Anoual                 32°44'4.5''N, 2°57'28.7''W

Anoual, Morocco

Find: 3 May 2006

Achondrite (lunar, mare basalt/gabbro breccia)

History: Nomads from near Anoual (a village located in the east of Morocco between Bouarfa and Talsint; about 40 km ENE of the latter) learned that the small odd stones that had been found close to their settlement in June and July of 2005 were indeed a meteorite from the Moon (NWA 2727). After extensive searching and screening of the soil, Mr. Boujena recovered 12 pieces for a total mass of 5.92 g, over an area about 5 m in diameter. The small size of the pieces can be explained by the brecciated character of the stone. Ph. Thomas visited the place in May 2006 and May 2007, participated in the search, took pictures, in particular of the investigated soil, and registered the GPS coordinates.

Physical characteristics: Tan greenish stones devoid of fusion crust.

Petrography: (A. Jambon, O. Boudouma, and D. Badia. UPVI). Breccia composed dominantly of two lithologies: A phyric basalt and a gabbro. Basalt with subhedral olivine phenocrysts (<1 mm; 20 vol%) slightly resorbed in a finely crystallized groundmass. Highly fractured gabbro clasts. Small doleritic clasts with zoned pyroxenes. Mafic areas of once molten rock with olivine needles. One clast of quenched basaltic melt with numerous zirconolite needles (0.7 vol%; 0.1 mm) silica and celsian K-feldspar. Ilmenite, troilite, chromite. Plagioclase and clinopyroxene. Carbonate fills the largest fractures.

Geochemistry: (EMPA) Olivine (Fa_45-28, with few crystals >Fa₄₅; FeO/MnO = 97). Pyroxene: from (Mg# = 0.80) pigeonite (Wo₁₀) and augite (Wo₄₅) to pyroxferroite (Fs₇₀Wo₂₅; FeO/MnO = 70). Plagioclase (An_91-83). Spinel (Cr₆₆Sp₂₅Us₃Mt₆).

Classification: Achondrite (lunar, mare basalt/gabbro breccia). Paired with NWA 2727/3160 (and potentially NWA 3333).

Type specimens: A total of 1.205 g of sample (one polished section) is on deposit at UPVI. Thomas holds the main mass.

Submitted by: H. Chennaoui, FSAC.