[meteorite-list] Need help naming new group

From: Jeff Grossman <jgrossman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:41 2004
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20030619073237.02dd6778_at_gsvaresm02.er.usgs.gov>

At 12:57 PM 6/18/2003, Adam Hupe wrote:
>Dear List,
>
>A lot of good suggestions for naming this new group are rolling in and we
>are pleased with the turn-out. We thought the NomCom had something to do
>with naming of meteorite groups because many submitted description titles
>have been changed after NomCom voting when new meteorites were submitted.
>One example is NWA 1459 which was submitted as an "Olivine Diogenite" and
>was published as "Diogenite, olivine-rich"...
>
>Adam and Greg Hupe
>The Hupe Collection
>IMCA 2185

The Meteoritical Bulletin is an edited publication. Basically, it is up to
the Editor, acting on advice from the NomCom and the person describing the
meteorite, to use whatever classification terms she sees fit. In fact, if
somebody names these meteorites Bozoites, the Editor will still call them
by the term she thinks most appropriate. I will certainly advise her to
avoid new trivial terms unless they come into common usage.

I want to emphasize: the names eucrite, diogenite, and howardite are 19th
Century coinages. They are remnants of the old Rose-Tschermak-Brezina
classification system, most of which is long-dead. They only survive
because ancient traditions die hard, and until the 1970's there were very
few achondrites available for systematic classification. It is not
reasonable to coin new 19th-C style names for things. Science has
progressed too far.

Adam Hupe also wrote:
> >If these five were from Earth they would be called "Harzburgitic
> Peridotites" >but you cannot use terrestrial terms to name meteorite types.

This is wrong. New types of martian meteorites are now classified as,
e.g., ALH 84001: "martian orthopyroxenite." Trivial names have also not
been coined for lunar meteorites: they are classified as "lunar basalt,"
"lunar anorthosite," etc. The names of HED-clan achondrites should follow
suit. Once we're sure they're from Vesta, they should be called "Vesta
peridotite" or some such. For now, terms like "olivine diogenite" or, a
better alternative, "HED-clan peridotite" serve to identify both the
mineralogy and parent body.

jeff





>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jeff Grossman" <jgrossman_at_usgs.gov>
>To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 5:23 AM
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Need help naming new group
>
>
> > New groups names are not a NomCom issue, although there are people who
> > think it should be. Group names come into being through consensus. Many
> > group names have died at birth, never being adopted by anybody other that
> > the person who wrote the initial publication (e.g., F chondrites, CA
> > chondrites). Others have caught on and become widely accepted (recently,
> > R, CH, CK, CR chondrites). Still others remain on the fence (e.g., CB
> > chondrites versus bencubbinites or just bencubbin-like meteorites). It
> > takes time.
> >
> > My personal opinion is that "olivine diogenite" is a perfectly fine
> > term. Although it preserves the antiquated, nondescriptive, trivial term
> > "diogenite," everybody in meteoritics now knows what a diogenite is, and
> > that it comes from the HED parent body, most likely Vesta. What we don't
> > need now, in this age where we actually know where meteorites come from,
>is
> > more trivial terms. I strongly doubt that any publication that proposes
> > calling them something else would ever catch on.
> >
> > jeff
> >
> >
> > At 10:55 PM 6/17/2003, Adam Hupe wrote:
> > >Dear List Members,
> > >
> > >It is our pleasure to announce NWA 1877, (provisional) the second
>so-called
> > >"Olivine Diogenite" in private hands. This makes number five including
>the
> > >three Antarctic finds. The significance of it being number five is that
>it
> > >now qualifies to be promoted to main group status if approved by the
> > >Nomenclature Committee. Scientists who are working on it agree that this
> > >ultra-rare class is suited in every way for a new full-blown group and
>are
> > >willing to propose this new group. Since O-Isotopes place this from the
> > >same parent body as the HED group, naming this new group would be a
> > >history-making event. A main group has never been added to the HED
> > >assemblage, only subgroups.
> > >
> > >This is not paired with NWA 1459, which was found in Iriqui and only
>weighed
> > >49 grams. Weighing in at 312 grams, NWA 1877, (provisional) is the most
> > >olivine-rich yet found with ~50% of this mineral. The scientists who are
> > >working on it suggested coming up with a new name for this group since
> > >Diogenite, by definition, does not accurately describe this type of
> > >meteorite. The name "Olivine Diogenite" was coined by scientists working
>on
> > >the Antarctic finds for lack of a better term at the time. If these
>five
> > >were from Earth they would be called "Harzburgitic Peridotites" but you
> > >cannot use terrestrial terms to name meteorite types. This is where the
> > >List may be able to help. Scientists suggested that the meteoritic
> > >community, meaning the List, come up with a name for this group.
> > >
> > >We do not know what to call this proposed new group since none of them
>are
> > >from witnessed falls. It was suggested that it be named in honor of
>some
> > >famous pioneer in the field of meteoritics or some closely related
> > >discipline. We are open to suggestions and know that List members can be
> > >very creative. Who knows? you may be able to become a part of history by
> > >coming up with a suitable name.
> > >
> > >In case you have not guessed this will be the weekly rare material
> > >announcement but with some added flare because it is something anyone
>could
> > >get involved in if they wished. If you come up with a suitable name we
> > >will send you a 1-gram plus specimen free of charge.
> > >
> > >Wishing everybody the very best,
> > >
> > >Adam and Greg Hupe
> > >The Hupe Collection
> > >IMCA 2185
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >______________________________________________
> > >Meteorite-list mailing list
> > >Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> > >http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
> >
> > Dr. Jeffrey N. Grossman
> > Chair, Meteorite Nomenclature Committee (Meteoritical Society)
> > US Geological Survey
> > 954 National Center
> > Reston, VA 20192, USA
> > Phone: (703) 648-6184 fax: (703) 648-6383
> >
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________
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> > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>
>
>______________________________________________
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Dr. Jeffrey N. Grossman
Chair, Meteorite Nomenclature Committee (Meteoritical Society)
US Geological Survey
954 National Center
Reston, VA 20192, USA
Phone: (703) 648-6184 fax: (703) 648-6383
Received on Thu 19 Jun 2003 10:57:21 AM PDT