Wabar - Hypervelocity Impact Crater

Alternate Names
Local Language
Coordinates 21° 29' 58" N; 50° 28' 7" E
Notes
  1. 5 structures in the sands of Rub' Al Khali in SE Saudi Arabia.
Country Saudi Arabia
Region Eastern Province
Date Confirmed 1933
Notes
  1. Confirmed by recovery of impactor fragments and "silica-glass" which were later confirmed as stishovite, coesite, and lechatelierite (Philby, 1933). See also (Spencer, 1933) for a summary with references to 1932 paper.
Buried? No
Notes
  1. All but the largest crater have been concealed by desert sands (McCall, 1977).
Drilled? No
Target Type Sedimentary
Notes
  1. The sand composition was predominantly quartz at the time of impact; within the sand sheet of the northern Rub Al-Khali. No bedrock involved (Shoemaker and Wynn, 1977). Loosely consolidated sand. Cenozoic.
Sub-Type Sand
Apparent Crater Diameter (km) 116 m
Age (Ma) ~0.0003
Notes :
  1. Luminescence dating of impactite and quartz-sand samples suggest a recent age of 290 ± 38 years (Prescott et al. 2004). Additional age constraints: Could be linked to a fireball sighting in 1863 (158 years ago, 0.000158 Ma) [Philby, 1933 according to (Prescott et al. 2004)]. Curiosly, (Philby, 1933) reports both that a piece of meteorite was sold in 1885, and that the meteorite was seen falling in 1863. The 1885 meteorite was not definitively linked to Wabar until (Grady, 2000). Details and discussion in (Prescott et al. 2004). Could be linked to a fireball sighting on 1 September 1704 (317 years ago, 0.000317 Ma) (Basurah, 2003)(Prescott et al., 2004). 0.006 ± 0.002 Ma (6400 years ago) by fission track applied to impact glasses (Storzer, 1971), but believed to be too old according to field relationships described by (Wynn and Shoemaker, 1997) and by (Shoemaker and Wynn, 1997).

Method :
  1. Luminescence
Impactor Type Iron, IIIAB
Notes
  1. In 250 spherules, Fe, Ni and Co are abundant and indicate IIIA medium octahedrite (Gibbons et al., 1976). Meteorites recovered.

Advanced Data Fields

Notes

Erosion
2
  1. Partial erosion by wind and sand had occurred prior to burial (McCall, 1977).
Final Rim Diameter
116 m
Apparent Rim Diameter
116 m
  1. 3 craters in field. Size from (Shoemaker and Wynn, 1997). Dimensions for the 3 craters are 116 m, 64 m, and 11 m (McCall, 1977). Field work suggests there may be additional craters buried beneath the sand dunes (Prescott et al., 2004).
Rim Reliability Index
1
Crater Morphology
Central Uplift Diameter
km
Central Uplift Height
Unknown
Uplift Reliability Index
Structural Uplift
Unknown
Thickness of Seds
Target Age
Palaeozoic
Marine
No
Impactor Type
Iron, IIIAB
  1. In 250 spherules, Fe, Ni and Co are abundant and indicate IIIA medium octahedrite (Gibbons et al., 1976). Meteorites recovered.
Other Shock Metamorphism
Lechatelierite
  1. The absence of diaplectic quartz in studied shock-lithified sand from Wabar indicates a direct transition from strongly shocked quartz grains to lechatelierite (Gnos et al., 2013).
Shatter Cones
No
  1. No confirmed shatter cones. The unconsolidated nature of the target indicates that the formation of slickensides, radial striations (resembling shatter cones), and extensional cracks must postdate shock lithification (Gnos et al., 2013).
Planar Fractures
Yes
  1. PF in quartz found in shock-lithified material from the two larger craters (Gnos et al., 2013).
Planar Deformation Features
Yes
  1. PDF in quartz grains from clasts (Horz et al., 1989). Undecorated PDF in quartz found in the shock-lithified material of the two larger craters (Gnos et al., 2013). See Table 2 (Gnos et al., 2013) for PDF orientations.
Diaplectic Glass
No
  1. The absence of diaplectic quartz in studied shock-lithified sand from Wabar indicates a direct transition from strongly shocked quartz grains to lechatelierite (Gnos et al., 2013).
Coesite
Yes
  1. Coesite found in shock-lithified material from the two larger craters (Gnos et al., 2013). Coesite confirmed with XRD (Chao et al., 1961) (Prescott et al., 2004).
Stisovite
Yes
  1. Stishovite found in shock-lithified material from the two larger craters (Gnos et al., 2013).
Crater Fill
  1. Impact Glass from airburst in distal ejecta (Mittlefehldt et al., 1992) (Newsome and Boslough, 2008). Shock-Lithified and Shock-Melted Sand; mm-sized melt droplets dominate distal parts of ejecta field (Fig. 5; Gnos et al 2013). Millimeter-sized melt droplets as distal ejecta (Gnos et al 2013). Isolated melt beads (G) with spherules (S) as proximal ejecta (Gibbons et al., 1976) (Hörz et al., 1989) (Gnos et al 2013). Ballistic beads (glass) have siderophile contents, vesicles, clasts, Fe-Ni spherules which indicate hotter liquids than the massive main melts (Horz et al, 1991).
Proximal Ejecta
G, S
Distal Ejecta
T
Dykes
Volume of Melt
Depth of Melting

References

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C M Bartrum (1932) Meteorite craters in Arabia and Ashanti, British Astronomical Association Journal 42, p. 398-399

L J Spencer (1933) Meteoric iron and silica glass from the meteorite craters of Henbury (central Australia) and Wabar (Arabia), Mineralogical Magazine 23(142), p. 387-404, Mineralogical Society, London, url

W Halbfass (1933) Ein Meteoritenkrater in Suedarabien, Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen 3-4, p. 72, VEB Hermann Haack Geographisch-Kartographische Anstalt Gotha/Leipzig, Gotha-Leipzig

W Halbfass (1933) Ein Meteoritenkrater in Suedarabien, Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen 3-4, p. 72, VEB Hermann Haack Geographisch-Kartographische Anstalt Gotha/Leipzig, Gotha-Leipzig

L J Spencer (1933) Meteoric irons and silica glass from the meteorite craters of Henbury, central Australia, and Wabar, Arabia (German abs.), Zentralblatt fuer Mineralogie, Geologie und Palaeontologie, Abteilung A, Mineralogie und Petrographie 4, p. 142-143, [E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung], Stuttgart, url

L J Spencer (1958) Origin of chondrules in meteoritic stones, Nature (London) 181(4610), p. 680-681, Macmillan Journals, London, url

E C T Chao, J J Fahey, J Littler (1961) Coesite from Wabar crater, near Al Hadida, Arabia, Science 133(3456), p. 882-883, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC, url

D A Holm (1962) New meteorite localities in the Rub al Khali, Saudi Arabia, American Journal of Science1 260, p. 303-309, url

N M Short (1966) Shock-lithification of unconsolidated rock materials, Science 154(3747), p. 382-384, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC, url

C B Sclar, N M Short, G G Cocks (1968) Shock-wave damage in quartz as revealed by electron and incident-light microscopy, Shock metamorphism of natural materials, Bevan French, Nicholas M Short (ed.)

R Brett (1968) Metallic spherules in impactite and tektite glasses, Shock metamorphism of natural materials, Bevan French, Nicholas M Short (ed.), p. 623, pdf

I T Zotkin (1969) "Moon" craters on the Earth (in Russian), Priroda 6, p. 95-105

I T Zotkin, V I Tsvetkov (1970) Searches for meteorite craters on the Earth (in Russian), Astronomicheskii Vestnik 4, p. 55-56

U B Marvin (1976) The impact of Wabar, International Geological Congress, Abstracts--Congres Geologique Internationale, Resumes(25, Vol. 3), p. 925, [International Geological Congress], [location varies]

R V Gibbons, F Horz, T D Thompson, D E Browlee (1976) Metal spherules in Wabar, Monturaqui, and Henbury impactites, Proceedings of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 7th, p. 863-880, url

L J Spencer, M H Hey (1977) Meteoric iron and silica-glass from the meteorite craters of Henbury (central Australia) and Wabar (Arabia), Meteorite craters, G J H McCall (ed.), Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Stroudsburg, Pa., pdf

G J H McCall (1977) The Wabar craters, Meteorite craters, G J H McCall (ed.), Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Stroudsburg, Pa.

A A Val'ter, E P Gurov (1978) The system of mineralogical indicators in factors of shock metamorphism in granitoid rocks (in Russian), Kosmicheskaya mineralogiya 11, p. 92-102

F W Wright, P W Hodge (1981) A comparison of the composition and morphology of spherules from meteorite craters with those of deep sea spherules, Meteoritics 16(4), p. 405, Arizona State University, Center for Meteorite Studies, Tempe, AZ, url

E P Gurov, E P Gurova (1987) Impact structures on Earth's surface (in Russian), Geologicheskii Zhurnal 47, p. 117-124

T H See, F Hoerz, A V Murali (1988) Two types of impact melt from the Wabar Crater, Saudi Arabia, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 19, Part 3, p. 1053-1054, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

I G Kapustkina, V I Fel'dman (1988) Some geochemical aspects of projectile reconstruction, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 19, Part 2, p. 579-580, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

P H Johnson, D Bogard, F Hoerz (1988) Shock-implanted noble gases in samples from the Wabar impact crater; implications for other terrestrial craters and the surface of Mars, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 19, Part 2, p. 557-558, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

I G Kaputskina, V I Fel'dman (1988) Fractionation of meteoritic material in the impact process (in Russian), Geokhimiya 11, p. 1547-1557

J F McHone, R S Dietz (1988) Arabian Peninsula; known and suspected impact structures, LPI Contribution 665, p. D-1, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, url

A V Murali, T H See, D P Blanchard (1988) Precursor of the Wabar Crater glasses?, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 19, Part 2, p. 815-816, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

C A Wood, R A F Grieve (1988) Surface morphology of terrestrial impact craters as viewed from orbit, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 19, Part 3, p. 1290-1291, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

T H See, D W Mittlefehldt, F Hoerz (1989) Analysis of aeroballisticaly dispersed glass samples from Wabar Crater, Saudi Arabia, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 20, Part 3, p. 980-981, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

D Bogard, F Hoerz, P Johnson (1989) Shock-implanted noble gases; II, Additional experimental studies and recognition in naturally shocked terrestrial materials, Meteoritics 24(2), p. 113-123, Arizona State University, Center for Meteorite Studies, Tempe, AZ, url

F Horz, T H See, A V Murali, D P Blachard (1989) Heterogeneous dissemination of projectile materials in the impact melts from Wabar Crater, Saudi Arabia, Proceedings of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 19, Graham Ryder, Virgil L Sharpton (ed.), p. 697-709, Pergamon, New York, NY, url

T H See, D W Mittlefehldt, F Hoerz, J T Wasson (1990) Projectile dissemination and fractionation at Wabar Crater, Saudi Arabia, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 21, p. 1123-1124, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

F Horz, D W Mittlefehldt, T H See (1991) Dissemination and fractionation of projectile material in impact melts from the Wabar Crater, Saudi Arabia, LPI Contribution 766, p. 94, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, url

R A F Grieve (1992) Projectile identification in impact melts, Meteoritics 27(4), p. 324, Arizona State University, Center for Meteorite Studies, Tempe, AZ, url

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S Xue, G F Herzog, G S Hall (1993) Stable nickel isotopes in fusion crusts form iron meteorities and from metallic particles in a black Wabar impact glass, Meteoritics 28, p. 462, url

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G A Swayze, R F Kokaly (1999) Spectral detection of a 2.25-micron absorption band in impactites formed from siliceous sediments; a new way to locate shocked materials, Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America 31(7), p. 122, Geological Society of America (GSA), Boulder, CO

M C L Rocca, G J Consolmagno (2001) A Wabar like site in eastern Uruguay?, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 36(9, Suppl.), p. 176, Meteoritical Society, Fayetteville, AR, url

J C Wynn (2002) Mapping an iron-meteorite impact site with a magnetometer, and implications for the probability of a catastrophic impact on Earth, Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophyiscs 7(4), p. 143-150, url

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E Gnos, B A Hofmann, M Al-Shanti, M Al-Halawani (2009) Meteorite exploration in Saudi Arabia 2008; Yabrin area and a visit to the Wabar Craters, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 44, SUPPL., p. 0-Abstract 5016, Meteoritical Society, Fayetteville, AR, url

M Schmieder, W Muller, E Buchner (2011) Nalbach (Saarland, Germany) and Wabar (Saudi Arabia) Glass -- Two of a Kind?, 74th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, p. 5059, url

E Gnos, B A Hofmann, M A Halawani, Y Tarabulsi, M Hakeem, M Al-Shanti, N D Greber, S Holm, Carl Alwmark, R C Greenwood, K Ramseyer (2013) The Wabar impact craters, Saudi Arabia, revisited, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 48(10), p. 2000-2014, Meteoritical Society, Fayetteville, AR, url, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/maps.12218

C Hamann, L Hecht, M Ebert, R Wirth (2013) Chemical projectile-target interaction and liquid immiscibility in impact glass from the Wabar Craters, Saudi Arabia, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 121, p. 291-310, Elsevier, New York, NY, url, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.07.030

L Hecht, C Hamann, D Schultze, M Ebert, W U Reimold, R Wirth (2013) Liquid immiscibility and disequilibrium in textures in Quenched impact melt of the Wabar and Tenoumer craters, Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution V, p. 3115, pdf

Aryavart Anand, Klaus Mezger, Beda Hofmann (2024) Impactor identification with spallogenic Cr isotopes: The Wabar impact craters (Saudi Arabia), Meteoritics & Planetary Science 59(10), p. 2651-2659, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, url, doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14242