Ordinary chondrite, brecciated w. xenoliths (LL6,br)
Fell, 7 March 1934; 23.7 kg

A mass of over 25 kg fell on the right bank of the Shawanoya river, but only 23.7 kg were recovered (largest mass, 22.3 kg). Another stone of ~8-10 kg fell ~25 km away, but was not recovered. Polished specimens reveal brownish-green fractured crystals, relic chondrules and occasional dark inclusions within a light gray matrix. Dominant olivine and accompanying orthopyroxene along with minor troilite, albitic plagioclase, and Fe-Ni metal account for most of the meteorite. Accessory chromite and other very minor opaques are also reported. Total iron (~21 wt%) and the compositions of olivine (Fa29) and orthopyroxene (variety 'hypersthene') are characteristic of the LL chondrite geochemical group. However, Friedrich et al. (2003) report that REE trends in Mangwendi are unrepresentative of most LL ordinary chondrites. A cosmic ray exposure age of ~15.0 Ma has been reported.

LL chondrites represent ~10% of all meteorite falls. As of early 2017 Mangwendi is the 8th most massive of the of 43 LL6 witnessed falls listed at the Meteoritical Bulletin Database. The main mass is with the Museum of Natural History (London).

Nota bene: The Meteoritical Bulletin Database does not report the actual mass recovered at the time [52 lb. 4 oz = 23.7 kg; Catalogue of Meteorites (1985, 2000)].

Synonym: 'Salisbury'

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List

10 valid minerals.

Meteorite/Rock Types Recorded

Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

ⓘ LL6 chondrite meteorite

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Chromite

Formula: Fe²⁺Cr³⁺₂O₄

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

ⓘ Diopside

Formula: CaMgSi₂O₆

References:

van Schmus, W.R. & Koffman, D.M. (1967) Equilibration Temperatures of Iron and Magnesium in Chondritic Meteorites: Science, New Series 155 (3765): 1009-1011. (Feb 1967).

ⓘ 'Fayalite-Forsterite Series'

Description: Olivine composition [Fa29]—Mason,1963.

References:

Mason, Brian (1963) Olivine composition in chondrites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 27 (10) 1011-1023 doi:10.1016/0016-7037(63)90062-0

van Schmus, W.R. & Koffman, D.M. (1967) Equilibration Temperatures of Iron and Magnesium in Chondritic Meteorites: Science, New Series 155 (3765): 1009-1011. (Feb 1967).

Graham, A. L., Bevan, A. W. R., Hutchison, R. (1985) Catalogue of Meteorites - With Special Reference to those Represented in the Collection of the British Museum (Natural History) (4th ed.) British Museum (Natural History), London.

ⓘ Ilmenite

Formula: Fe²⁺TiO₃

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

ⓘ Isocubanite

Formula: CuFe₂S₃

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

ⓘ Native Copper

Formula: Cu

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

ⓘ Native Iron

Formula: Fe

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

ⓘ Native Iron var. Kamacite

Formula: (Fe,Ni)

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

Sears, D.W. & Axon, H.J. (1975) Metal of high Co content in LL Chondrites. Meteoritics 11(2): 97-100. (June 1975).

ⓘ 'Orthopyroxene Subgroup'

References:

van Schmus, W.R. & Koffman, D.M. (1967) Equilibration Temperatures of Iron and Magnesium in Chondritic Meteorites: Science, New Series 155 (3765): 1009-1011. (Feb 1967).

ⓘ 'Plagioclase'

Formula: (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi₂]O₈

Description: Plagioclase composition [Or4.2 An10.3 Ab85.5], Van Schmus & Ribbe,1968.

References:

Van Schmus, W.R. & Ribbe, P.H. (1968) The composition and structural state of feldspar from chondritic meteorites: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 32 (12): 1327-1342. (Dec. 1968.)

ⓘ 'Plessite'

References:

Sears, D.W. & Axon, H.J. (1975) Metal of high Co content in LL Chondrites. Meteoritics 11(2): 97-100. (June 1975).

ⓘ Schreibersite

Formula: (Fe,Ni)₃P

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

ⓘ Spinel

Formula: MgAl₂O₄

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

ⓘ Taenite

Formula: (Fe,Ni)

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

ⓘ Troilite

Formula: FeS

References:

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘ	Native Copper	1.AA.05	Cu
ⓘ	Native Iron	1.AE.05	Fe
ⓘ	var. Kamacite	1.AE.05	(Fe,Ni)
ⓘ	Taenite	1.AE.10	(Fe,Ni)
ⓘ	Schreibersite	1.BD.05	(Fe,Ni)₃P
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘ	Isocubanite	2.CB.55b	CuFe₂S₃
ⓘ	Troilite	2.CC.10	FeS
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘ	Chromite	4.BB.05	Fe²⁺Cr³⁺₂O₄
ⓘ	Spinel	4.BB.05	MgAl₂O₄
ⓘ	Ilmenite	4.CB.05	Fe²⁺TiO₃
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘ	Diopside	9.DA.15	CaMgSi₂O₆
Unclassified
ⓘ	'Fayalite-Forsterite Series'	-
ⓘ	'Plagioclase'	-	(Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi₂]O₈
ⓘ	'Plessite'	-
ⓘ	'Orthopyroxene Subgroup'	-

List of minerals for each chemical element

O	Oxygen
O	ⓘ Chromite	Fe²⁺Cr₂³⁺O₄
O	ⓘ Diopside	CaMgSi₂O₆
O	ⓘ Ilmenite	Fe²⁺TiO₃
O	ⓘ Spinel	MgAl₂O₄
O	ⓘ Fayalite-Forsterite Series
O	ⓘ Plagioclase	(Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi₂]O₈
Na	Sodium
Na	ⓘ Plagioclase	(Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi₂]O₈
Mg	Magnesium
Mg	ⓘ Diopside	CaMgSi₂O₆
Mg	ⓘ Spinel	MgAl₂O₄
Mg	ⓘ Fayalite-Forsterite Series
Al	Aluminium
Al	ⓘ Spinel	MgAl₂O₄
Al	ⓘ Plagioclase	(Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi₂]O₈
Si	Silicon
Si	ⓘ Diopside	CaMgSi₂O₆
Si	ⓘ Fayalite-Forsterite Series
Si	ⓘ Plagioclase	(Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi₂]O₈
P	Phosphorus
P	ⓘ Schreibersite	(Fe,Ni)₃P
S	Sulfur
S	ⓘ Isocubanite	CuFe₂S₃
S	ⓘ Troilite	FeS
Ca	Calcium
Ca	ⓘ Diopside	CaMgSi₂O₆
Ca	ⓘ Plagioclase	(Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi₂]O₈
Ti	Titanium
Ti	ⓘ Ilmenite	Fe²⁺TiO₃
Cr	Chromium
Cr	ⓘ Chromite	Fe²⁺Cr₂³⁺O₄
Fe	Iron
Fe	ⓘ Chromite	Fe²⁺Cr₂³⁺O₄
Fe	ⓘ Ilmenite	Fe²⁺TiO₃
Fe	ⓘ Native Iron	Fe
Fe	ⓘ Isocubanite	CuFe₂S₃
Fe	ⓘ Native Iron var. Kamacite	(Fe,Ni)
Fe	ⓘ Schreibersite	(Fe,Ni)₃P
Fe	ⓘ Taenite	(Fe,Ni)
Fe	ⓘ Troilite	FeS
Fe	ⓘ Fayalite-Forsterite Series
Ni	Nickel
Ni	ⓘ Native Iron var. Kamacite	(Fe,Ni)
Ni	ⓘ Schreibersite	(Fe,Ni)₃P
Ni	ⓘ Taenite	(Fe,Ni)
Cu	Copper
Cu	ⓘ Native Copper	Cu
Cu	ⓘ Isocubanite	CuFe₂S₃

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent

African PlateTectonic Plate

Zimbabwe CratonCraton

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

www.lpi.usra.edu (n.d.) http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=15405

www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com (n.d.) http://www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com/test/Mangwendi_don_edwards.jpg

www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com (n.d.) http://www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com/test/15405_818_21.jpg

Friedrich, J.M., Wang, M.-S., Lipschutz, M.E. (July 2003) Chemical studies of L chondrites. V: compositional patterns for 49 trace elements in 14 L4-6 and 7 LL4-6 falls. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 67(13), 2467-2479 (July 2003).

Mason, Brian (1963) Olivine composition in chondrites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 27 (10) 1011-1023 doi:10.1016/0016-7037(63)90062-0

van Schmus, W.R. & Koffman, D.M. (1967) Equilibration Temperatures of Iron and Magnesium in Chondritic Meteorites: Science, New Series 155 (3765): 1009-1011. (Feb 1967).

Van Schmus, W.R. & Ribbe, P.H. (1968) The composition and structural state of feldspar from chondritic meteorites: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 32 (12): 1327-1342. (Dec. 1968.)

Ramdohr, Paul (1972) The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783112651025

Sears, D.W., Axon, H.J. (1975) Metal of high Co content in LL Chondrites. Meteoritics, 1(2), 97-100 (June 1975).

Graf, T. & Marti, K. (1994) Collisional records in LL-chondrites. Meteoritics 29(5): 643–648. (Sept 1994).

Grady, Monica (2000) Catalogue of Meteorites (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Quick NavTop Mineral List Rock Types Other Regions References

Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: October 19, 2026 14:50:16 Page updated: August 12, 2025 06:37:14

Go to top of page

Mangwendi meteorite, Murehwa District, Mashonaland East, ZimbabweiRegional Level TypesMangwendi meteoriteMeteorite Fall Location Murehwa DistrictDistrict Mashonaland EastProvince ZimbabweCountry function showexplain() { $("#locexplain").toggle(); if (typeof movemap === "function") movemap(); }

Select Mineral List Type

Mineral List

Meteorite/Rock Types Recorded

Select Rock List Type

Detailed Mineral List:

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

List of minerals for each chemical element

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References

Mangwendi meteorite, Murehwa District, Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe i
Regional Level Types
Mangwendi meteorite Meteorite Fall Location
Murehwa District District
Mashonaland East Province
Zimbabwe Country