Northwest Africa 1109

Morocco

Purchased 2001 October/December

Achondrite (eucrite, polymict)

A.     and G. Hupé (xHupé) purchased four stones totalling 2.54 kg from a Moroccan dealer in 2001 October and December, but the total weight of this material including that held by other collectors is estimated to be nearly 6 kg. The stones show distinctive white and grey mineral and lithic clasts in a light tan matrix Classification and mineralogy (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS): polycrystalline clasts include basaltic eucrite (ophitic texture, variable grain size, mainly anorthite + pigeonite Wo16Fs57, FeO/MnO = 30); cumulate eucrite (coarse grained, equigranular, mainly anorthite + exsolved pigeonite with accessory silica); rare eucritic breccias and distinctive ferroan intergrowths (fayalite + hedenbergite + silica ± troilite). Mineral clasts include homogeneous pigeonite grains (Wo15Fs31, FeO/MnO = 26), pigeonite grains with clinopyroxene exsolution lamellae (FeO/MnO = 30–33), anorthitic plagioclase (Ab6-Ab10) and a silica polymorph. Accessory minerals in clasts and matrix include ilmenite, Fe metal, chromite, baddeleyite and apatite. Specimens: type specimen, 20 g, and four polished thin sections, UWS; main mass, xHupé.