Northwest Africa 13252 (NWA 13252)

Morocco

Purchased: 2019

Classification: Ordinary chondrite (L6, melt breccia)

History: Sergey Vasiliev purchased the 99.3 g sample while at the Munich mineral show in 2019.

Physical characteristics: Sample has a rounded irregular shape, and is dark brown on the exterior with a dark-brown weathered fusion crust. The cut face of the interior is dark brown and shows a brecciated texture composed of clasts surrounded by dark veins.

Petrography: Description and classification (A. Love, App) Sample has a brecciated texture composed of cm-sized, sub-rounded clasts and mineral fragments surrounded by interconnected shock melt veins. Clasts shows recrystallized chondritic texture composed of indistinct chondrules (with an average apparent diameter of 829 µm, n=11) set within a recrystallized matrix. Secondary plagioclase has an average grain size of 63 µm (n=51). Additional minerals are troilite, phosphates and chromite.

Geochemistry: (A. Love, App) Olivine (Fa_24.8±1.4, Fe/Mn=57.0±24.4, n=8), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_21.4±0.4Wo_1.6±0.2, n=8).

Classification: Ordinary chondrite (L6 shock melt breccia C-S5/6 W4). Based on textures, olivine compositions and grainsize of secondary plagioclase, this sample is an L6. Presence shock melt veining, pervasive maskelynite, mosaic extinction and staining of olivine this sample has been shocked to C-S5/6 (Stoffler et al. 2018).

Specimens: Sergey Vasiliev holds the main mass. A 20 g type specimen and a polished thin section and mount are on deposit at App.