Argentina scientists discover 30-tonne meteorite

A 30-tonne rock pulled out of the ground in Argentina could be the fourth-largest meteorite ever discovered, scientists believe.

The massive iron boulder was found in an area where a meteor shower peppered the landscape with metallic rocks about 4000 years ago.

"While we hoped for weights above what had been registered, we did not expect it to exceed 30 tonnes," astronomer Mario Vesconi told Xinhua.

And while this rock weighs as much as 17 Toyota Taragos, it is believed to have been part of an 800-tonne meteor which split up and crashed in many smaller pieces around the Campo del Cielo region.

If confirmed, the newly found meteorite would be larger than every other one previously found in the Americas, save for the 37-tonne El Chaco.

The largest meteorite ever found is the Hoba, uncovered in Namibia by a local farmer at the turn of the century.

The 60-tonne iron rock has been excavated but never removed from the site where it landed.