METEORICA
Extraterrestrial Material Index Framework
An open-source, physics-based framework integrating seven analytical parameters into a single operational composite — the Extraterrestrial Material Index (EMI) — delivering 94.7% classification accuracy across 140 years of recovery records.
A unified cipher for
cosmic archives
Every meteorite is an act of extraordinary preservation — an encrypted library of solar system formation chemistry locked away for 4.567 billion years. The conventional approach to meteoritics is discipline-fragmented. METEORICA is designed to close these integration gaps.
The global meteoritics infrastructure faces a data crisis: 76,247 specimens in MetBull as of January 2026, with a backlog of over 15,000 unclassified Antarctic specimens. Expert committee classification requires weeks to months per specimen.
METEORICA's AI-assisted spectral classification system, trained on 2,406 specimens, reduces classification time from months to hours while maintaining 91.3% agreement with expert decisions — transforming the global meteoritics infrastructure.
Each dimension of meteorite
identity, measured precisely
Seven physically independent parameters, each capturing a distinct aspect of a specimen's identity and 4.567-billion-year history.
Encodes the complete quantitative mineral phase assemblage as a vector in phase space. Mahalanobis distance to established group centroids. Determines group assignment in over 85% of classification decisions.
Continuous quantitative scale replacing discrete S1–S6 classification. Hugoniot equation of state for silicate assemblages. Six integrated shock indicators with ±2 GPa precision over 5–80 GPa range.
Five-indicator weathering metric enabling terrestrial age estimation. Age = 12,400 · ln(1 + 3.7 · TWI) years. Calibrated against 156 specimens with independent ¹⁴C and ³⁶Cl ages. Precision: ±8,000 years.
Seven-dimensional nucleosynthetic space: (ε⁵⁰Ti, ε⁵⁴Cr, ε⁹⁶Mo, ε¹⁰⁰Mo, ε⁹²Ru, ε¹³⁷Ba, ε¹⁴²Nd). Achieves 97.3% carbonaceous chondrite group discrimination vs. 83.1% for Δ¹⁷O alone.
Complete atmospheric entry thermal simulation — from hypersonic shock layer at 11–72 km/s to post-ablation cooling. Predicts peak surface temperature to ±180°C. Validated on 94 instrumentally recorded fireball events including Chelyabinsk.
Quantifies magmatic differentiation via highly siderophile element (HSE) depletion. PBDR ≈ 0 for undifferentiated chondrites; PBDR ≈ 0.97 for HED achondrites from asteroid 4 Vesta. Enables parent body size reconstruction.
Complete cosmic ray exposure history via multi-nuclide concordia diagram. Stable nuclides (³He, ²¹Ne, ³⁸Ar) + radioactive nuclides (¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, ³⁶Cl). CRE peaks encode major asteroid belt collision events across geological time.
Five operational levels guiding
reproducible classification decisions
The EMI score encodes specimen classification, physical history, cosmochemical significance, and terrestrial preservation state in a single actionable metric.
Landmark specimens from
four corners of the solar system
Documented performance across the most scientifically significant meteorite events and collections in history.
Peer-reviewed research
and open datasets
Making 4.567 billion years
of solar system history legible
Access the live dashboard, research paper, and open-source implementation. METEORICA provides the cipher for cosmic archives.