Official Meteoritical Bulletin entry for Northwest Africa 7272:
Northwest Africa 7272 Northwest Africa Purchased: 2012 Martian meteorite (Shegottite)
History: Purchased by Greg Hupé from a dealer in Zagora, Morocco, in 2012 March. Physical characteristics: A single dark brown stone (58.7 g) broken into four pieces that fit together. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Microgabbroic texture. Constituent minerals are olivine (exhibiting little compositional zoning), clinopyroxene, shocked plagioclase, pyrrhotite, ilmenite, Ti-chromite and rare merrillite. The plagioclase appears to be clear maskelynite containing sparse vesicles. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa41.9-43.8, FeO/MnO = 49-54),
pigeonite (Fs26.0-33.0Wo18.4-10.1,
FeO/MnO = 26-32), subcalcic augite (Fs18.6Wo37.3, FeO/MnO = 25),
plagioclase (An57.3-65.2Or0.5-0.2). Classification: Martian (shergottite). This specimen is essentially identical to NWA 7032 in its microgabbroic texture and mineralogy, implying that these are separate but paired stones. Specimens: 11.9 g is on deposit at UWB. GHupé holds the main mass.
Scientific abstracts and news regarding NWA 7272:
A. J. Irving, S. M. Kuehner, G. Chen, C. D. K. Herd, R. Tanaka and T. J. Lapen.
(2012). PETROLOGIC, ELEMENTAL AND ISOTOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF TWO UNUSUAL MARTIAN
METEORITES: DEPLETED PERMAFIC MICROGABBROIC SHERGOTTITE NORTHWEST AFRICA 7032 AND
INTERMEDIATE PERMAFIC INTERSERTAL SHERGOTTITE NORTHWEST AFRICA 7042. (abs#2496). http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2012/pdf/2496.pdf
Reassembled 58.7 gram mass of NWA 7272 - View 1.
Reassembled 58.7 gram mass of NWA 7272 - View 2.
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