Classification: Iron IIIAB
Place/Time: 2023 in Libya
Mass: 100kg
History: Purchased from Ali Mftah who resides in Tindouf, Algeria, in May 2023. Reportedly found earlier in the year on the border between Libya and Chad.
Physical characteristics: Consists of a reported 100 kg total, including masses of 11, 8.6, 4, 3.054, 3.175, and 2.347, 2, 1.1795, 0.7947, and 0.4349 kg, as well as numerous smaller pieces totaling another 4 kg. Exterior surfaces are brown to reddish brown with deep regmaglypts.
Petrography: (C. Herd and D. Poon-Matsune, UAb) Polished and etched surfaces show a well-defined Widmanstatten pattern with bandwidth consistent with medium octahedrite (0.6±0.2, n=48). Euhedral, cm-scale schreibersite swathed with kamacite is prominent, as well as areas of plessite. One specimen shows Widmanstatten crosscut by small offsets. No alteration is evident.
Geochemistry: ICP-MS data, using sample of North Chile (Filomena) as standard (C. Herd, S. DuFrane, and D. Poon-Matsune, UAb): Ni = 10.6, Co = 0.564 (both wt%); Ir = 0.017, Ga = 17.1, Ge = 27, As = 25.2, Sb = 0.130, Ru = 1.02, Pd = 3.28, Re = 0.002, W = 0.070, Pt = 1.31, Cu = 111, Au = 2.83 (all µg/g).
Classification: (C. Herd and D. Poon-Matsune, UAb): IIIAB iron. Consistent with IIIAB iron based on element-Au plots, by comparison with Wasson et al. (1998).
Specimens: Type specimen of 82.3 g in 6 slices at UAb, provided by Shun-Chung Yang, Marcin Cimala, and Craig Zlimen. 11 kg main mass with Scott McGregor, 8.6 kg mass with Craig Zlimen, 4, 3.054, 3.175, 2.347, 1.1795, 0.7947, and 0.4349 kg masses with Jules Michels Steinke, 2 kg mass with Marcin Cimala, and 4 kg total in many smaller pieces with Shun-Chung Yang and Juan Chen.
