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El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia i
Regional Level Types
El Ali meteorite Meteorite Fall Location
Hiran Region Region
Somalia Country

Regional Level Types
El Ali meteorite	Meteorite Fall Location
Hiran Region	Region
Somalia	Country

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Olsenite, etc.

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia

Elkinstantonite, etc.

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia

Elaliite, etc.

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia

Olsenite, etc.

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia

Elkinstantonite, etc.

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia

Elaliite, etc.

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia

Olsenite, etc.

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia

Elkinstantonite, etc.

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia

Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):

4° 17' 17'' North , 44° 53' 53'' East

Latitude & Longitude (decimal):

4.28806,44.89833

GRN:

N03E32

Type:

Meteorite Fall Location

Meteorite Class:

IAB complex iron meteorite

Meteoritical Society Class:

Iron, IAB complex

Metbull:

View entry in Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Köppen climate type:

BSh : Hot semi-arid (steppe) climate

Nearest Settlements:

Place	Population	Distance
Tayeeglow	2,119 (2012)	52.3km
Beledweyne	55,410 (2017)	60.2km

Mindat Locality ID:

426438

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:2:426438:8

GUID (UUID V4):

The local herders near El Ali report that they had knowledge of this rock for more than 5-7 generations memorialized through Saar folklore, songs, dances and poems. The El Ali meteorite is a 15.2 metric-ton iron meteorite from Somalia, originally known by herders and others in the region as “Nightfall.”

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List

ⓘ Elaliite (TL)

ⓘ Elkinstantonite (TL)

10 valid minerals. 3 (TL) - type locality of valid minerals.

Meteorite/Rock Types Recorded

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

ⓘ IAB complex iron meteorite

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Elaliite (TL)

Formula: (Fe²⁺₈Fe³⁺)(PO₄)O₈

Type Locality:

References:

Miyawaki, Ritsuro, Hatert, Frédéric, Pasero, Marco, Mills, Stuart J. (2022) IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) – Newsletter 70. European Journal of Mineralogy, 34 (6) 591-601 doi:10.5194/ejm-34-591-2022

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

Herd, Christopher DK, Ma, Chi, Locock, Andrew J, Saini, Radhika, Walton, Erin L (2024) Three new iron-phosphate minerals from the El Ali iron meteorite, Somalia: Elaliite F e 8 2+ Fe3+ (PO4) O8, elkinstantonite Fe4 (PO4) 2O, and olsenite KFe4 (PO4) 3. American Mineralogist, 109 (12). 2142-2151

ⓘ Elkinstantonite (TL)

Formula: Fe₄(PO₄)₂O

Type Locality:

References:

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

ⓘ Graftonite

Formula: Fe²⁺Fe²⁺₂(PO₄)₂

References:

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

ⓘ Hematite

Formula: Fe₂O₃

Description: Terrestrial weathering product

References:

ⓘ Magnetite

Formula: Fe²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄

References:

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

ⓘ Native Iron

Formula: Fe

References:

Gattacceca J., McCubbin F.M., Grossman J., Bouvier A., Chabot N.L., D'Orazio M., Goodrich C., Greshake A., Gross J., Komatsu M., Miao B., and Schrader D. (2022) The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 1-4

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

ⓘ Native Iron var. Kamacite

Formula: (Fe,Ni)

References:

ⓘ Olsenite (TL)

Formula: KFe₄(PO₄)₃

Type Locality:

References:

Bosi, Ferdinando; Miyawaki, Ritsuro; Hatert, Frédéric; Pasero, Marco; Mills, Stuart J. (2023) IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) – Newsletter 71. European Journal of Mineralogy, 35 (1). 75-79 doi:10.5194/ejm-35-75-2023

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

ⓘ Sarcopside

Formula: Fe²⁺₃(PO₄)₂

References:

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

ⓘ Troilite

Formula: FeS

References:

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

ⓘ Wüstite

Formula: FeO

References:

Ma, C, Herd, CDK, Locock, AJ (2023) Nanomineralogy of the El Ali Meteorite: Discovery of Olsenite, KFe4 (PO4) 3, the Third New Mineral from this IAB Iron. LPI Contributions, 2806. 1883

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘ	Native Iron	1.AE.05	Fe
ⓘ	var. Kamacite	1.AE.05	(Fe,Ni)
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘ	Troilite	2.CC.10	FeS
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘ	Wüstite	4.AB.25	FeO
ⓘ	Magnetite	4.BB.05	Fe²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄
ⓘ	Hematite	4.CB.05	Fe₂O₃
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘ	Olsenite (TL)	8.AB.	KFe₄(PO₄)₃
ⓘ	Sarcopside	8.AB.15	Fe²⁺₃(PO₄)₂
ⓘ	Graftonite	8.AB.20	Fe²⁺Fe²⁺₂(PO₄)₂
ⓘ	Elaliite (TL)	8.BC.	(Fe²⁺₈Fe³⁺)(PO₄)O₈
ⓘ	Elkinstantonite (TL)	8.BC.	Fe₄(PO₄)₂O

List of minerals for each chemical element

O	Oxygen
O	ⓘ Graftonite	Fe²⁺Fe₂²⁺(PO₄)₂
O	ⓘ Hematite	Fe₂O₃
O	ⓘ Magnetite	Fe²⁺Fe₂³⁺O₄
O	ⓘ Sarcopside	Fe₃²⁺(PO₄)₂
O	ⓘ Wüstite	FeO
O	ⓘ Elaliite	(Fe₈²⁺Fe³⁺)(PO₄)O₈
O	ⓘ Elkinstantonite	Fe₄(PO₄)₂O
O	ⓘ Olsenite	KFe₄(PO₄)₃
P	Phosphorus
P	ⓘ Graftonite	Fe²⁺Fe₂²⁺(PO₄)₂
P	ⓘ Sarcopside	Fe₃²⁺(PO₄)₂
P	ⓘ Elaliite	(Fe₈²⁺Fe³⁺)(PO₄)O₈
P	ⓘ Elkinstantonite	Fe₄(PO₄)₂O
P	ⓘ Olsenite	KFe₄(PO₄)₃
S	Sulfur
S	ⓘ Troilite	FeS
K	Potassium
K	ⓘ Olsenite	KFe₄(PO₄)₃
Fe	Iron
Fe	ⓘ Graftonite	Fe²⁺Fe₂²⁺(PO₄)₂
Fe	ⓘ Hematite	Fe₂O₃
Fe	ⓘ Native Iron	Fe
Fe	ⓘ Native Iron var. Kamacite	(Fe,Ni)
Fe	ⓘ Magnetite	Fe²⁺Fe₂³⁺O₄
Fe	ⓘ Sarcopside	Fe₃²⁺(PO₄)₂
Fe	ⓘ Troilite	FeS
Fe	ⓘ Wüstite	FeO
Fe	ⓘ Elaliite	(Fe₈²⁺Fe³⁺)(PO₄)O₈
Fe	ⓘ Elkinstantonite	Fe₄(PO₄)₂O
Fe	ⓘ Olsenite	KFe₄(PO₄)₃
Ni	Nickel
Ni	ⓘ Native Iron var. Kamacite	(Fe,Ni)

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent

African Plate

Somali-Ogaden-Mandera Lugh basinBasin
South AzaniaOrogenic Belt

Somali PlateTectonic Plate

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El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, SomaliaiRegional Level TypesEl Ali meteoriteMeteorite Fall Location Hiran RegionRegion SomaliaCountry 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

El Ali meteorite, Hiran Region, Somalia i
Regional Level Types
El Ali meteorite Meteorite Fall Location
Hiran Region Region
Somalia Country