Ali H. EGEH^1,2
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14382]
¹Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Somali National University (SNU), Mogadishu, Somalia
²Geoscience, Almaas University (AU), Mogadishu, Somalia
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The El Ali meteorite, a colossal 15.2 t iron meteorite, was discovered in an area characterized by bushy calcareous evaporates (sedimentary distinctive textures, which align with the description of the meteorite’s find location) near the town of El Ali in West Hiran, Somalia. This paper delves into the fascinating history of this meteorite, tracing its path from obscurity to international prominence and then to the tragedy of losing a local people’s symbol and heritage. For centuries, nomadic local people have used the rusty brown rock as a humble whetstone or honing stone. However, over time it has transformed into a symbol of local heritage and resilience named the “Shiid-birood.” In 2022, a pivotal moment occurred when the meteorite was classified and three previously unknown minerals—elaliite, elkinstantonite, and olsenite—were identified in the meteorite. These findings sparked international media attention to the El Ali meteorite, leading to its official recognition by the Meteoritical Society. Almaas University researchers were the first to interact with the meteorite in Mogadishu, Somalia, and provided initial descriptions, properties, and measurements of the meteorite. Remarkably, the El Ali meteorite ranks as the ninth largest meteorite globally, weighing an impressive 15.2 t. However, secrecy and uncertainty surround its fate. The meteorite has been exported to China, leaving Somalia bereft of its cultural and natural heritage significance. Will it be cut into pieces or preserved intact for exhibitions and future scientific studies? Perhaps, there is still some hope to ensure its return to its rightful place of origin—Somalia.

Luca BINDI¹ et al. (>10)
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14377]
¹Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita di Firenze, Florence, Italy
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

We report the discovery of (Al,Cu)-bearing metallic alloys in two micrometeorites found in the Project Stardust collection gathered from urban rooftop environments in Norway. Most of the alloys are the same as those found in the Khatyrka meteorite and other micrometeorites, though one has a composition that has not been reported previously. Oxygen isotope ratio measurements using secondary ion mass spectrometry show that the Project Stardust samples reported here, like all earlier examples of natural (Al,Cu)-bearing alloys, contain material of chondritic affinity.

Tatsuhiro Michikami^a, Axel Hagermann^b
Icarus (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116693]
^aFaculty of Engineering, Kindai University, Hiroshima Campus, 1 Takaya Umenobe, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-2116, Japan
^bLuleå University of Technology, Space Campus, 981 28 Kiruna, Sweden
Copyright Elsevier

In planetary science, the statistical properties of spatial distributions are frequently examined to understand the formation and evolution of a body’s surface. The surfaces of the asteroids directly explored by spacecraft are covered with numerous boulders and/or regolith particles. However, the spatial distribution of these boulders has not been statistically studied, although much statistical research has been done on the spatial distributions of craters. Thus, it is not known whether the spatial distribution of boulders on asteroids explored by spacecraft is random or not. Squyres et al. (1997) developed a simple model of crater formation and obliteration based on several assumptions, but some of their assumptions do not hold for boulders. In this study, we construct a simple model of the spatial distribution of boulders by verifying some assumptions, and investigate the effect of various assumptions and parameter variations on the model results. From these quantitative calculations, we investigate the spatial distribution of boulders on the asteroids Eros, Ryugu, and Itokawa. Our quantitative results show that boulders on Eros are spatially clustered at the 95 % confidence level. On the other hand, on Ryugu and Itokawa, decameter-sized boulders are spatially less clustered, while meter-sized small boulders are spatially clustered, all at the 95 % confidence level. This suggests that the clustered spatial distribution of small boulders on Ryugu and Itokawa can be explained by their migration.

James M. D. DAY¹, Hunter R. EDWARDS¹, Kim TAIT² , and Carl B. AGEE³
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14378]
¹Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
²Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
³University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

To understand chemical variability within individual martian meteorites, we report major, minor, trace, and highly siderophile element abundances, as well as ¹⁸⁷Re-¹⁸⁷Os, for four separate rock fragments of gabbroic shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 6963. The compositions of these aliquots are consistent with data for NWA 6963 from Filiberto et al. (2018). Data reported for NWA 6963 in Day et al. (2018) and Tait and Day (2018) should no longer be used due to doubt in provenance of the sample fragment used in those studies. Genuine fragments of NWA 6963 show significant variability in elements due to different modal proportions of minerals. Terrestrial weathering effects appear to be most pronounced for Ba and Pb. The age and composition of NWA 6963 indicate that it may be related to enriched basaltic shergottites and some olivine–phyric and poikilitic shergottites that are referred to here as the “enriched shergottite group.” The ¹⁸⁷Re-¹⁸⁷Os systematics of the enriched shergottite group all conform to generation at ~180 million years from the same or similar mantle sources with long-term Re/Os enrichment on Mars. They show coherent fractional crystallization trends in plots of compatible elements with the possibility for impact-contaminated regolith assimilation in NWA 6963. The enriched shergottite group may represent magmatism akin to terrestrial continental flood basalt provinces. Entrainment of incompatible trace element enriched upper mantle in an otherwise deeply-derived incompatible trace element depleted mantle plume head in Mars at 180 million years ago may explain the similar crystallization ages of both enriched shergottites and some intermediate shergottites.