The Jiddat al Harasis 073 strewn field, Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Abstract-The recently discovered Jiddat al Harasis (JaH) 073 strewn field is the largest found so far in the Sultanate of Oman, covering an area of 19 × 6 km. The 3463 single stones collected range in weight from 52.2 kg down to <1 g (total weight 600.8 kg) and show a pronounced mass sorting. The strewn field shape can be approximated by a NW-SE-oriented ellipsoid, indicating an atmospheric entry from SE at a low angle relative to the surface. The meteorite belongs to the L6 ordinary chondrite group and shows S4 average shock grade. Smaller stones generally show a higher weathering grade resulting in a spread from W2 and W4. Enhanced weathering of the stones causing fragmentation after the fall is observed in sandy depressions. Five 14 C measurements on stones of variable size and weathering grade yielded 14 C from 3.8 to 49.9 dpm/kg. Three samples give a 14 C/ 10 Be age consistent with about 14.4 ka. For two samples the cosmogenic, trapped, and radiogenic noble gases were measured. The ratio of the 4 He and 40 Ar gas retention ages of 0.29 ± 0.10 and that of the 3 He and 21 Ne cosmic ray exposure ages of 0.36 ± 0.08 Ma indicate that JaH 073 experienced a complex exposure history and lost 4 He and 40 Ar due to a major collision. Fragmentation statistics indicate a single major atmospheric disruption and an originally relatively spherical shape of the object. Assuming the material collected represents the majority of fallen mass, and 90-99% of the original weight was lost by ablation, the pre-atmospheric minimum radius of the meteoroid with density 3.4 g cm −3 would have been at least 75 cm.

“Sweating meteorites”—Water‐soluble salts and temperature variation in ordinary chondrites and soil from the hot desert of Oman

“…In the 15 analyzed samples of the JaH 091 meteorite shower, we observed a high variation in absolute and relative concentrations of water‐soluble salts, consistent with earlier observations of different degrees of weathering in different individuals of a single meteorite shower (Gnos et al. ). The concentration range of the ML091 series is similar to the samples from the MLO series.…”

Cosmogenic radionuclides in L5 and LL5 chondrites from Queen Alexandra Range, Antarctica: Identification of a large L/LL5 chondrite shower with a preatmospheric mass of approximately 50,000 kg

“…The L chondrite showers of Mbale (Jenniskens et al. 1994) and JaH 073 (Gnos et al. 2009) yield d m values around 3, consistent with spherical objects (Oddershedde et al.…”

Description of a very dense meteorite collection area in western Atacama: Insight into the long‐term composition of the meteorite flux to Earth

“…Individual search areas are rather small (less than one twentieth of km²) compared with strewn fields of a given fall (up to a few dozen km 2 ; Gnos et al. ). As explained in Halliday et al.…”