The Itqiy meteorite is an enstatite-rich stony-iron meteorite. It is classified as an enstatite chondrite of the EH group that was nearly melted and is therefore very unusual for that group.[2][4] Other classifications have been proposed and are an ongoing scientific debate.
History
Itqiy was initially attributed to a 1990 fireball in Western Sahara. One stone was recovered by a nomad, and a second stone was recovered in July 2000 by Marc, Luc, and Jim Labenne who were searching for meteorites in the same location.[3] The meteorite was analyzed in 2001.[5] Later work showed that the meteorite had fallen nearly 6,000 years ago and was not associated with any recent fireball. [6]
The meteorite was described as an "ungrouped stony meteorite" in 2000, and reclassified as an "ungrouped enstatite meteorite" in 2001.[2][7] In 2006, Itqiy was classified as a member of the EH enstatite chondrites, with a petrologic type of 7, emphasizing that it was a strongly metamorphosed EH chondrite.[2]
Itqiy represents a rock that formed through partial melting of an EH chondrite. This process removed the more volatile minerals like plagioclase.[8]
In 2011 it was proposed that Itqiy, QUE 94204, QUE 97289, QUE 97348, NWA 2526 and possibly Yamato 793225 are part of a new group that should be called "primitive enstatite achondrites".[9]
Parent body
In 2010 it was proposed that NWA 2526 and Itqiy share the same parent body.[8]
^Keil, Klaus (31 December 2009). "Enstatite achondrite meteorites (aubrites) and the histories of their asteroidal parent bodies". Chemie der Erde - Geochemistry. 70 (4): 295–317. Bibcode:2010ChEG...70..295K. doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2010.02.002.
^{{cite journal|last=Patzer|first=Andrea|author2=Dolores Hill|author3=William Boynton|author4=Luitgard Franke|author5=Ludolf Schultz|author6=Timothy Jull|author7=Lanny McHargue|author8=Ian Franchi|title=Itqiy: A study of noble gases and oxygen isotopes including its terrestrial age and a comparison with Zakłodzie|journal=Meteoritics & Planetary Science|date=2010|volume=37|pages=823–833|doi=10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00858.x |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00858.x%7Caccessdate=14 July 2020}
^ abPatzer, Andrea; Hill, Dolores H.; Boynton, William V. (1 November 2001). "Itqiy: A metal-rich enstatite meteorite with achondritic texture". Meteoritics & Planetary Science. 36 (11): 1495–1505. Bibcode:2001M&PS...36.1495P. doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01841.x.
^IZAWA, Matthew R. M.; FLEMMING, Roberta L.; BANERJEE, Neil R.; MATVEEV, Sergei (1 November 2011). "QUE 94204: A primitive enstatite achondrite produced by the partial melting of an E chondrite-like protolith". Meteoritics & Planetary Science. 46 (11): 1742–1753. Bibcode:2011M&PS...46.1742I. doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01263.x.
