Lunar Meteorite: Oued El Hamim 001
from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 113 Oued El Hamim 001 (OEH 001)Ajdabiya, Libya Lunar meteorite (fragmental breccia) History: Three stones, 12.6, 6.0, and 3.78 kg, purchased by Mark Lyon from a Libyan meteorite dealer in 2024. Physical Characteristics: Three large identical appearing stones found together. Exterior is desert weathered and light brown in color, with no fusion crust present. Saw-cut polished-slice surfaces show fragments of white feldspar, clasts of various sizes, all set in a gray-green fine-grained groundmass. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) Electron microprobe analysis and imagery indicate a lunar fragmental breccia with clasts of minerals and rocklets. Major phases are plagioclase, clinopyroxene and olivine. Minor phases include Cr-spinel, ilmenite, and troilite. Altered olivines are ubiquitous. Altered olivines are reddish in color and have low microprobe totals suggesting that they have been transformed into an iddingsite-like phase. Microprobe mapping shows contact boundaries between unaltered olivine and iddingsite, supporting a secondary alteration scenario. Vesicular shock melt domains are common throughout. Geochemistry: (M. Spilde, UNM) Plagioclase An94.3±0.4Ab5.6±0.4, n=3; olivine Fa24.8±3.6, Fe/Mn=91±12, n=5; pigeonite Fs22.2±0.7Wo9.9±1.0, Fe/Mn=49±4, n=4; subcalcic augite Fs15.8±1.1Wo32.2±2.4, Fe/Mn=46±2, n=2; “altered olivine” Fa42.8±2.7, Fe/Mn=144±26, microprobe totals=91.1±1.6 (wt%), n=3. Classification: Lunar fragmental breccia with some olivines displaying features consistent with aqueous alteration. Specimens: 108 g on deposit at UNM including a large polished slice on display at the UNM Meteorite Museum, Mark Lyon holds the main mass. |
Randy Says… I have not studied Oued El Hamim 001. |
More InformationMeteoritical Bulletin Database OEH 001 |