Istifane 006        31°34.91’N, 5°32.32’W

South, Morocco

Find: 2017 Feb 12

Classification: Ordinary chondrite (L6)

History: The meteorite was found in Morocco on February 12, 2017, by Aadel Bouzada, who contacted John Shea via Facebook. John Shea purchased the sample on March 17, 2017, and sent a piece to the Cascadia for classification.

Physical characteristics: Individual covered entirely by dark fusion crust, with patches of rust. Complex dark veins surrounding small clasts of the host meteorite crosscut the cut face of the sample.

Petrography: (M. Hutson, A. Ruzicka, W. Fish, Cascadia): In thin section, most of the meteorite is very well integrated, with a few barely discernible chondrules. Feldspathic material consists of maskelynite areas up to 150 µm across. The host is crosscut by an elaborate network of shock veins containing abundant dendritic metal-sulfide intergrowths forming droplets, small veins, and irregular patches. Purple ringwoodite grains are visible in thin section in transmitted light, and were observed to be intergrown with equant subhedral grains of majorite-garnet in a portion of the shock vein examined with BSE imaging and EDS mapping.

Geochemistry: Mineral compositions and geochemistry: Olivine and pyroxene grains are equilibrated: Fa_25.1±0.2, N=15; Fs_21.0±0.2Wo_1.6±0.2, N=12.

Classification: Ordinary chondrite (L6) based on chemistry and texture.

Specimens: Cascadia holds 24.1 g in one piece, in addition to two polished thin sections and a mounted butt. The main mass is held by John Shea.