Lunar Meteorite: Arabian Peninsula 007

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 108

Arabian Peninsula 007 (AP 007)

Saudi Arabia
Purchased: 2017 November
Mass: 1337 g (1 piece)

Lunar (fragmental breccia)

History: A single weathered stone lacking a fusion crust was found in 2015 by a pair of local meteorite hunters in the Al Jouf region of Saudi Arabia. Purchased by Dustin Dickens in November 2017 while on expedition in the region.

Physical characteristics: Dark, sand-blasted exterior. Dark homogeneous groundmass with sub-mm sized clasts. Mm-width melt veins visible across exterior. No fusion crust.

Petrography: (T. S. Hayden, M. Anand, OU) The meteorite is a clast-rich fragmental breccia containing numerous mineral and lithic fragments embedded in a fine-grained matrix. The lithic clast population consists primarily of basaltic clasts, dominated by Ca-rich pyroxene and plagioclase and olivine. There is a large (~2.3mm) granulite clast which appears to be of the ferroan anorthosite suite, with accessory apatite and ulv_spinel. The size range of the lithic clasts is 0.24-3.41mm. Mineral clasts and fragments are mainly pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase and chromite. Some regolith material (vesicular) present also.

Mineral composition and Geochemistry: (T. S. Hayden, M. Anand, OU) Feldspar (An_96.4±0.8Ab_3.5±0.8, N = 79), Pigeonite (Fs_32.1±3.2Wo_13.6±3.2, Fe/Mn=59.4±4, N=41), Augite (Fs_25.8±5.6Wo_28.6±7.5, Fe/Mn=57.1±6.8, N=18), Olivine (Fa_41.6±9.8, Fe/Mn=103.3±10, N=116). O isotopes (measured at OU): δ¹⁷O = 3.484‰, δ¹⁸O = 6.646‰, Δ¹⁷O=-0.002‰ (linearized using a slope of 0.5247).

Classification: Lunar fragmental regolith breccia.

Specimens: 21g type specimen held at OU. Main mass held by Dustin Dickens.

Randy Says…

I have not studied AP 007. This meteorite is not likely paired with Abar al’ Uj 012, also from Saudi Arabia, as only one basalt clast was mentioned in the description of Abar al’ Uj 012.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Arabian Peninsula 007

References

Hayden T. S., Barrett T. J., Zhao X., Degli-Alessandrini G., Anand M., Franchi I. A. (2021) Chlorine and hydrogen in brecciated lunar meteorites: Implications for lunar volatile history. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 1550.