Dhofar 1442   19°17.5′N 54°34.4′E

Oman

Find: 2005

Lunar (KREEP-rich? impact melt breccia)

History: This meteorite was found in the desert of Oman.

Physical characteristics: Five brownish to dark green stones weighing 106.5 g in total, with no fusion crust were located within two meters of each other.

Petrography (Ivanova M. A., Lorenz C. A., and Nazarov M. A., Vernad): This meteorite is an impact melt breccia containing lithic clasts, mineral fragments, glassy spherules, granulites and melt breccias embedded in a fine-grained melt matrix. The breccia is polymict; matrix/clasts ratio varies from sample to sample of the meteorite. The lithic clast population includes anorthosites, gabbros, olivine gabbronorites, gabbro-norites and norites. KREEPy and mare basalt clasts are present. The size range of the clasts is 0.02–8 mm; major minerals are pyroxene and feldspar; minor minerals are olivine, silica, chromite, ilmenite, Ca-phosphate, troilite and FeNi metal.
Geochemistry (Ivanova M. A. and Kononkova N. N. (Vernad): Feldspar is An_73–96Ab_3.7–24.8; clinopyroxene En_2.6–69.5Wo_5.6–42.8 (Fe/Mn = 64 at.), orthopyroxene En_60.8–77.1Wo_1.2–4.1 (Fe/Mn = 69 at.), olivine Fo_39.9–72.2 (Fe/Mn = 93 at.); ilmenite (MgO 5.5 wt%); FeNi metal (Ni 8.0 wt%; Co 0.6 wt%). Average glassy matrix composition (wt%): SiO₂ 49.6; TiO₂ 1.76; Al₂O₃ 17.4; Cr₂O₃ 0.20; FeO 10.7; MnO 0.15; MgO 7.16; CaO 11.1; Na₂O 0.88; K₂O 0.76; P₂O₅ 0.84.

Classification: Lunar (KREEP-rich impact melt breccia) with minor weathering.

Type specimens: A total of 21.8 g and two thin sections are on deposit at Vernad. An anonymous buyer holds the main mass of the meteorite.