Meteorite Classifications

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110

Northwest Africa 13930 (NWA 13930)

Country: Algeria

Find: 2020

Mass: 92 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History:

Purchased online by Raymond Borges around October, 2020 from Mostafa Hnini.

Physical characteristics: Single stone with no fusion crust and containing small weathering veins.

Petrography: (D. Sheikh, FSU) Sample is a fragmental breccia containing angular to sub-rounded clasts (up to 1.3 cm) primarily composed of anorthite (some partially converted to maskelynite) and smaller amounts of olivine and pyroxene set in a fine-grained matrix containing areas of shock melt veins and vesicles. Accessory phases include troilite, SiO₂-rich glass, chromite, and ilmenite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_44.6±11.3, range Fa_21.4-57.6, Fe/Mn=75±11, n=18), Low-Ca Pyroxene (Fs_38.6±6.9 Wo_3.5±0.9, range Fs_30.6-50.6 Wo_2.2-4.6, Fe/Mn=48±5, n=7), Pigeonite (Fs_39.2±4.3Wo_11.3±4.4, range Fs_32.3-46.3Wo_6.9-21.9, Fe/Mn=51±8, n=13), Augite (Fs_21.7±3.2Wo_39.8±2.2, range Fs_16.3-23.8 Wo_37.5-42.6, Fe/Mn=55±6, n=5), Plagioclase (An_97.0±0.6, range An_96.1-98.4, n=34).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic fragmental breccia).

Specimens: 19.3 g at Cascadia; main mass with Raymond Borges and Ily Valenzuela.