Ramlat Fasad 574        19°03.823’N, 53°23.753’E

Zufar, Oman

Find: 29 Jan 2016

Classification: Relict meteorite (Relict iron)

History: Found during a search for meteorites. 1855 g were collected on the surface. An additional 341 g of buried fragments were collected in 2017 using a metal detector.

Physical characteristics: A large number of black angular fragments were found in close proximity, partly buried in soil. Mass of largest fragment 348.9 g. Strongly magnetic.

Petrography: Lamellar mixture of magnetite, maghemite and iron hydroxides with small relict inclusions of kamacite, taenite and schreibersite.

Geochemistry: Bulk analysis (Activation laboratories, INAA) Fe = 56.1, Ni = 8.04, Co = 0.34 (all wt%); Cr = 39, Cu = 92, Ga = 17, Ge <10, Ir = 0.66, Pt = 17, Au = 0.45 (all μg/g). LA-ICP-MS analyses show inhomogeneous distribution of Ni and Co in Fe-oxyhydroxides with Ni = 5.76±2.34, range 3.7-8.7 wt%, Co = 0.47±0.11, range 0.37-0.71 (all wt%, N = 10). Compositions of relcit primary phases (EDS) kamacite Ni = 6.60±0.97 wt% (N = 10), taenite Ni = 30.2±6.0 wt% (N = 23), schreibersite has molar Ni/(Ni+Fe) of 0.37±0.04 (N = 35).

Classification: Relict iron meteorite. Element concentrations affected by terrestrial weathering. Probably paired with Ramlat Fasad 575 found at a distance of 156 m.

Specimens: 438 g at NMBE. Main mass: MHTO.