[meteorite-list] Letter from Jeff Grossman concerning NWA 1110 and pairings

From: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Sep 9 14:18:35 2004
Message-ID: <01d301c49697$1330a640$6401a8c0_at_c1720188a>

Dear List,

Jeff Grossman has been having a hard time posting to the list so I will
forward his notes:

Adam,

My posts seem to be blocked from the meteorite-list, or at least they are
disappearing into a black hole. This is what I tried to post twice today.

Jeff


The official policy of the Meteoritical Society, as determined by its
Nomenclature Committee, is that the name NWA 1110 only refers to the
material described under that name in Meteoritical Bulletin no. 86, which
has a total weight of 118 g. No other material should be called by that
name. It is acceptable and routine, however, for people to make statements
indicating that various numbered stones may be paired (although I would be
cautious about believing such statements unless they appear in the Bulletin
or other scientific publications).

All new NWA stones, even if apparently paired with something else, must get
their own numbers. This is the rule that applies to meteorites collected in
areas of dense meteorite concentration, including all of those known as NWA.
Note that this is NOT the same rule that applies if you find another piece
of Holbrook or Allende... those would inherit the same name unless they
could be proven to be separate meteorites.

The Committee is considering a new rule that would allow a new NWA stone to
be paired with NWA 1110. Under this rule, the new stone would have to be
given a provisional NWA number of its own, NWA xxxx. It would have to be
characterized by an expert, who would have to submit the evidence for
pairing to the NomCom. If accepted, and if the type specimen requirement
based on the aggregate mass has been satisfied, we would announce that NWA
xxxx was paired with NWA 1110, thereby increasing the TKW by a certain
amount. NWA xxxx would become an official synonym for NWA 1110. This rule
has not yet been adopted (it was open for public comment in the early
summer).

jeff
Received on Thu 09 Sep 2004 02:01:47 PM PDT