Feldspathic Breccias
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2017
Mass
2.81 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 3.504g (2) 2.686g (3) 1.980g (4) 1.966g
(5) 1.088g (6) 1.034g
History: Material excavated from a site near Tindouf, Algeria was purchased by a consortium of collectors (Rob Wesel, Eric Twelker and Jason Phillips) in April 2017 from Moroccan dealers. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, exsolved pigeonite, pigeonite, augite, chromite, Ti-Cr-Fe spinel, kamacite, taenite and troilite in a finer grained matrix containing small vesicles and minor barite. Rare basalt clasts and glass fragments are also present. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa8.7-59.7, FeO/MnO = 89-111, N = 4), pigeonite (Fs28.8Wo11.2, FeO/MnO = 56), clinopyroxene host (Fs15.3Wo40.9, FeO/MnO = 44), orthopyroxene exsolution lamella (Fs34.0Wo2.7, FeO/MnO = 56), augite (Fs16.8Wo41.7, FeO/MnO = 62), plagioclase (An95.9-96.5Or0.2, N = 2). Classification: Lunar (feldspathic regolith breccia). Specimens: 37 g including one polished slice at UWB; remaining pieces shared by Mr. R. Wesel, Mr. E. Twelker and Mr. J. Phillips.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2017
Mass
586 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 3.04g (2) 1.09g (3) 6.51g
History: Purchased by Dustin Dickens and Mendy Ouzillou from a Mauritanian meteorite dealer May 10, 2017. Physical characteristics: Many identical appearing pieces, no fusion crust. A saw cut reveals a fragmental breccia with numerous white feldspathic clasts set in a dark-gray ground mass. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) This meteorite consists of primarily feldspathic clasts and shock melt with lesser amounts of fragmental pyroxene and olivine. Geochemistry: (C. Agee and B. Ha, UNM) olivine Fa19.3±0.6, Fe/Mn=86±1, n=2; pigeonite Fs24.8±0.5Wo4.3±0.3, Fe/Mn=60±9, n=2; high Ca pyroxene Fs27.4Wo34.4, Fe/Mn=58, n=1; plagioclase An97.8±0.7Ab2.0±0.6Or0.2±0.1, n=6; Shock melt (20 μm defocused electron beam, proxy for bulk meteorite composition): SiO2=44.4±0.8, TiO2=0.21±0.01, Al2O3=27.5±1.1, Cr2O3=0.07±0.02, MgO=5.7±1.4, FeO=4.2±1.3, MnO=0.07±0.02, CaO=16.2±0.5, Na2O=0.42±0.04, K2O=0.01±0.02 (all wt%), Fe/Mn=63±1, Mg#=70.1±1.1, n=3. Classification: Lunar feldspathic breccia Specimens: 20 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Dustin Dickens and Mendy Ouzillou hold the main mass.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2017
Mass
10.44 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 0.79g (2) 0.56g (3) 0.50g (4) 0.38g
(5) 1.99g (6) 2.56g
History: Purchased in Mali by Dustin Dickens from anonymous meteorite hunter. Physical characteristics: Many dark visually identical appearing pieces, with masses ranging from ~2 kg to many sub-g fragments, showing no fusion crust. Saw cut reveals a finely fragmental breccia with white feldspathic clasts set in a dark gray ground mass with metal flecks and minor vesiculation appearing throughout. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) This meteorite is a breccia of fragmental pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase grains. There are domains that are fine-grained and cataclastic with shock melt and vesicles. Geochemistry: (C. Agee, UNM) olivine Fa: 31.2±9.4, Fe/Mn=95±7, n=12; clinopyroxene Fs36.0±10.0Wo22.2±8.8, Fe/Mn=60±5, n=12; plagioclase An93.0±1.8, n=7; Shock melt (20 _m defocused electron beam, proxy for bulk meteorite composition): SiO2=43.2±1.7, TiO2=0.46±0.20, Al2O3=24.2±3.6, Cr2O3=0.23±0.08, MgO=7.8±1.4, FeO=8.0±3.2, MnO=0.10±0.05, CaO=14.2±1.4, Na2O=0.35±0.23, K2O=0.08±0.05 (all wt%), n=4. Classification: Lunar feldspathic breccia Specimens: 28.9 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Dustin Dickens holds the main mass.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2018
Mass
768 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 214.5g (2) 112.0g (3) 8.32g (4) 1.12g
History: Purchased in March 2018 by Dustin Dickens from a meteorite dealer in Mali. Physical characteristics: Several identical appearing dark stones covered partially with a milky-green fusion crust. Broken surface reveals a fragmental breccia with numerous white feldspathic clasts set in a dark colored ground mass. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) This meteorite is a breccia of primarily feldspathic clasts, with lesser amounts of olivine and pyroxene fragments. The shock melt composition has a very high alumina content, vesicles occur throughout. Geochemistry: (C. Agee, UNM) olivine Fa25.0±6.4, Fe/Mn=90±5, n=8; pigeonite Fs31.0±3.6Wo8.1±3.6, Fe/Mn=58±4, n=6; high-Ca pyroxene Fs22.3±3.7Wo35.0±4.7, Fe/Mn=52±5, n=4; plagioclase An96.3±0.7Ab3.5±0.7Or0.2±0.0, n=6; Shock melt (20 μm defocused electron beam, proxy for bulk meteorite composition): SiO2=43.1±0.6, TiO2=0.12±0.03, Al2O3=31.3±1.2, Cr2O3=0.03±0.01, MgO=2.0±0.5, FeO=2.5±0.5, MnO=0.03±0.01, CaO=18.0±0.4, Na2O=0.36±0.01, K2O=0.04±0.00 (all wt%), n=4. Classification: Lunar feldspathic breccia Specimens: 21.6 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Dustin Dickens holds the main mass.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2018
Mass
1868 g
[Museum Collection]
(1) 63g
History: Found in the spring of 2017 in the Moroccan Sahara and purchased in Temara by A. Aaronson on July 23, 2018. Physical characteristics: Single complete stone, no fusion crust; saw cut reveals a fragmental breccia with scattered white feldspathic and mafic clasts set in a dark-gray groundmass. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) This meteorite consists primarily of fragmental pyroxene, olivine, feldspathic and mafic clasts, and shock melt. Ubiquitous Fe-Ti-Cr-Al oxides are present, rare kamacite was detected. There appears to be 2 or 3 distinct populations of pyroxenes and olivines, suggesting that this is a polymict breccia. Geochemistry: (C. Agee, UNM) olivine Fa53.3±11.8, Fe/Mn=96±7, n=7; fayalite Fa91.8±2.9, Fe/Mn=91±8, n=3; pigeonite Fs26.0±1.3Wo6.4±1.3, Fe/Mn=51±3, n=7; subcalcic augite Fs38.3±3.2Wo24.2±4.3, Fe/Mn=57±3, n=2; ferro-augite Fs63.9±4.3Wo30.4±7.6, Fe/Mn=92±21, n=2; plagioclase An95.5±1.4, n=6; Shock melt (20 _m defocused electron beam, proxy for bulk meteorite composition): SiO2=44.6±1.5, TiO2=0.18±0.13, Al2O3=28.8±4.2, Cr2O3=0.11±0.14, MgO=4.1±1.8, FeO=4.2±2.1, MnO=0.07±0.03, CaO=16.8±1.9, NiO=0.02±0.02, Na2O=0.54±0.14, K2O=0.06±0.04 (all wt%), n=3. Classification: Lunar feldspathic breccia Specimens: 20.6 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Adam Aaronson holds the main mass.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2021
Mass
4.3 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 1.71g (2) 1.55g
History: Purchased in January 2021 by Mark Lyon from a dealer in Mauritania. Physical characteristics: Two identically appearing masses (2.5 and 1.8 kg) found together. Saw cut surface shows numerous clasts with gray and white grains, bounded by abundant darker gray melt veins. No fusion crust is present. Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) Electron microprobe analysis and imaging reveal a very fine-grained brecciated mix of plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine and melt. Numerous Fe-Ni metal grains are scattered throughout, some as large as 1 mm. Geochemistry: (C. Agee, UNM) Plagioclase An96.5±1.7Ab4.0±1.7Or0.4±0.2, n=6; pigeonite Fs31.9±4.0Wo9.7±3.5, Fe/Mn=52±4, n=9; augite Fs14.9Wo38.2, Fe/Mn=49, n=1; subcalcic ferroaugite Fs45.4±2.6Wo29.5±5.2, Fe/Mn=59±1, n=3; olivine Fa34.3±6.3, Fe/Mn=96±9, n=13; metal Fe=93.4±2.0, Ni=6.6±1.7 wt%, n=4. Classification: Lunar feldspathic breccia Specimens: 21.5 g on deposit at UNM, Sean Mahoney and Juan Poblador hold the 2.5 kg mass, Paul Hoyt holds 740 g of the 1.8 kg mass.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2021
Mass
11.7 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 15.59g
History: Found in Mali by camel shepherds in January 2021 and subsequently purchased in Algeria by Ahmed Salek. Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, pigeonite, exsolved pigeonite and minor Ti-chromite set in a fine grained matrix containing minor secondary calcite and a K-Ca-bearing zeolite phase. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa29.0-51.5, FeO/MnO = 99-102, N = 4), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs23.3Wo3.7, FeO/MnO = 60), pigeonite (Fs32.6-68.1Wo8.7-19.5, FeO/MnO = 52-75, N = 4), pigeonite host (Fs42.0Wo10.4, FeO/MnO = 66), augite exsolution lamella (Fs22.1Wo40.6, FeO/MnO = 71), anorthite (An90.8-96.0Or0.1, N = 3). Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia). Specimens: 23.6 g in the form of a polished endcut at UWB; remainder with Mr. A. Salek.
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
achondrites
Chemical Class
Lunar (feldsp. breccia)
Country
Year found
2022
Mass
3.4 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 4.06g
History: Purchased by Mark Lyon in 2022 from an Algerian dealer. Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia composed of relatively large (up to 2 cm) and relatively closely-packed angular lithic clasts plus some related mineral clasts in a sparse fine grained, partly vesicular and partly glassy matrix. The lithic clasts are mostly anorthite-rich with varying amounts of olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, pigeonite, subcalcic augite and augite. Accessory phases include low-Ti chromite, ilmenite, troilite, kamacite and Zr-bearing rutile. Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa22.5-43.7, FeO/MnO = 83-96, N = 8), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs20.9-37.9Wo2.5-3.8, FeO/MnO = 49-59, N = 3), pigeonite (Fs26.2Wo6.6, FeO/MnO = 54), subcalcic augite (Fs14.7Wo29.9, FeO/MnO = 49), augite (Fs10.4-11.4Wo41.8-41.6; Fs8.4Wo48.1; FeO/MnO = 38-40, N = 3), anorthite (An96.1-98.2Or0.0, N = 4). Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia). Specimens: 23.1 g including a large polished slice at UWB; remainder with Mr. M. Lyon.