Meteorites from the United Arab Emirates: Description, weathering, and terrestrial ages

Abstract

We report on the first meteorite search campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The geology and proximity of our search region suggest that it is the north-western extension of the Oman meteorite fields. We found 26 ordinary chondrites, bringing the total number of official meteorites from the UAE to 28. The campaign was organized and conducted in close cooperation with the UAE government and the main masses of the meteorites remained in the country where they will become part of an exhibition. The bulk composition of five meteorite and three soil samples indicates an uptake of U, Mo, Sr, Ba, Li, and Pb from the soil into the meteorites during terrestrial weathering. Terrestrial ages determined from 14C decay of 21 meteorites range from recent falls to 24.4ka, with two meteorites having >37ka and approximately 39ka, respectively. Weak correlations between weathering degree, meteorite bulk chemical composition, and terrestrial age suggest highly localized weathering conditions, possibly related to abundant occurrences of sabkhas in the search region. © The Meteoritical Society, 2011.