Sample Summary - Zagami

Zagami is a large 1962 fall from Nigeria which has been extensively subdivided in recent years. It is available for research from the University of New Mexico and for purchase from dealers. It is mostly a fine-grained pyroxene-rich basalt very similar to Shergotty, consisting of 75% pyroxene (pigeonite and augite) and 18 % plagioclase glass, with minor amounts of mesostasis and oxide and accessory sulfide and phosphate. It exhibits much more textural variation than Shergotty. Normal Zagami has both fine and medium coarse grained varieties, which don't differ much in composition. There is a dark mottled lithology in one specimen which contains pockets of the DN lithology, which has the mineralogy and composition of a residual melt. There are also patches and veins of impact melt scattered throughout the meteorite. Gasses from this impact melt have the composition of martian atmosphere, making Zagami the second meteorite to make the link to the planetary parent body. Like Shergotty, amphibole has been observed in melt inclusions in pyroxene.