Meteors and Meteorite Falls in Morocco

Abstract

During the last eighty years, thirteen meteorite falls were recorded in Morocco, which ten are well documented and named Douar Mghila, Oued el Hadjar, Itqiy, Zag, Bensour, Oum Dreyga, Benguerir, Tamdakht, Tissint and Aoussred. It represent only 0.011 % of the Moroccan declared meteorites.The authenticated observed falls represent three types of different meteorites, eight ordinary chondrites (Four of type LL, three of type H and one of type EH), one carbonaceous chondrite and one Shergottite basaltic achondrites. The Morocco meteorite fall recovery rate, during the past eighty years, is low 0.11 falls per year on average per 2.11 km2 (or approximately one fall recovery per 10 year time interval).

Full text

Meteors and meteorite falls in Morocco
Abderrahmane Ibhi
Laboratory of Geo-heritage and Geo-materials Science, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco
E-mail address: a.ibhi@uiz.ac.ma
ABSTRACT
During the last eighty years, thirteen meteorite falls were recorded in Morocco, which ten are
well documented and named Douar Mghila, Oued el Hadjar, Itqiy, Zag, Bensour, Oum Dreyga,
Benguerir, Tamdakht, Tissint and Aoussred. It represent only 0.011 % of the Moroccan declared
meteorites.The authenticated observed falls represent three types of different meteorites, eight ordinary
chondrites (Four of type LL, three of type H and one of type EH), one carbonaceous chondrite and one
Shergottite basaltic achondrites. The Morocco meteorite fall recovery rate, during the past eighty
years, is low 0.11 falls per year on average per 2.11 km2 (or approximately one fall recovery per 10
year time interval).
Keywords: Meteor; meteorite; fall; bright bolide; Morocco
1. INTRODUCTION
As samples from minor planets, meteorites are an unique source of information about a
wide variety of events that occurred very early in the history of the solar system and
meteorite fall statistics are frequently used by planetary scientists to approximate the true flux
of meteorites on the Earth.
Well documented meteorite falls provide the best available measure of the relative
abundances of the different types of meteorite that survive their fall to Earth. The aim of
statistical studies is to obtain reliable alues for the influx of meteorite falls and their mass and
the constitution of the meteoritic flux. Wickman and Palmer [1] have shown that statistics
based on witnessed falls and chance recoveries are fraught with difficulties, and generally rely
on ad hoc assumptions about how the distribution of human populations around the world,
and their varying levels of education, affect the probability of meteorite recognition and
recovery.
This article lists by chronological order every meteor fall observed in Morocco and well
documented. All those objects have been watched by eyewitnesses, as it moved in the
atmosphere or touched the ground. At the end of May 2012, thirteen official records for
observed meteorite falls from Morocco. Moroccan falls are listed and their geographical
distribution is shown in Fig. 1.
International Letters of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy Online: 2013-09-07
ISSN: 2299-3843, Vol. 17, pp 28-35
doi:10.18052/www.scipress.com/ILCPA.17.28
2013 SciPress Ltd., Switzerland
SciPress applies the CC-BY 4.0 license to works we publish: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Fig. 1. Map showing the distribution of meteorite falls from Morocco.
2. COLLECTING OBSERVATIONS
2. 1. Meteorites
The list by chronological order of all meteor falls observed in Morocco and documented
(Fig. 2). All those objects have been watched by eyewitnesses and all last Moroccan falls
have been recovered by hunters that spend a lot of time searching meteorites especially in the
desert.
1- Douar Mghila. (1932, Ordinary chondrite LL6), some kind of a rocket, from East to west,
has been seen through the sky. It has been accompanied with a detonation that we compared
with a gun and was heard 10 km from the region, where fell forty stones. According to
Captain Larcher, who has witnessed this phenomenon, it occurred 4 km east of Beni Mellal
(Douar Mghila) [2].
International Letters of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy Vol. 17 29

2- Oued el Hadjar. (1986, Ordinary chondrite LL6), nomads heard a loud whistle and saw a
1215.5 g stone fall 200 m from their tent. The stone was broken into many pieces, during a
wedding ceremony [3].
3- Itqiy. (1990, Ungrouped enstatite-rich meteorite), after a detonation and the appearance of
light, one stone of 410 g was recovered near Itqiy by a nomad. A larger stone weighing 4310
g was recovered by Marc Luc and Jim Labenne while searching for meteorites in the same
place in 2000 July [3].
4- Zag. (1998, Ordinary chondrite H3-6), a meteorite fall was witnessed on a mountain in the
vicinity of Zag, Morocco. About 175 kg have been sold by local people to dealers and
collectors under the names Zag, Sagd, and Tan-Tan [3].
5- Bensour. (2002, Ordinary chondrite LL6), eyewitness accounts from several nomads in the
border region of Morocco and Algeria attest to a significant fall of many individual stones.
However these reports are not detailed. Total weight is estimated to be in excess of 45 kg, the
largest being a 9.2 kilogram individual which broke into 3 large pieces on impact [4].
6- Oum Dreyga. (2003, Ordinary chondrite H3-5), moroccan soldiers stationed in Western
Sahara saw a meteorite falling on Gour Lafkah Mountains, south of Zbayra, about 21 km
from Oum Dreyga. The meteorite fell near a 670 km long wall built in 1985, protected by
antipersonnel mines, and guarded by soldiers. Some fragments have been picked up soon after
the fall. About 17 kg were recovered. Fragments have been sold under the names Amgala and
Gor Lefcah [5].
7- Benguerir. (2004, Ordinary chondrite LL6), a meteorite shower was witnessed to fall near
Benguerir (~50 km due north of Marrakesh) by local people. The fall had an east-to-west
trajectory. The estimated total recovered mass is ~25-30 kg [5].
8- Tamdakht. (2008, Ordinary chondrite H5), the witnesses from a number of locations in
Morocco (Agadir, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate) observed a meteor with a west to east trajectory.
People from the high Atlas Mountains (between Marrakesh and Ouazazate) heard a sound and
felt an aftershock [6].
9- Tissint. (2011, Shergottite), a meteoritic body entered the earth’s atmosphere in the south-
east skies of Tata, Morocco. Its interaction with the atmosphere led to brilliant light flashes
accompanied with detonations. The apparent magnitude of the fireball was brighter than -20.
A large number of fragments survived the fireball phenomena [7,8].
10- Aoussred. (2012, Carbonaceous chondrite CH), according to one of the three eyewitnesses
to the spectacle offered by the entry into the atmosphere of the meteorite, the first ball was
white orange before turning red, illuminating the entire area and breaking into pieces after a
large explosion. The first fragment was discovered by a soldier who then contacted A. Ibhi,
professor at the University Ibn Zohr Agadir [9].
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Fig. 2. Meteorite falls from Morocco 1. Douar Mghila (640.85 grams ©MNHNP); 2. Oued el Hadjar
(24.78 grams, ©Meteorite.fr); 3. Benguerir (17 grams, ©Ibhi A.); 4. Tamdaght (210 grams,
©Langheinrich meteorites); 5. Itqiy (475.25, ©Labenne meteorites); 6. Oum Dreyga (52 grams,
©Allmeteorite); 7. Zag (45 grams, ©Michel Franco); 8. Tissint (5.3 grams, ©Ibhi A.); 9. Aoussred (24
grams, ©Ibhi A.); 10. Bensour (342 grams, ©Langheinrich meteorites).
2. 2. Strewn field
In these 10 falls only two who beneficed study strewn field, Tissint and Tamdakht
meteorites (Fig. 3).The Tissint strewn field of this meteorite fall extends at least 15 km from
the west-north-west to east-south-east, which is also the flight direction of the meteorite after
the observations of the nomads. More than 50 fragments of Tissint meteorite weighing about
20 kg have been recovered from the strewnfield of 60 km2 area [8].
Approximate trajectory of the Tamdaght strewn field, according to eye witness reports
and meteorite find location according to finder's GPS data given in red, is about 25 km long
and 2 km wide [6]. The horizontal trajectory, shallow impact pits in the loose gravel soil and
the total destruction of masses that did not impact rock but clay surfaces, may provide
International Letters of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy Vol. 17 31

evidence that the meteorites did retain at least some of their cosmic velocity until they hit the
ground at an altitude of 1500 meters.
Fig. 3. Tissint and Tamdakht strewn fields.
2. 3. Meteors
The falls of Breja, Nzala and Taouz (Fig. 1) by opposition to the other witnessed falls,
raises a problem in the exactness of the statements which relate to it. In spite of eyewitnesses'
presence, it always misses in the declaration of this fall the essential elements as the exact
coordinates and even the precise day of the fall. As the meteors observations are not precise,
the research is not always successful and they can spend weeks and months in the field
without recovering the meteorite. While there will always be an element of luck involved in
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meteorite fall recovery, a nighttime fireball, after all, will be visible over a much larger
geographical region than that in which the meteorite physically falls.
1- Breja. (2010, LL6 ordinary chondrite), May 1st at 3:00 GMT in the area of Breja, 35km
north of Tindouf and east of Zag, many people witnessed a very bright bolide accompanied by
a sonic boom and fragmentation event. Nomads recovered the meteoritic material in the
border to Morocco.
2- Nzala. (2009, Ordinary chondrite), November 13th at 21:00 GMT, many people from
Erfoud, Errachidia and Errich (Morocco) observed the meteor and heard three sonic booms.
Meteorite hunters searched for weeks but no sample has been found except one report from a
dealer about nomads who found two pieces of about 100 and 700 grams.
3- Taouz. (2010, no sample has been recovered so far), May 19th at 4:00 GMT. In Taouz
area, a few eyewitnesses reported the high brightness meteor and a sound like many rocks fall.
At the same date and hour, people from Taghit in Algeria reported a similar observation.
Below, is complete list of the well-documented meteorite falls (Table 1), showing the name of
the meteorite, the date it fell, the place of fall, and the type of meteorite. Also, meteors are
named after the place they fell.
Table 1. Meteors* and meteorite falls in Morocco.
Year
Name
GPS
Date
Type
Weight
1932
Douar Mghila
32° 20'N / 6° 18'W
August 20, 1932
LL6
1161 g
1986
Oued el Hadjar
30°10'48"N / 6°34'38"W
March, 1986
LL6
1216 g
1990
Itqiy
26°35'27"N / 12°57'8"W
March 1990
EH7
4.72 kg
1998
Zag
27°20'N / 9°20'W
August 4 or 5, 1998
H3-6
175 kg
2002
Benssour
30°N / 7°W
February 11 at 4:30
GMT
LL6
~45 kg
2003
Oum Dreyga
24°18'N / 13°6'W
October 16, 2003
H3-5
17 kg
2004
Benguerir
32°13’52.9”N/8°8’56.7”
W
November 22, at ~11:45
GMT
LL6
25-30 kg
2008
Tamdakht
31°9'48"N / 7°0'54"W
December 20, at 22:37
GMT
H5
~100 kg
2011
Tissint
29°28.917’N /
7°36.674’W
July 18, at 2:10 GMT
Shergottite
20 kg
2012
Aoussred
22°18’34”N /
14°06’293W
May 20, at 22 :45 GMT
CH
270 g
2009
Nzala*
-
November 13th at 21:00
GMT
OC?
~1200 g
2010
Taouz*
-
May 19th at 4:00 GMT
-
-
2010
Breja*
-
May 1st, at 3:00 GMT
LL6
16 kg
International Letters of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy Vol. 17 33

Table 1 shows an uneven distribution in time. It is quite clear that between 2003 and 2012 (9
years 5 was recovered meteorites). It is reasonably clear, therefore, that the most dramatic
times for meteorite recovery in Morocco stretched from 1932 to 1998. Why was this time
interval so productive with respect to meteorite falls? Some of the answer to this question lies
behind the establishment of the Geoheritage and geomaterials laboratory (Ibn Zohr
University); the time interval corresponds to the period when a strong meteorite recovery
group operated from within Geoheritage and geomaterials laboratory. Indeed, the Loboratory
team of field researchers, headed by geologist A. Ibhi, was directly involved in the recovery
of the Benguerir (2004), Tamdakht (2008), Tissint (2011) and Aoussred (2012) meteorites [7-
9].
3. STATISTICAL STUDY OF OBSERVED METEORITE FALLS IN MOROCCO
In Morocco there have been a total of 10 meteorite falls in the time interval 1932 to
2012. It represent only 0.011 % of the Moroccan declared meteorites. The first fall in
Morocco was the Douar Mghila meteorite (LL6, 1161 grams; Table 1); the last fall was the
Aoussred meteorite (CH, 370 grams; Table 1). The Morocco meteorite fall recovery rate,
during the past 80 years, is low 0.11 falls per year on average (or approximately one fall
recovery per 10 year time interval, or equivalently, 0.1 fall per year per 2.11 km2). The
reasons why so few meteorite falls are recovered per year are no-doubt many and complex.
Rasmussen [10] has discussed a number of the possible reasons why the meteorite recovery
rate and the documentation of fireball observations Worldwide (have varied with time). A
short list of possible factors includes the non-uniform distribution of people, the required
development of a scholarly community interested in investigating falls and wars. The list is
not quite endless, but it could certainly go on to include geographical conditions in the fall
area and weather factors [11].
4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Observed meteorite falls are interesting for several reasons. Material from observed falls
has not been subjected to terrestrial weathering, making the find a better candidate for
scientific study. Historically, observed falls were the most compelling evidence supporting the
extraterrestrial origin of meteorites. Furthermore, observed fall discoveries are a better
representative sample of the types of meteorites which fall to Earth.
Ten observed falls have been recovered in Morocco. The earliest well-documented
meteorite fall occurred in 1932 near Douar Mghila from which hundreds of stones were
collected [2]. The most recently recovered fall, a single stone weighing 270 grams, occurred
on 20 May, 2012 at Aoussred in Morocco western Sahar [9]. The authenticated observed falls
comprise eight ordinary chondrites (Four of type LL, three of type H and one of type EH), one
carbonaceous chondrite and one Shergottite basaltic achondrite.
A number of other fresh meteorite recoveries in Morocco have been linked to witnessed
fireballs (e.g., Breja, Nzala and Taouz), these meteorites were found or recognized some time
after the reported events and their dates of fall have to be considered doubtful.
Most Morocco meteorites that remain in the country are held in a few institutional
collections. The largest collection of Morocco meteorites is held by the Department of
Geology in Ibn Zohr University [12,13].
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( Received 29 July 2013; accepted 02 August 2013 )
International Letters of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy Vol. 17 35