Domeyko        24°13’6.25"S, 69° 5’23.72"W

Antofagasta, Chile

Found: 2000

Classification: Iron meteorite (IIIAB)

History: A mass of 13880 g was found by Luc Labenne at Estación Zaldivar near la Mina Escondida while hunting for pallasites near the Imilac strewnfield.

Physical characteristics: The mass has the average dimension of 270 × 190 × 10 mm. The top is covered by pockmarks, with small wide pits and sharp ridges characteristic of sand-blasted Chilean irons. On the top a few large depressions indicate the location of troilite nodules. On the opposite side that was next to the ground the pockmarks are absent.

Petrography: Examined slab about 15 × 5 cm. Uniform Widmanstätten pattern with bandwidth 0.7 mm. Two FeS nodules (diameters 20 and 13 mm) and three long (26 to 31 mm) Brezina lamellae. Plessite is mainly fine, granular. Significant exterior weathering but interior relatively fresh; no heat-altered zone.

Geochemistry: (J.T. Wasson, UCLA) Composition: 5.53 mg/g Co, 94.8 mg/g Ni, 19.2 μg/g Ga, <50 μg/g Ge, 16.7 μg/g As, 0.057 μg/g Ir, and 1.848 μg/g Au. Based on the composition and structure, the iron belongs to group IIIAB. The nearest relatives of Domeyko are Hardesty (Ir = (0.088 μg/g) and Sanderson (Ir = 0.025 μg/g) but it is well resolved in Ir content from these.

Classification: Iron, IIIAB.