Meteorite Gyarub Zangbo – China

The Gyarub Zangbo meteorite is a pallasite discovered in October 2020 by Mr. Tulga during exploration of the uninhabited area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, northeast of the Gyarub Zangbo River in Tibet, China. Several scattered fragments composed of olivine and metal were found, as well as a larger metal-rich specimen nearby. The total weight of the material found was approximately 17.6 kg.

Pallasites are rare rock-iron meteorites composed mainly of olivine and iron-nickel metal. They are thought to have formed in the core-shell interface region of planetesimals, making them valuable objects for the study of early planetary differentiation processes.

Analyses have shown that the olivine in the Gyarub Zangbo meteorite is homogeneous with a fayalite content of about 21.6 mol%. The metallic component contains about 15.8% nickel and trace amounts of other elements such as cobalt, copper and germanium. The isotopic composition of oxygen and chromium suggests that this meteorite is closely related to carbonaceous chondrites, making it an anomalous carbonaceous pallasite.

Pallasite-type meteorites are very rare. Only about 200 specimens are known, representing less than 0.2% of all classified meteorites. Their unique composition and structure provide valuable information about the processes involved in planetesimal formation and differentiation of planetary bodies.