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Northwest Africa 14960
Basic information Name: Northwest Africa 14960
     This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation: NWA 14960
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2021
Country: Mauritania
Mass:help 1340 g
Classification
  history:
Meteoritical Bulletin:  MB 111  (2023)  Iron, ungrouped
Recommended:  Iron, ungrouped    [explanation]

This is 1 of 151 approved meteorites (plus 1 unapproved name) classified as Iron, ungrouped.   [show all]
Search for other: Iron meteorites, Metal-rich meteorites, and Ungrouped irons
Comments: Approved 5 Jul 2022
Writeuphelp
Writeup from MB 111:

Northwest Africa 14960 (NWA 14960)

Mauritania

Purchased: July 2021

Classification: Iron meteorite (ungrouped)

History: The single 1340 g mass was found in July 2021. A broker of this meteorite sent samples to Shun-Chung Yang for preliminary assessment by using HR-ICPMS analysis, which showed the sample to have 50% Fe, 40% Ni and 0.57% Co. Shun-Chung Yang then sent a sample to UAb for formal classification. The main mass was subsequently purchased by Aziz Habibi.

Physical characteristics: The single, irregularly-shaped mass is elongate, ~15 cm long and 2-3 cm wide. One end is red-brown, while the other is dark grey to black and appears wind-ablated.

Petrography: (C. Herd, UAb) Photos of polished and etched surfaces provided by A. Habibi show numerous elongate inclusions up to 10 mm long and several mm wide that appear to consist of troilite and schreibersite. These are set in a matrix of more reflective and less reflective metal, varying on a sub-mm scale. SEM investigation of a ~2.5 × 3 cm cross sectional slice reveals rare ~20 × 100 µm needlelike schreibersite inclusions, and irregularly shaped troilite inclusions up to 2 mm across. Troilite inclusions have granular-textures kamacite and schreibersite grains at their margins and as inclusions within the troilite. The main metal portion is high in Ni (up to 50% by EDS) and is microgranular; the less reflective area appear to be enriched in carbon.

Geochemistry: ICP-MS data, using sample of North Chile (Filomena) as standard (C. Herd, P. Hill, and S. DuFrane UAb): Ni = 37.2, Co = 0.628 (both wt%); Ir = 0.14, Ga = 2.3, Ge = 12, As = 29, Ru = 0.20, Pd = 24, Sb = 2.4, W = 0.27, Pt = 0.04, Cu = 1671, Au = 2.8 (all µg/g).

Classification: (C. Herd, UAb): Iron, ungrouped. May be related to high-Ni members of the IAB Complex.

Specimens: Type specimen of 21.0 g at UAb, 5.4 g with Juan Chen, 19.3 g with Shun-Chung Yang. Main mass with Aziz Habibi.

Data from:
  MB111
  Table 0
  Line 0:
Place of purchase:Guelmim
Date:P July 2021
Mass (g):1340
Pieces:1
Class:Iron, ungrouped
Shock stage:low
Weathering grade:low
Classifier:C. Herd, UAb
Type spec mass (g):21.0
Type spec location:UAb
Main mass:Aziz Habibi
Comments:Submitted by C. Herd
Institutions
   and collections
UAb: 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada, Canada; Website (institutional address; updated 17 Oct 2011)
Catalogs:
References: Published in Gattacceca J., McCubbin F. M., Grossman J. N., Schrader D. L., Chabot N. L., D’Orazio M., Goodrich C., Greshake A., Gross J., Joy K. H., Komatsu M. and Miao B. (2023) The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 58, 901–904. ?
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Geography:

Mauritania
Coordinates:Unknown.

Statistics:
     This is 1 of 220 approved meteorites from Mauritania (plus 2 unapproved names) (plus 2 impact craters)
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Revision
  history:
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