Northwest Africa 3145

Morocco

Purchased 2004 November

Primitive achondrite

A single stone weighing 678.4 g was purchased by H. Strufe (Strufe) from a Moroccan dealer in Erfoud in 2004 November.  Classification and mineralogy (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS; T. Bunch, NAU):  Metamorphic aggregate (average grainsize 0.2 mm) consisting of olivine (Fa_{18.2 -18.7}, FeO/MnO = 35.0-37.6), orthopyroxene (Fs_16.2Wo_4.0 to Fs_16.6Wo_4.2, FeO/MnO = 24.3-25.7), plagioclase (An _12.3Or _6.7 to An_27.4Or _2.8), clinopyroxene (Fs_7.4Wo_43.4 to Fs_8.5Wo_40.4, FeO/MnO = 15.8-21.7) and metal (mostly kamacite with 5% Ni and bands of taenite with 30% Ni, but heavily altered to limonite) with accessory Al-poor chromite, merrillite and Ni-bearing troilite.  Limonite forms abundant veinlets throughout the sample (W2-3).  This specimen is essentially identical in texture, mineral compositions and degree of alteration to a polished slice of NWA 2353 analyzed concurrently, and it is concluded that these are paired stones.  Both specimens are modally heterogeneous (especially with respect to chromite, clinopyroxene and merrillite), and also with respect to plagioclase composition.  Furthermore. it is likely that both of these stones are paired with NWA 2635.  Specimens: type specimen, 28.6 g, and one polished thin section, NAU; one polished mount, UWS; 201 g, xHupé; main mass, Strufe.