Feldspathic Breccias
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2010
Mass
760 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 0.87g (2) 0.31g
History: Found in southern Morocco in June 2009 and purchased by a consortium led by Matt Morgan from a Moroccan dealer in September 2010. Physical characteristics: A single fine-grained, brittle stone (760 g) with no obvious fusion crust. The interior is dark gray and resembles devitrified glass with dispersed small white clasts. Petrography: Clast-laden vitric breccia consisting of fine-grained mineral debris (mostly pyroxenes, olivine and anorthite) and sparse polycrystalline igneous clasts in a heterogeneous, "swirly" glassy matrix (in part vesicular). Mineral clasts include anorthitic plagioclase, low-Ca pyroxene, pigeonite, olivine, Mg-bearing ilmenite, kamacitic metal and troilite. Lithic clasts include microgabbronorite (composed of subcalcic augite, orthopyroxene, anorthite, Mg-bearing merrillite, silica polymorph, ilmenite, troilite and baddeleyite). Geochemistry: Low-Ca pyroxene (Fs37.5-61.2Wo2.4-5.2, FeO/MnO = 65-88), pigeonite (Fs23.5-45.5Wo10.3-11.1, FeO/MnO = 48-76), subcalcic augite (Fs13.0Wo37.0, Fs17.6Wo30.1, Fs25.7Wo35.0, FeO/MnO = 55-59), augite (Fs11.3Wo41.8; FeO/MnO = 49), olivine (Fa29.5-33.9, FeO/MnO = 81-104), plagioclase (An91.6-96.1Or0.5-0.1). Bulk composition (R. Korotev, WUSL): FeO 5.8 wt%, La 13.0 ppm, Sm 6.1 ppm, Yb 3.95 ppm, Th 1.87 ppm. Classification: Achondrite (lunar, feldspathic breccia). This stone is almost identical in texture, mineral compositions and bulk composition to NWA 4936, NWA 5406 and NWA 6221. It is possibly paired with those stones and is reportedly from the same find location. Specimens: A total of 20.1 g of sample and one polished thin section are on deposit at UWS. The main mass is held jointly by Morgan, Abraham, Rose, Curtiss and an anonymous collector.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2013
Mass
59.8 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 1.786g (2) 1.553g (3) 1.181g (4) 1.127g
History: Purchased by Eric Twelker in April 2013 from a dealer in Zagora, Morocco. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Fresh specimen composed of angular clasts (some lithic clasts up to 1.2 cm across, but mostly mineral fragments) in a finer grained, dark matrix. Minerals present are anorthite, olivine, pigeonite, subcalcic augite, Ti-chromite, troilite, rare silica polymorph and a shred-like grain of kamacite. A thin vesicular, glassy shock vein was found. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa37.8-61.2; FeO/MnO = 90-107), pigeonite (Fs27.1-28.1Wo13.3-11.0; FeO/MnO = 56-58), subcalcic augite (Fs17.1-22.3Wo35.9-29.9; FeO/MnO = 41-53), ferroan subcalcic augite (Fs44.0Wo39.4; FeO/MnO = 74), anorthite (An90.4-92.0Or0.3-0.4). Bulk composition (R. Korotev, WUSL): INAA of subsamples gave mean abundances of FeO 8.8 wt.%, and (in ppm) Sc 16, La 6.5, Sm 3.1, Eu 0.92, Yb 2.2, Th 1.0. Classification: Lunar (mingled regolithic breccia). Specimens: 12.2 g are at UWB. The remainder is with Twelker.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2014
Mass
1389 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 2.762g (2) 2.730g (3) 2.6g (4) 2.272g
(5) 1.67g
History: Purchased by Darryl Pitt in February 2014 from a Moroccan dealer at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Physical characteristics: Single stone (1389 g) lacking fusion crust and composed of pale gray, pale yellow and white clasts in a very dark gray matrix. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia composed of angular clasts in a partly glassy matrix containing trapped microbubbles. Minerals are olivine, pigeonite, fayalite, anorthite, silica (as separate clasts), hedenbergite, Ti-poor chromite, Ti-rich chromite, ilmenite, and minor exsolved pigeonite, baddeleyite, kamacite and barite. One fine grained, quenched-textured basaltic clast was found. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa26.5-36.0; FeO/MnO = 102-116, N = 3), pigeonite (Fs19.8-24.0Wo19.9-17.0; FeO/MnO = 47-56; Fs28.8Wo6.5; FeO/MnO = 55), fayalite (Fa72.6; FeO/MnO = 104). Bulk composition (R. Korotev, WUSL) INAA of subsamples gave the following mean abundances (in wt.%) FeO 8.9, Na2O 0.41; (in ppm) Sc 17.1, Ni 230, La 7.3, Sm 3.30, Eu 0.93, Yb 2.30, Lu 0.317, Hf 2.4, Th 1.0. Classification: Lunar (feldspathic regolithic breccia). Specimens: A 20.2 g specimen with one polished surface is at UWB. The main mass is held by DPitt.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2014
Mass
56 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 2.419g (2) 1.943g (3) 1.480g (4) 1.426g
History: Purchased by Eric Twelker from Habib Naji in Morocco, 2014. Physical characteristics: Single stone. Saw cut shows white feldspathic clasts and a few dark colored clasts set in a dark gray matrix. There a few, very small, metal grains visible. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) This meteorite is a fine-grained, lunar feldspathic regolith breccia with numerous agglutinates, shock melt zones and impact melt clasts present. Many of the agglutinates and melt veins are heavily vesiculated. There are also many fragmental feldspar grains and some microgabbros present, a few of these fragments are up to several mm in size. Accessory Fe-Ni metal, Fe-sulfide, chromite, and ilmenite are present. Weathering products iron oxide, barite, and calcite were detected. Geochemistry: (C. Agee and N. Muttik, UNM) Olivine Fa31.5±4.9, Fe/Mn=99±9, n=29; forsterite Fa5.8, Fe/Mn=87, n=1; pigeonite Fs26.6±5.5Wo6.0±3.8, Fe/Mn=55±4, n=10; augite Fs22.7±8.2Wo33.1±6.9, Fe/Mn=52±8, n=14; anorthite plagioclase An94.2±2.6Ab5.4±2.5Or0.3±0.2, n=10; labradorite plagioclase An56.3Ab37.1Or6.6, n=1; Shock melt (20 μm defocused electron beam, proxy for bulk meteorite composition): SiO2=44.5±0.8, TiO2=0.25±0.08, Al2O3=31.3±1.9, Cr2O3=0.07±0.01, MgO=3.2±1.8, FeO=3.0±0.4, MnO=0.04±0.02, CaO=17.4±0.4, NiO=0.00±0.00, Na2O=0.55±0.09, K2O=0.07±0.01 (all wt%), n=3. Classification: Lunar feldspathic regolith breccia Specimens: 12.4 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Twelker holds the main mass.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2015
Mass
74.3 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 1.75g
History: Purchased by Pierre-Marie Pelé and Fabien Kuntz in May 2015 from a dealer in Agadir, Morocco. Physical characteristics: No fusion crust is evident. The interior consists of white to light-gray clasts set in a dark-gray matrix. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Fragmental breccia composed of angular mineral clasts of calcic plagioclase, pigeonite, olivine, orthopyroxene, subcalcic augite, augite, fayalite, silica polymorph, Ti-Cr-rich spinel, Al-Ti-chromite, ilmenite, rare baddeleyite and rare troilite in a finer grained matrix. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa18.5-35.8, FeO/MnO = 90-109, N = 3), orthopyroxene (Fs44.9Wo1.8, FeO/MnO = 70), pigeonite (Fs30.3Wo5.7; Fs25.8Wo12.1; FeO/MnO = 55-54), subcalcic augite (Fs56.5Wo25.1, FeO/MnO = 65), augite (Fs18.0Wo37.1, FeO/MnO = 56), fayalite (Fa95.6, FeO/MnO = 96), plagioclase (An88.0-96.9Or0.5-0.2, N = 3). Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia). Specimens: 15.15 g including one polished endcut at PSF; main mass is held jointly by Mr. P. Pelé and Kuntz.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2016
Mass
24.7 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 1.64g
History: Purchased by Fabien Kuntz in March 2016 from a dealer in Zagora, Morocco. Physical characteristics: A single dark stone (24.73 g) lacking fusion crust. The fresh interior contains ~30 vol% of white and beige clasts in a fine-grained black matrix. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Relatively fine-grained breccia composed of mineral fragments (anorthite, pigeonite, exsolved pigeonite, olivine, augite, chromite, ilmenite, troilite, kamacite) plus some glass fragments in a finer grained matrix. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa7.3; Fa26.7; Fa 38.2; FeO/MnO = 74-87, N = 3), orthopyroxene host in exsolved pigeonite (Fs34.3Wo3.2, FeO/MnO = 48), pigeonite (Fs33.0Wo7.2, FeO/MnO = 49), augite (Fs16.3-18.0Wo35.1-37.8; Fs11.0Wo42.3; FeO/MnO = 36-42, N = 3), plagioclase (An96.7-97.3Or0.1, N = 2). Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia). Specimens: 5.01 g in the form of one polished endcut at PSF; remainder with Kuntz.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2015
Mass
125 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 6.743g (2) 5.722g (3) 2.758g (4) 2.696g
(5) 2.655g (6) 2.599g (7) 2.106g (8) 2.104g
(9) 1.985g (10)1.961g
History: Purchased by Eric Twelker in September 2015 from a Moroccan dealer at the Denver Show. Physical characteristics: A single stone (125 g) lacking fusion crust and consisting of beige, white and red-brown stained clasts in a dark-gray matrix. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia composed of shocked gabbroic clasts and related crystalline debris, plus sparse devitrified glass clasts in a finer matrix containing vesicular glass. Minerals are olivine, pigeonite, exsolved pigeonite, augite, anorthite, Ti-poor chromite, Ti-rich chromite and ilmenite. Minor secondary calcite veinlets and barite are present. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa19.1-41.9, FeO/MnO = 69-78, N = 4), pigeonite (Fs41.0Wo5.2, FeO/MnO = 51), augite (Fs9.8Wo42.8, FeO/MnO = 36), low-Ca pyroxene host (Fs56.7Wo5.6, FeO/MnO = 56), clinopyroxene exsolution lamella (Fs30.2Wo39.1, FeO/MnO = 52), anorthite (An96.8Or0.2). Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia). Specimens: 20.5 g including one polished thin section at UWB; remainder with Twelker.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2015
Mass
26 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 7.29g (2) 2.77g
History: Purchased by Dustin Dickens from a nomad in Morocco, 2016. Petrography: (Z. Guo, UWO) Dark impact melt with xenocrysts of plagioclase, olivine, and pyroxene and igneous clasts. A few metal grains are dispersed within the breccia. Magnetic susceptibility log χ (× 10-9 m3/kg) = 3.38. Geochemistry: Mineral composition and geochemistry: Fayalitic olivine Fa93.4±6.1 with Fe/Mn ratio of 77.4±7.4 (N=4); Ferroan olivine Fa49.7±10.4 with Fe/Mn ratio of 53.5±5.8 (N=6). Augite pyroxene Fs27.5±9.9Wo30.5±14.5, with Fe/Mn ratio of 63.0±13.8 (N=10). Plagioclase An96.6±0.5 (N=11). Classification: Lunar, feldpathic breccia Specimens: 5.3 g at UWO including a thin section.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2017
Mass
60 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 4.24g (2) 4.13g (3) 0.72g
History: Purchased by Ruben Garcia from Said Haddany in Tucson, 2017. Physical characteristics: Single stone, no fusion crust. A saw cut reveals a fragmental breccia with numerous white feldspathic clasts and fine-grained lithic fragments, set in a dark-gray ground mass. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) This meteorite consists of primarily feldspathic clasts, microgabbro clasts, and shock melt, some containing vesicles. Geochemistry: (C. Agee and B. Ha, UNM) pigeonite Fs28.9±1.6Wo11.8±7.0, Fe/Mn=56±3, n=2; high Ca pyroxene Fs22.7±11.7Wo28.6±5.9, Fe/Mn=52±2, n=2; two olivine grains were found: Fa16.9 and Fa34.6 with Fe/Mn=91 and 98 respectively; plagioclase An92.9±3.2Ab6.8±3.2Or0.3±0.1, n=4 Classification: Lunar feldspathic breccia Specimens: 12 g plus a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Ruben Garcia holds the main mass.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2017
Mass
222 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 7.3g (2) 2.9g
History: Purchased by Aras Jonikas in February 2017 from a dealer in Agadir, Morocco. Physical characteristics: A group of small stones (total 222.34 g) with brown weathered exterior surfaces. Interiors are fresh, and consist of small whitish to pale yellowish clasts in a dark-gray matrix containing vesicles. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia composed of angular mineral grains of anorthite, olivine, pigeonite, subcalcic ferroaugite, Ti-free chromite, Ti-Cr-Fe spinel, ilmenite (with rare inclusions of baddeleyite) and fayalite in a finer grained, vesicular matrix containing kamacite, troilite and minor celestite. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa17.5-27.9, FeO/MnO = 94-118, N = 3), orthopyroxene (Fs22.6Wo4.0, FeO/MnO = 72), pigeonite (Fs24.4Wo8.1; Fs33.3Wo16.4; FeO/MnO = 62-73; N = 2), subcalcic ferroaugite (Fs73.5Wo25.6, FeO/MnO = 66), plagioclase (An94.8-96.8Or0.4, N = 2). Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia). Specimens: 20.17 g including one polished endcut at PSF; remainder with Mr. A. Jonikas.