Northwest Africa 1110

Morocco

Purchased 2001 November

Martian meteorite (basaltic shergottite)

G. and A. Hupe (xHupé) received a small sample of this meteorite in 2001 September and bought the rest from a dealer in Erfoud, Morocco in 2001 November.  The weight of the total material purchased is 118 g. The place of recovery is believed to be in Morocco. Classification and mineralogy (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS): consists of olivine phenocrysts in a fine-grained groundmass of complexly zoned pigeonite and homogenous maskelynite, Ab₄₆Or₂, with minor ilmenite, Ti-magnetite and pyrrhotite.  Euhedral to subhedral olivine has Mg-rich cores (Fa₂₈, FeO/MnO = 50) and narrow Fe-rich rims (Fa₅₁, FeO/MnO = 53) and contains inclusions of chromite and glass; augite (Fs₃₃Wo₂₁) occurs as rare inclusions in olivine; pigeonite is zoned, Fs₂₈Wo₉ to Fs₄₀Wo₁₅ and FeO/MnO = 30; presence of rare chlorapatite in mesostasis. Secondary features include minor barite, commonly associated with chromite inclusions in olivine; calcite, in a crosscutting glass veinlet; and narrow zones of K-Al-bearing glass or clay minerals along grain boundaries between pyoxene and maskelynite. Mineral composition indicates that this rock is possibly paired with NWA 1068.  Specimens: type specimen, 20 g and several thin sections, UWS; main mass, xHupé.