Mercantour meteorite, Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Francei
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Mercantour meteorite | Meteorite Fall Location |
| Saint-Martin-Vésubie | Commune |
| Nice | Arrondissement |
| Alpes-Maritimes | Department |
| Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Region |
| France | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
44° 8' 42'' North , 7° 18' 39'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Meteorite Class:
Meteoritical Society Class:
After a systematic search of moraines and rocky surfaces led to this single discovery in the Southern Alps granitic massif, within Mercantour National Park, near 2900 m elevation.
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Martin-Vésubie | 1,345 (2016) | 9.4km |
| Venanson | 128 (2016) | 11.2km |
| Entracque | 722 (2014) | 12.7km |
| Belvédère | 519 (2016) | 14.6km |
| Roquebillière | 1,563 (2016) | 14.7km |
Mindat Locality ID:
290746
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:290746:1
GUID (UUID V4):
0ffd3ef3-fedf-4d78-980f-9b921c0239c6
NOTE: The locality of this meteorite, said to be from France by its finder, has been questioned and it has been suggested that it is identical to NWA 869 (Rochette et al., 2017; Ludovic Ferrière, pers. comm. to Uwe Kolitsch).
State/Prov/County: Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Origin or pseudonym: granitic moraine
Date: 2014 Sept 25
Latitude: 44.145°N
Longitude: 7.311°E
Mass (g): 203.4
Physical characteristics: A single angular fragment, covered ~30% by a relatively fresh fusion crust. Gray color with minor rust spots. Inner surface sometimes covered by a carbonate rind. Little patina visible. A few small rounded quartz grains inserted in cracks, with a light-orange soil matrix.
Petrography: Breccia with type 4 to 6 clasts (major class 4 to 5). Distinguishing type 4, 5 and 6 was done based on polished section observation of the morphology and overall texture of chondrules and metal grains. Mean chondrule diameter 707±39 μm. One fine-grained clast with low metal and troilite content was observed. Weathering at microscopic scale is hardly detectable but macroscopic rust spots indicate W1.
Geochemistry: Type 6 lithology: olivine Fa27.7 (n=1), orthopyroxene Fs21.2Wo0.7 (n=1). Type 4 lithology: olivine Fa24.7 (n=1), orthopyroxene Fs20.2Wo2.1 (n=1).
Classification: in the L group is based on magnetic susceptibility and chondrule size. Petrography (SEM and reflected optical microscopy) indicates a L4-6 breccia.
Specimens: 22.6 g at CEREGE.
Meteorite/Rock Types Recorded
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