(Preliminary Classification Details)

PROBABLY PAIRED WITH NWA 2975

• Northwest Africa 2986

• Found in Algeria

• Achondrite (Martian Basaltic Shergottite)

 

Description below is of the NWA 2975 for which this meteorite is preliminarily paired:

NWA 2986 belongs to the basaltic shergottite subgroup of Martian meteorites that is typified by Ca-rich pyroxene (augite),   Ca-poor pyroxene (pigeonite), large amounts of plagioclase (now, shock-formed maskelynite) and minor amounts of phosphates and Fe-, Ti-oxides. The pyroxenes are compositionally zoned, i. e., Mg-rich crystal cores and Fe-rich rims that formed in a rapidly cooled magmatic flow. However, NWA 2986 is unusual in that the zoning is mostly lacking and may indicate that it cooled more slowly in a thicker volcanic flow (> 10 meters) and/or deeper flow compared with the other known basaltic shergottites. In addition, NWA 2986 is probably the freshest of Martian finds and is very close in freshness to that of observed falls, for example, Zagami.