Dhofar 1480

Zufar, Oman

Find: 2003

Achondrite (polymict eucrite)

History: Found in the desert by anonymous collector.

Physical characteristics: Irregularly shaped stone with total weight of 57.7 g and dark green color. No fusion crust. Brecciated texture is clearly visible on the surface of the meteorite.

Petrography (C. A. Lorenz, Vernad): The meteorite is a polymict breccia, consisting of rock fragments and mineral clasts, embedded in a fine-grained clastic matrix. Locally, the clasts are joined together by devitrified melt. Melt pockets and melt veins occur in the breccia. Rock fragments are fine- and medium-grained, minor coarse-grained (up to 0.5 mm) pyroxene-plagioclase rocks of porphyritic, granular gabbroic, minor poikilitic and granulitic texture. Pyroxenes are usually exsolved. Pyroxenes show mosaicism; augite lamellae are disturbed by shock. Plagioclase is partially isotropic. Minor minerals are olivine, ilmenite, spinel, tridymite, quartz, a phosphate mineral, troilite, metal Fe-Ni metal.

Mineral compositions and geochemistry: (N. N. Kononkova, Vernad), EMP, lithic and mineral clasts: low-Ca pyroxene En_32.6Wo_1.6-En_39.6Wo_4.5 (average En_35.6Wo_2.7; Fe/Mn = 32) with lamellae En_29.7Wo_42.0; feldspar An_86.0Ab_13.5-An_91.9Ab_7.7; matrix: pyroxene En_30.4Wo_1.9-En_41.6Wo_4.5 with lamellae En_30.8Wo_42.3, feldspar An_85.8Ab_13.6-An_90.6Ab_8.7.

Bulk composition (I. A. Roshina, Vernad) semi quantitative-XRF (wt%): SiO₂ = 45, TiO₂ = 0.6, Al₂O₃ = 16.4, Na₂O = 0.6, CaO = 10, MgO = 5; MnO = 0.6; FeO = 18, Cr₂O₃ = 0.3.

Oxygen isotopes composition (I. Franchi, OU): δ¹⁷O = 1.848‰; δ¹⁸O = 3.963‰.

Classification: Achondrite (polymict eucrite). Minor weathering.