Meteorite Wabar – Saudia Arabia

The Wabar meteorite is classified as a type IIIAB iron meteorite and is known for its prominent impact crater located in southeastern Saudi Arabia, in an area called Rub' al Khali. It is one of the few known impact craters in the Arabian Peninsula. One of the largest fragments found at the site weighs 2.2 tonnes and is known as "Camel's Hump ". This fragment was found in 1966 and is now on display at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.

Wabar Craters

The Wabar Craters are a set of impact craters located in the Rub' al Khali Desert in Saudi Arabia. The explorer Harry St. John Philby discovered and first explored them in 1932 during his expedition to find the legendary city of Ubar, also known as Wabar, which is associated with the legend also known as "Atlantis of the Sands".

The craters of Wabar occupy an area of approximately 500 × 1000 metres and contain three distinctive, circular craters. The largest crater has a diameter of 116 metres and is almost completely filled with sand. The surface of the area is covered with black vitreous material and impact glass.

The Rub' al Khali area, where the craters are located, is one of the most inhospitable areas in the world. This part of Saudi Arabia is known for its extreme temperatures and huge dunes, which makes expeditions to this area very challenging and dangerous.

Dating and history

Thermoluminescence dating suggests that the impact probably occurred less than 250 years ago, which is consistent with Arab accounts of a fireball passing over Riyadh in 1863 or 1891, heading southeast. The total mass of the meteorite was over 3 500 tonnes. When the meteor hit the Earth, its relatively low velocity of 11-17 km/s caused it to break into four pieces before impact.

Composition

Analysis of the iron meteorite showed that it was composed of approximately 90% iron and 5% nickel, with other elements such as copper, cobalt and high concentrations of iridium, confirming its extraterrestrial origin.

Origins

Like most iron meteorites, the Wabar meteorite probably originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This belt is full of small asteroids and debris that can veer out of their orbits and hit Earth, leading to meteor impacts.

Attractions

Wabara pearls are small round pieces of impact glass that were formed by the immense heat and pressure that accompanied the meteorite impact. These spheres were sculpted both by the impact itself and by the subsequent action of sand and wind.