Ramlat Fasad 029        18°44.318’N, 53°13.547’E

Zufar, Oman

Find: 05 Feb 2015

Classification: Ureilite

History: A single stone was found during a search for meteorites.

Physical characteristics: Brownish, wind-ablated stone, no fusion crust preserved.

Petrography: (B. Hofmann, NMBE, Å. Rosén, Bern, E. Gnos, MHNGE): The stone consists of dominant olivine and minor pigeonite (~3:1) with rare augite inclusions. Both olivine and pyroxene are, with few exceptions, recrystallized, showing a granular texture with mosaicism, having an average grain size of 50 μm (N = 160). The shape of primary silicate grains is discernable. Recrystallized primary olivine grains preserve reduced Fe-poor rims with minute inclusions of Fe metal, mostly oxidized due to weathering. Larger metal at grain boundaries is completely weathered. Carbon platelets (to 1 mm length) consist of dominant diamond and some graphite.

Geochemistry: (Å. Rosén, Bern) Non-reduced olivines are Fa_23.3±2.2 , Cr₂O₃ 0.64±0.13 wt%, (N = 81) remnant reduced areas are Fa_9.7±3.2 (N = 11). Pigeonite has Fs_11.7±1.4Wo_9.2±2.5, Cr₂O₃ 1.32±0.10 wt% (N = 41).

Classification: Based on texture and mineralogy this is a strongly shocked and annealed, unbrecciated ureilite. Strongly weathered.

Specimens: All at NMBE