Acfer 059/El Djouf 001 meteorites, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Bordj Badji Mokhtar District, Bordj Badji Mokhtar Province, Algeriai

Regional Level Types
Acfer 059/El Djouf 001 meteorites	Meteorite Fall Location
Bordj Badji Mokhtar	Commune
Bordj Badji Mokhtar District	District
Bordj Badji Mokhtar Province	Province
Algeria	Country

Paired CR2 chondrite meteorites.
El Djouf 001 [Adrar], 1.25 kg, 30 fragments
Acfer [Tamanghasset] 059,087,097,114,139,186,187,209,270,311;~1.8 kg

In 1993 with the aid of a number of coworkers, A. Bischoff spearheaded an effort which established to the satisfaction of the meteoritical community that a fragmented 1 kg meteorite found in Adrar, Algeria and a set of 10 small, somewhat scattered meteorites found in Tamanghasset, Algeria — 500 km away — were pieces of the same meteorite fall. The El Djouf 001 meteorite and the 10 Acfer meteorite fragments are still given separate listings at The Meteoritical Society's 'Meteorite Bulletin Database, but they are considered as a single meteorite in the literature. The meteorite is characterized by abundant chondrules and chondrule fragments (~ 60 vol%), very-fine grained matrix (~ 25 vol%), Fe-Ni metal (8-10 vol%), small dark clasts (~ 3-4 vol%) and rare CAI inclusions. Common properties of the chondrules, serpentine-rich phyllosilicate matrices, ubiquitous dark inclusions, unusual nitrogen isotopes, similar weathering histories, and cosmic ray exposure ages combine to set the fragments apart from other somewhat CR chondrites.

While the fragments share a plenitude of common properties, the detailed specifics of the dark inclusions are both intriguing and diverse. Hundreds have been studied and they usually represent 2-4 vol% of any given (numbered) fragment. The smectite-, magnetite-, and pyrrhotite-rich dark inclusions appear to have existed before the chondrules, metal, and matrix were brought together to form the CR parent body/bodies.

The comparatively large complement of solar wind components found in the meteorite suggest that the Acfer-El Djouf meteoroid itself appears to have existed as a very small object for about 6 million years before encountering the earth.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References