The Libyan Meteorite Population

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

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Meteorites, Metamorphism (Geology), Chemical Composition, Libya, Deserts, Impact Melts, Estimating, Petrography, Sediments, Field Of View

Scientific paper

During the last decade more than 2000 meteorites were found in the Sahara. Two extraordinary recovery areas are the Hammadah al Hamra (HH) and the Dar al Gani (DG) regions in Libya, where more than 850 meteorites were collected from 1990 to 1999 (>800 meteorites from 1994- 1999). At present, more than 750 meteorites are classified (Meteoritical Bulletins No. 71, 80-83) by detailed mineralogical and chemical studies. The classifications include the meteorite class and usually the degrees of shock metamorphism and weathering, the chemical composition of major phases (e.g., olivine and pyroxene) and striking petrographic features such as brecciation or the occurrence of shock veins or impact melts. The mentioned find sites are large, flat and almost featureless desert areas (the so-called "Regs"), covered with light-coloured sediments. The erosion rate is low as indicated by terrestrial ages of the meteorites up to 30000 years or even more. In these areas, the meteorite search is done by car. From the field of view, the average driving distance and find rate per day, a meteorite abundance of around 1.2 meteorites per square kilometer can be calculated. However, the single mass of a meteorite from the Sahara (and especially from DG and HH) is usually larger than 150g, which is, on average, higher than the typical masses of meteorites from Antarctica, Roosevelt County and Nullarbor, which range between 10 and 100g. It can be concluded that most small samples in the Sahara were overlooked and that, therefore, the meteorite abundance should be higher than the estimated value of 1.2/sq km.

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