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Northwest Africa 6963
Basic information Name: Northwest Africa 6963
     This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation: NWA 6963
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2011
Country: Morocco
Mass:help 8 kg
Classification
  history:
Meteoritical Bulletin:  MB 100  (2012)  Martian (shergottite) 
Recommended:  Martian (shergottite)    [explanation]

This is 1 of 319 approved meteorites (plus 2 unapproved names) classified as Martian (shergottite).   [show all]
Search for other: Martian meteorites
Comments: Approved 24 Oct 2011
Revised 8 Jun 2012: New information received from H. Chennaoui
Writeuphelp
Writeup from MB 100:

Northwest Africa 6963 (NWA 6963)                         28°00.148'N   11°07.895'W

South, Morocco

Found: 2011

Classification: Martian meteorite (Shergottite)

History: (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane, FSAC) In September, 2011, a Moroccan meteorite hunter found the first pieces of NWA 6963 and sold it to AHabibi without giving the exact provenance. The hunter continued collecting pieces in the same area for about 6 months. In mid-May, 2012, the NWA 6963 locality, near the river Oued Touflit, became widely known and hundreds of meteorite hunters went to the area searching for more pieces. Pieces ranging from 100 to 700 g have been recovered, as well as a few small pieces (3-10 g), most of them are broken and partially covered by a thin fusion crust. The total mass may be as much as 8-10 kg.

Physical characteristics: The original recovered material was a shiny, dark, 83 g fusion-crusted stone in three pieces. Minimal weathering. Interior shows abundant maskelynite and shock melt vein.

Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) Microprobe examination of a polished epoxy mount shows 60% pyroxene, 35% maskelynite, 2% ulvöspinel, 2% melt pockets with silica, minor merrillite, trace chlorapatite and pyrrhotite. Pyroxenes show core-to-rim zonation. Pyroxene grains 200 μm to >1 mm, maskelynite domains 50 μm to >1 mm.

Geochemistry: (C. Agee and N. Wilson, UNM) Two distinct pyroxene compositional trends. Pigeonite Fs29Wo11En59 to Fs58Wo16En26, average: Fs39.7±7.7 Wo13.0±2.3 Fe/Mn=33±3 N=108. Augite Fs21Wo34En45 to Fs39Wo31En30, average: Fs28.1±6.2Wo31.6±1.9 Fe/Mn=31±3 N=24. Maskelynite Or2.3±0.7Ab48.3±2.1An49.4±2.6 N=9.  Oxygen isotopes (Z. Sharp, UNM): δ18O=4.332; δ17O=2.528; Δ17O=+0.241 (all per mil).

Classification: Achondrite (Martian, shergottite); minimal weathering, high shock grade based on complete transformation of plagioclase to maskelynite. Pyroxene compositional trends are similar, but not identical to Shergotty.

Specimens: 17 g including microprobe mount on deposit UNM. AHabibi holds the original recovered mass.

Data from:
  MB100
  Table 1
  Line 1558:
Place of purchase:Morocco
Date:2011
Latitude:28°00.148'N
Longitude:11°07.895'W
Mass (g):8-10 kg
Pieces:3
Class:Martian (shergottite)
Ferrosilite (mol%):39.7±7.7, 28.1±6.2
Wollastonite (mol%):13.0±2.3, 31.6±1.9
Classifier:C. Agee, UNM
Type spec mass (g):17
Type spec location:UNM
Main mass:AHabibi
Comments:Submitted by C. Agee and H. Chennaoui
Plots: O isotopes:  
Institutions
   and collections
FSAC: Universite Hassan II Casablanca, Faculte des Sciences Ain Chock, Departement de Géologie, BP 5366 Maârif, Casablanca, Morocco (institutional address; updated 9 Jan 2013)
UNM: Institute of Meteoritics MSC03 2050 University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131-1126 USA, United States; Website (institutional address; updated 12 Feb 2015)
AHabibi: Palms Hotel Club, Erfoud 52200, Morocco (private address; updated 3 Jan 2010)
Catalogs:
References: Published in Meteoritical Bulletin, no. 100, MAPS 49, E1-E101 (2014)
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Photos:
CreditPhotos
Photos from the Encyclopedia of Meteorites:
Sergey Vasiliev   
Photos uploaded by members of the Encyclopedia of Meteorites.
    (Caution, these are of unknown reliability)
Aeroliths Collection Theodossiou         
Alan Mazur   
Andreas Grünemeyer   
Andreas Möller   
Cácio Winter   
Dave Johnson   
Denis gourgues   
Domjan Svilkovic   
Filip Stalmach   
FRANK THOMPSON   
John Tanner   
Kenneth Alvarez Castillo   
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Marcelo Adorna Fernandes   
Matthew Martin   
Meteor-Center   
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Ricardo Neto   
Richard Cardial   
Robert Smart         
Rodrigo Guerra      
The Wilcox Collection of Meteorites   
Wojciech Moscinski   
xeqtr   
Ziyao Wang            
Geography:

Morocco
Coordinates:
     Recommended::   (28° 0' 9"N, 11° 7' 54"W)

Statistics:
     This is 1 of 16 approved meteorites from Guelmim-Es-Semara, Morocco (plus 2 unapproved names)
     This is 1 of 2068 approved meteorites from Morocco (plus 31 unapproved names) (plus 1 impact crater)
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Synonymshelp: Fej Arrih (Approved by nomcom 24 Oct 2012)
Revision
  history:
  This lists important revisions made to data for this record.

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