Northeast Africa 007 (NEA 007)

Libya

Purchased: 2016 Nov

Classification: Iron meteorite (IIAB)

History: Purchased by the owner in Zagora in November 2016. Reportedly found by the seller in Libya.

Physical characteristics: The main mass is elongate and shaped like an axeblade. It has a dark brown, dimpled exterior.

Petrography: Polished and etched surfaces display equant grains of kamacite up to ~0.5 cm in diameter, with 120° junctions. Equilibrated texture is also present at the <50 μm scale. Inclusions of euhedral schreibersite up to 0.5 mm are present throughout. One cut surface shows a vein of schreibersite ~0.7 cm wide and 4 cm long, offset by planar shear surfaces.

Geochemistry: ICP-MS data, using sample of North Chile (Filomena) as standard (C. Herd and G. Chen UAb): Ni = 6.3, Co = 0.47 (both wt%); Ir = 0.02, Ga = 53, As = 9.45, W = 0.7, Re < 0.008, Os < 0.04, Cu = 97, Au = 1.3 (all μg/g).

Classification: (C. Herd, UAb): IIAB iron. Composition is consistent with the low-Ir end of the IIAB group. Texture suggests recrystallization as a result of shock heating.

Specimens: Type specimen consisting of a representative slice (15.2 g) and several small pieces (total 20.5 g) at UAb. Main mass with Kuntz.