[meteorite-list] NEW - Intriguing Ungrouped Achondrite - NWA 6704

[Michael Gilmer]

Hi Greg and List,

Congratulations Greg.  That is an unusual and interesting specimen for sure.  :)

I have a layman's guess regarding the lack of fusion crust - perhaps
the crust was very thin and of the delicate variety.  Over time,
sand-blasting and wind ablation caused the delicate crust to spall
away and become lost.  Rough handling by the finders may have also
caused some of the surviving crust to fall off.

Based on visual appearance, it is safe to say that this stone has an
affinity with the diogenites?

Best regards,

MikeG
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On 5/31/11, Greg Hupé <gmhupe at centurylink.net> wrote:
> Dear List Members,
>
> Over the last four months I have been reorganizing my company to make things
> easier for me in order to better serve the meteorite community.
> To start my official Grand Re-Opening, I have the honor and privilege to
> introduce to you...
>
>
> Northwest Africa 6704...
> ...a 'most intriguing' New Ungrouped Achondrite.
>
> NWA 6704 is a most intriguing meteorite unlike any others known to man! Not
> only does it have tremendous scientific value, it is one of the most
> visually appealing meteorites with its dazzling display of yellowish-green
> orthopyroxene crystals containing small grains of olivine and chromite
> surrounded by large intercumulus grains of albite enclosing small grains of
> awaruite (a rare very nickel-rich metal alloy). Oxygen isotope results plot
> this achondrite within the field for acapulcoites-lodranites, but that is
> where any comparison stops. NWA 6704 is unlike any other meteorite! If that
> isn’t enough, this incredible meteorite contains an abundance of ‘bubble
> trains’ within the orthopyroxene which appear to be devoid of fluid upon
> initial inspection. Ongoing analyses are currently being performed to
> measure the cosmogenic noble gases to determine its CRE age (time spent in
> space) and to possibly detect trapped gases or even atmosphere from the NWA
> 6704 parent body!
>
> Close-up image of the NWA 6704 matrix:
> http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704matrix.jpg
>
> Bubble trains and cleavages in orthopyroxene (width of field 0.593 mm)
> http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704bubbleTrain1.jpg
>
> Bubble trains and cleavages in orthopyroxene (width of field 0.237 mm)
> http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704bubbleTrain2.jpg
>
> NWA 6704 has a Total Known Weight of 8387 grams in a single, naturally
> fractured stone that was discovered in Northwest Africa in 2010. In their
> eagerness to see what was ‘inside’ the stone, the Algerian finders
> unfortunately broke the largest pieces, as can be seen in the image of the
> reassembled stone below. Also visible are the natural breaks along extended
> segment boundaries which have been sandblasted over time in the Sahara,
> smoothing the edges on the largest pieces and a more ‘rounding’ of the
> smaller fragments. Oddly, NWA 6704 is almost entirely devoid of visible
> fusion crust; only a single 1.5cm x 2cm patch exists, raising questions as
> to how this can be. Through a determined effort over a four month period,
> the distributed parts were purchased by Greg Hupé and reassembled into a
> single stone resembling a ‘puzzle’. It is remarkable that the finders were
> able to collect even the smallest of fragments!
>
> Reassembled mass of the NWA 6704 ‘puzzle’ meteorite (measures 27cm x 16cm x
> 14cm):
> http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704complete1.jpg
>
> Close-up image of only fusion crust ‘patch’ on NWA 6704 (measures 1.2cm x
> 2cm):
> http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704crust1.jpg
>
> Thin section image of NWA 6704 in cross-polarized light (width of field 5
> mm):
> http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa6704/nwa6704ThinSection1.jpg
>
> Officially accepted classification of NWA 6704 entered in the Meteoritical
> Bulletin:
> http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=53609
> (Note: the TKW is 8387 grams with 42 pieces, entry errors should be
> corrected soon).
>
> Best Regards,
> Greg
>
> ====================
> Greg Hupé
> The Hupé Collection
> gmhupe at centurylink.net
> www.LunarRock.com
> NaturesVault (eBay)
> AncientDiscoveries (eBay)(formerly 'NaturesVault')
> IMCA 3163
> ====================
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>
>
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