The Benguerir meteorite: Report and description of a new Moroccan fall

Abstract

A meteorite fall was witnessed on November 22, 2004, at 11:45 A.M. (GMT) near the city of Benguerir, Morocco. This is one of the first falls from Morocco to be scientifically described. The total mass of the fall is estimated to be at least 40 and 80 kg. Three impact locations have been identified, two of them in soft ploughed ground and a third on a granite surface, which was apparently broken by the impact. The weight of complete pieces range between approximately 100 g and 10 kg. We have classified the stone as an LL6 ordinary chondrite, based on mineralogy and petrology, with shock grade S3 and alteration W0. The dark fusion crust is perfectly fresh, and a number of samples were collected shortly after the fall by local residents and authorities before rainfall, which occurred a few days later. We show that the magnetic susceptibility of Benguerir is homogeneously high, indicating a constant metal content despite brecciation, in the high range for LL6. The LL6 classification can also be confirmed magnetically, with a specific signature similar to other measured LL6 falls.