[meteorite-list] New Mars Rock Hints At Past Water (NWA 1950)

From: Treiman, Allan <treiman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:05 2004
Message-ID: <7C188E1BAB399F4897C1F743DCD71836052AF5_at_exch_be.cass.loc>

Hi, list --=20

   This article, and ones like it, have been going round for a=20
couple months, and need a bit of clarification.

   This meteorite, NWA1950, seems very similar to the Martian
lherzolites, like ALHA77005, LEW88516, Y-793605, YA-1075 (and=20
possibly GRV 9927). It is great to see, but (from what I know of it) is=20
not all that different from other samples we now have. Nor are =
lherzolites=20
all that rare among the Martian meteorites. Now if it were a true =
peridotite=20
like Chassigny - that would be rare!

   I see nothing in the data on NWA1950 that 'hints at Mars water.'=20

   The article says there are fewer than 20 Martian meteorites --=20
by my last count, there are 30.=20

   The article says that "And apart from Nasa, no other scientific=20
laboratory has had the opportunity to examine such a specimen ..." (like
NWA1950). This is just plain wrong. The NASA specimen they talk
about, ALHA77005, has been studied by laboratories all over the=20
world, including in France. Ditto the other similar meteorites not=20
mentioned by the article (LEW88516 and Y-793605). Part of=20
ALHA77005 is even curated in Japan!=20

   NASA does not keep the US-collected Antarctic meteorites to=20
itself. They are distributed widely, to every researcher who has a=20
legitimate scientific study. An international advisory committee screens
the requests, and recommends allocations of the US Antarctic=20
meteorites. =20

Allan =20

Allan H. Treiman
Senior Staff Scientist
Lunar and Planetary Institute
3600 Bay Area Boulevard
Houston, TX 77058-1113
   281-486-2117
   281-486-2162 (FAX)


-----Original Message-----
From: meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com]On Behalf Of Ron
Baalke
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 11:12 AM
To: Meteorite Mailing List
Subject: [meteorite-list] New Mars Rock Hints At Past Water (NWA 1950)




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3414143.stm

New Mars rock hints at past water
By Dr David Whitehouse=20
BBC News=20
January 21, 2004

A rock found in the Atlas Mountains of southern Morocco in 2001 has been
confirmed as Martian in origin.=20

The meteorite's chemical signature was checked out by researchers at the =
UK's
Southampton Oceanography Centre.=20

The team that found it was led by experienced meteorite hunters Carine
Bidaut and Bruno Fectay, who have now found six rocks from Mars - a =
record.=20

The meteorite would have been blasted off
the Red Planet by an impact and may hold clues to Mars' watery past.=20

Space oddity=20

It was picked up by a local worker on an isolated plateau in the =
mountains at a
location which is now being kept secret because of fears it may be =
spoilt by
visitors.=20

"For 30 years the locals have been searching the region for fossils so =
they
know the area very well," Bruno Fectay told BBC News Online. "A few =
years ago
we taught them to look for meteorites.=20

"The rocks of the region are mostly light
in colour whereas meteorites are dark, so they can be easily spotted."=20

The meteorite - although in two fragments, they are classified as the =
same body -
has been officially called the North-West Africa 1950, but has been =
nicknamed the
Jules Verne, after the French author.=20

It is described as a peridotite, an extremely rare type of Mars rock =
consisting of the
minerals olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase glass.=20

Planet passport=20

Scientists say the fragments are magmatic rocks. Magmatism is the main =
process
by which water moves from the core of planets to their surface.=20

"It is a remarkable experience to hold it in your hand," Bruno Fectay =
said. "When
you hold it you are in a Martian magmatic chamber, deep in a volcano =
under the
surface of Mars.=20

"We will never be able to go to such a place. This rock is our =
passport."=20

Further analysis will help clarify the processes that produced magmas on
Mars, and perhaps make it possible to estimate the quantity of fluids - =
and
therefore water - released by volcanic activity on the planet in the =
past.=20

Life on Mars=20

Mars meteorites are extremely rare - fewer than 20 confirmed examples =
have
been identified - and all are believed to come from the same body of =
rock that was
blasted off the planet when it was hit by a large asteroid or comet.=20

They have travelled through space and then fallen to Earth.=20

Martian meteorites are distinguished by their relative youth, being at =
most 1.3
million years old, compared with 4.5 million years old for other =
meteorites.=20

They also show evidence of rare gases found in the planet's atmosphere.=20

In 1996 a team of scientists from the US space agency Nasa =
controversially
claimed to have found evidence of past life in a meteorite from Mars.=20

Although they have been exposed to the Earth's weather and contamination =
from
its biosphere, Martian meteorites open a new way to study Mars because =
they are
basaltic rocks formed in the presence of water and so illuminate the =
story of water
on Mars.=20

More to follow=20

Only one other example of a so-called SNC meteorite equivalent to NWA =
1950
has been found on Earth - a chunk of rock discovered in Antarctica in =
1977.=20

And apart from Nasa, no other scientific laboratory has had the =
opportunity to
examine such a specimen.=20

Bidaut and Fectay have a stock of over 1,000 meteorites waiting to be =
taken up by
financial sponsors so they can be examined in European labs.=20

"It takes us a while to get our finds analysed," said Bruno Fectay. "We =
may have
more of the remarkable meteorites from Mars waiting to be examined."=20

______________________________________________
Meteorite-list mailing list
Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Received on Wed 21 Jan 2004 03:03:10 PM PST