations.
• The repository strongly supports research projects, undergraduate and PhD theses and outreach activities.