[meteorite-list] NWAs and their country of origin

From: Prof. Zelimir Gabelica Université de Haute Alsace ENSCMu, <zelimir.gabelica_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:56:42 +0200
Message-ID: <20120730205642.uzirijic1d6sk44s_at_w3mail.univ-mulhouse.fr>

Dear Jeff, list,

I overlooked with curiosity the link suggested by Jeff (example of NWA
2986 described in Met Bull). Nothing to argue about the O isotopic
data, all is OK there.

But read the whole writeup by curiosity and note that NWA 2986 is
"probably paired with NWA 2975 and related stones".

Upon clicking at NWA 2975 (link given), it appears its country is
Algeria, the meteorite being purchased by M. Farmer in Erfoud
(Morocco) but beneath, it is said that the place op purchase
is...Algeria.
Nothing dramatic though somewhat confusing...

Now, back to NWA 2986.
If both shergottites are paired, souldn't one expect they were found
in the same country ? Though the find place for NWA 2575 is referred
to as Algeria while Morocco is claimed to be the find place of NWA
2986 ...

Strange again, this could suggest to some readers that both were
possibly found somewhere near the border of the two countries
(logically, where they fell...)

Both were purchased (at different moment) in the same city (Erfoud) by
the same person (Farmer). Though not sure the seller was the same
(only Mike can tell).

It is possible the seller N? 1 told Mike NWA 2975 was found in Algeria
and the N? 2 that NWA 2986 comes from Morocco. Or that the same
seller claimed the same...Or perhaps he (or they) actually did not
know at all where it was found...or forgot?...or mentined a country
just by chence...or by purpose ?

Why, in such a confusing case, not simply mention as country "NWA" or
"Sahara", as it is often mentioned so for most of the NWAs ?

Is there somebody in the NomCom supposed to correct and to address
these obvious uncertainties some day ?

Thanks and best wishes,

Zelimir

-- 
Prof. Zelimir Gabelica
Universit? de Haute Alsace
ENSCMu, Lab. LPI-GSEC,
3, Rue A. Werner,
F-68093 Mulhouse Cedex, France
Tel: +33 (0)3 89 33 68 94
Jeff Grossman <jngrossman at gmail.com> a ?crit?:
> If you go to any entry for which oxygen isotope data are present,  
> you'll see the a link to the plots, e.g.:
>
> NWA 2986: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=33436
>
> Jeff
>

Received on Mon 30 Jul 2012 02:56:42 PM PDT