Yamato 000593 - Nakhlite
Collection:
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Fact sheet

Yamato 000593 - Nakhlite

Yamato 000593 is a 13.7 kg meteorite that was found in 2001 by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. It was found on a bare ice-field in the Yamato Mountains of Antarctica and a few days later a paired specimen (Y000749) weighing 1.3 kg was also found. Both are clinopyroxene-rich nakhlites. Isotopic techniques have produced ages of 1.31 Ga (Sm-Nd) and 1.30 Ga (Rb-Sr) for Y000593. Its Mars ejection age is 12.1± 0.7 Ma.

The mineral assemblage consists of 80-85% coarse-grained, elongate crystals of pyroxene (augite) associated with a lesser amount (10%) of olivine. Plagioclase feldspar and pale brown glass fill interstitial patches between the pyroxene and olivine. Accessory constituents include pyrrhotite, titanomagnetite and tridymite. Veins in the olivine contain an amorphous gel of smectite-like composition. Iron carbonate and smectite-serpentine mixtures are present in other nakhlites.

This description draws on the work of NASA scientist Charles Meyer - compiler of The Mars Meteorite Compendium. Further details are available from the Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter. A pdf abstract published shortly after the discovery of Y000593 is available.

Map
-71.416667, 35.583333
Description:
JARE IV Nunataks, Yamato mountains, Antarctica
Precision:
Moderate
About this collection

This collection of meteorites includes Shergottites, Nakhlites and Chassignites (or SNC meteorites) which originate from the surface of the planet Mars.

They carry unique signals of the surface of the planet that allows scientists to study the composition and age of Martian rocks. The collection includes a sample of the famous ALH84001 meteorite, evidence from which was used in 1996 to begin the debate of 'life on Mars?'. 

 

Sample details

Collection: Martian Meteorites
Type
meteorite
Category
nakhlite achondrite
Rock-forming mineral
pyroxene
Category guide  
Category Guide
Title
Refers to any word or phrase that appears in the individual rock names. Names are generally descriptive; they allow users to search for broad terms like ‘granite’ as well as more specific names such as ‘breccia’. However, the adjacent descriptions of the specimens captures a wider range of general words and phrases and is a more powerful search tool.
Description
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Accessory minerals
Minerals that occur in very low abundance in a rock. They are usually not visible with the naked eye and contribute perhapssver, they often dominate the rare elements such as platinum group metals.
Rock-forming minerals
Minerals that make up the bulk of all rock samples and are also the ones used in rock classi?cation.
Timescale
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Theme
A term used to group together related samples that are not already gathered into a single Collection. For instance, there is a ‘SW England granites’ theme that includes such rock types as granite, hydrothermal breccia, skarn and vein samples.
Category
A general term used to label a rock sample. It is a useful way of grouping similar samples throughout a collection. Category names are often, but not exclusively, common rock names (e.g. granite, basalt, dolerite, gabbro, greisen, skarn, gneiss, amphibolite, limestone, sandstone).
Owner
The owner of the sample that appears in the collection. For example, NASA owns all the samples that appear in the Moon Rocks collection