1983 AZ. Discovered 1983 Jan. 12 by B. A. Skiff at Anderson Mesa.

Named in honor of Lawrence A. Soderblom, planetary geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. His contributions to planetary science have included research in the geologic histories of both rocky and icy planets and satellites, image processing of spacecraft imagery, and a vigorous program of lunchtime volleyball. A former chief of the U.S.G.S. Branch of Astrogeologic Sciences, he was a member of the Viking and Voyager imaging teams, the Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer Team, and the Space Science Advisory Committee. (M 7950)