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Shallowater

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description Shallowater Overview

An anomalous aubrite found in Lubbock County, Texas, USA, notable for its unique texture suggesting it represents a distinct parent body from all other aubrites.

help Shallowater FAQ

What kind of meteorite is Shallowater?

Shallowater is an aubrite, an enstatite achondrite composed almost entirely of the magnesium silicate mineral enstatite. Aubrites are among the most reduced meteorite types known, having formed under highly oxygen-poor conditions.

Where was the Shallowater meteorite found?

Shallowater was recovered in Lubbock County, Texas, on the southern High Plains of the United States. It has since become the type specimen for one of the few distinct aubrite parent bodies.

Why is Shallowater described as 'anomalous'?

Shallowater shows textures and mineral relationships that differ from the main-group aubrites, suggesting it originated from a separate parent body rather than the main aubrite source. It is therefore commonly called an anomalous aubrite in classification literature.

What does Shallowater tell us about its parent body?

Because Shallowater represents a distinct reduced parent body, it provides evidence that enstatite achondrite material formed on more than one asteroid in the early solar system. Its unusual brecciated texture also points to a complex history of impact, burial, and slow cooling on that body.

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