Hammadah al Hamra meteorite (HaH 280), Hamadah al Hamra, Al Jabal al Gharbi District, Libya

Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):	28° 28' 13'' North , 12° 58' 18'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):	28.47028,12.97194
Other regions containing this locality:	Northwest Africa Meteorites Sahara Desert, North Africa
Non-native locality type:	Meteorite
Meteorite Type:	CK4 chondrite
Köppen climate type:	BWh : Hot deserts climate

Carbonaceous chondrite (CK4; S2; W2)
Find, 2000, 26.5 kg

Twenty pieces of a single stone were recovered. In a hand lens dark chondrules are visible in a fine-grained matrix rich in silicates. The olivine is largely equilibrated (Fa 32.3), but pyroxene is more variable in composition. Cr-rich magnetite is ubiquitous, often accompanied by ilmenite and spinel exsolution lamellae. Minor sulfides include pentlandite and rare chalcopyrite. Evidence of shock is pervasive — olivine displays undulose extinction and opaque veins are frequently present. Occasional plagioclase- and pyroxene-rich CAIs with layered hercynite are present.

Hammadah al Hamra is the second-most massive of the CK (Karoonda-like) carbonaceous chondrites. The CK chondrites are distinguished, among other things, by their abundant matrix (~75 vol%) and relatively high degree of oxidation. Unlike the great majority of carbonaceous chondrites, most CK chondrites have been metamorphosed to petrologic type 4 or higher.

Mineral List

6 valid minerals.

Meteorite/Rock Types Recorded

References

External Links