science

Nakhlite

Nakhlite is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nakhlite rather than just read about it. In short: Nakhlites are a group of Martian meteorites, named after the first one, Nakhla meteorite. Nakhlites are igneous rocks that are rich in augite and were formed from basaltic magma about 1.3 billion years ago.

Key takeaways

Nakhlite belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nakhlite to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nakhlite from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nakhlites are a group of Martian meteorites, named after the first one, Nakhla meteorite. Nakhlites are igneous rocks that are rich in augite and were formed from basaltic magma about 1.3 billion years ago. They contain augite and olivine crystals. Their crystallization ages, compared to a crater count chronology of different regions on Mars, suggest the nakhlites formed on the large volcanic construct of either Tharsis, Elysium, or Syrtis Major Planum.

History A 2017 study dated them to at least four different eruptions from 1416 ± 7 Ma to 1322 ± 10 Ma. It has been shown that the nakhlites were suffused with liquid water around 620 million years ago and that they were ejected from Mars around 10.75 million years ago by an asteroid impact. They fell to Earth within the last 10,000 years.

Possible source crater in Elysium A 6.5 km diameter crater at 29.674°N 130.799°E / 29.674; 130.799 in the volcanic plains to the northwest of Elysium Mons has been identified as a possible source. Based on the crater dimensions, the inferred growth rate of the source volcano during that interval is 0.4–0.7 m per Ma, far slower than would be expected for a terrestrial volcano, and implying that Martian volcanism had slowed greatly by that point in history.

Samples

The following samples of nakhlites are known.

Nakhla meteorite (about 40 samples, total estimated weight 10 kilograms (22 lb)), vicinity of Nakhla, Abu Hommos district, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt, 1911 Governador Valadares meteorite Lafayette meteorite, 800g, before 1931 NWA817, 104g, Morocco, 2000 NWA998, 456g, Morocco, 2001 Y000593 (Yamato 593), 13.7 kilograms (30 lb) Y000749, 1.28 kilograms (2.8 lb) Y000802, 22g MIL 03346 Miller Range, Antarctica MIL 090030, MIL 090032, and MIL 090136, Miller Range, Antarctica

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nakhlite

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nakhlite claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nakhlite before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nakhlite ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nakhlite

In research: Nakhlite appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nakhlite in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nakhlite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Igneous rocks, Martian meteorites, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nakhlite outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Nakhlite in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nakhlite means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nakhlite out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nakhlite in simple terms?

Why does Nakhlite matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nakhlite?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nakhlite.