[meteorite-list] POP QUIZ ANSWER

From: Jason Utas <meteoritekid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2010 15:51:16 -0800
Message-ID: <AANLkTimHnk062k7au3EUVxgjRvoR1hqWuc8v+8Z+Wvjc_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hello Shawn, All,
I think I can shed some light on the confusion regarding this topic -
centered on the question of what exactly constitutes a "Nothwest
Africa[n] meteorite."

The earliest recovered meteorite from Morocco is Mrirt, a 79.9
kilogram iron found in 1937. It has apparently never been formally
classified or submitted, making it something of an anomaly in the
Meteoritical Bulletin. But there was a slightly earlier fall in
Morocco - an LL6 named Douar Mghila, in 1932. Were it to fall today,
while it might get its own name such as Zagora, Ouzina, or Toufassour,
it would still be a "Northwest African meteorite."

The region is, after all, "Northwest Africa," and most "NWA XXXX"
meteorites are found there.

The earliest find from Algeria was the 510 kilogram IIIAB named
Tamentit, found in 1864. To my knowledge, that is the earliest known
"Northwest African meteorite."

Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about. The meteorite
"Silet" (see below) was named "Silet" (as opposed to "NWA XXXX")
because someone with a GPS recorded the place where it was found.
Other meteorites have probably been found in the same location (give
or take), but because the finders likely didn't record such
information, they're simply named "NWA XXXX."

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?sea=%2A&sfor=names&ants=&falls=&valids=&stype=contains&lrec=50&map=ge&browse=&country=Algeria&srt=year&categ=All&mblist=All&rect=&phot=&snew=0&pnt=Normal%20table&code=45009

As you can see, Silet is an ordinary chondrite found in Algeria in
2005. So it should be an "NWA XXXX," right?
Well...it's a "Northwest African meteorite..."

So the question "Whats the name of the first Northwest Africa
meteorite and what year was it found." [sic.]

If you're asking for the name of the first "NWA XXXX" stone, then the
answer is painfully obvious...
In my mind, specifying that you wanted the name of the meteorite
insinuated that you were looking for a more comprehensive answer than
"NWA 001."

If you were instead asking for the name of the first meteorite
recovered in the region of "Northwest Africa" -- aka the first
"Northwest African meteorite," the question makes considerably more
sense - and it takes at least a minute to draw up the relevant
information from the Meteoritical Bulletin page using the correct
country/date filters.
And it would raise awareness of the fact that meteorites were being
found in Morocco and Algeria prior to the 'rush' of the late 1990's -
and that hunters were going there and finding stones, recording find
locations, etc, decades before said 'rush.'

I don't mean to rag on your quiz - I'm sure plenty of list-members
appreciate them and participate, but I'd feel pretty poorly had I
tried to win this past one (I didn't participate, as Shawn can
verify), because I would have said that the first meteorite found in
Northwest Africa was Tamentit, the first "Northwest African
meteorite."

-Unless there was an earlier find that didn't show up as obviously in
the bulletin (I suppose I could be wrong) but either way, 1864
precedes 1999.

And we'd have to better define the region...I have the feeling that
"Northwest Africa" consists of more than just Algeria and Morocco...

Regards,
Jason

On Sun, Nov 14, 2010 at 3:05 PM, Shawn Alan <photophlow at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hello Listers,
>
> I would like to say thank you for everyone that submitted their answers. I have a winner, they are the first Lister to give me the correct answer because I didnt get a 7th Lister with the correct answer, only six.
>
> Question:
> Whats the name of the first Northwest Africa meteorite and what year was it found.
>
> Answer:
>
> Northwest Africa aka NWA 001 1999
>
> Phil Morgan you have won a 87mg Abee meteorite fragment :)
>
> Thank you everyone and till next time
>
> Shawn Alan
> IMCA 1633
> eBaystore
> http://shop.ebay.com/photophlow/m.html
>
>
>
>
> [meteorite-list] POP QUIZShawn Alan photophlow at yahoo.com
> Fri Nov 12 18:02:05 EST 2010
>
>
> Previous message: [meteorite-list] CAI from Allende in ultra hight resolution
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>
> Hello Listers,
>
>
> Today is POP QUIZ day......
>
> The name of the game. Be the 7th Lister to email me off the list with the correct answer and you will receive a free 87mg Abee meteorite?fragment.
>
> Question:
>
> Whats the name of the first Northwest Africa meteorite and what year was it found.
>
> Good Luck
>
> Shawn Alan
> IMCA 1633
> eBaystory
> http://shop.ebay.com/photophlow/m.html
>
>
>
>
>
> Previous message: [meteorite-list] CAI from Allende in ultra hight resolution
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Received on Sun 14 Nov 2010 06:51:16 PM PST