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Northwest Africa 13974
Basic information Name: Northwest Africa 13974
     This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation: NWA 13974
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2021
Country: (Northwest Africa)
Mass:help 7.94 kg
Classification
  history:
Meteoritical Bulletin:  MB 110  (2022)  Lunar
Recommended:  Lunar    [explanation]

This is 1 of 104 approved meteorites classified as Lunar.   [show all]
Search for other: Lunar meteorites
Comments: Approved 18 Jun 2021
Writeuphelp
Writeup from MB 110:

Northwest Africa 13974 (NWA 13974)

(Northwest Africa)

Purchased: 2021

Classification: Lunar meteorite

History: Multiple complete individuals ranging in size from 1 - 800 g were found in the Western Sahara. Adam Aaronson purchased the samples in Temara in 2021

Physical characteristics: Exterior of the 20% of the samples is light orangish-gray in color and shows voids, some of which are circular in profile. The cut face shows the interior is darker grey and shows a brecciated texture. Other samples found on the surface are reported to have a shiny black wind-ablated exterior.

Petrography: Description and classification (A. Love, App) Sample is a complex breccia composed of rounded to irregular-shaped, mm-sized lithic and anhedral mineral clasts surrounded by a melt matrix. Lithic clasts include: anorthosite, norite, troctolite, brecciated and shock melted clasts. Mineral clasts are dominantly anorthite with minor zoned olivine. Matrix areas within the thin section show some regions with flow-textured glass and fine vesicles. Additional minerals are: <1vol% FeNi grains, chromite, ilmenite, sulfide, secondary barite and calcite.

Geochemistry: (A. Love, App) Olivine (Fa29.1±6.8, Fe/Mn=66-92, n=29); low Ca pyroxene (Fs21.3±3.2Wo4.4±0.5, Fe/Mn=49-55, n=7); pigeonite (Fs24.4±4.0Wo9.0±3.9, Fe/Mn=48-59, n=13); high Ca Pyroxene (Fs11.7±2.1Wo38.6±6.3, Fe/Mn=40-47, n=4); plagioclase (An97.2±0.7Or0.1±0.1, n=18).

Classification: lunar (feldspathic melt breccia A-S3, low weathering). Textures and mineral compositions (Fe/Mn ratios for Olivine and pyroxene and An content of plagioclase) indicate sample is a melt breccia of lunar origin.

Specimens: Aaronson holds 7889 g comprising the 800 g main mass and additional samples. David Sherman holds 684 g and J. Sinclair holds an additional 166 g. A 40 g specimen is held at the Moroccan ministry of Mines and Environment in Rabat. A 20.2 g type specimen, a polished mount and thin section are on deposit at App.

Data from:
  MB110
  Table 0
  Line 0:
Place of purchase:Temara
Date:P 2021
Mass (g):7940
Pieces:many
Class:Lunar
Shock stage:A-S3
Weathering grade:low
Fayalite (mol%):29.1±6.8
Ferrosilite (mol%):21.3±3.2; 11.7±2.1
Wollastonite (mol%):4.4±0.5; 38.6±6.3
Magnetic suscept.:3.52
Classifier:A. Love, App
Type spec mass (g):20.2
Type spec location:App
Main mass:A. Aaronson
Comments:Submitted by Anthony Love
Institutions
   and collections
App: Department of Geology, 572 Rivers St., Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, United States (institutional address; updated 7 Mar 2013)
Aaronson: Sahara Overland Ltd., Harhora, Temara, 12000, Morocco (private address; updated 3 Jan 2010)
Catalogs:
References: Published in Gattacceca J., McCubbin F.M., Grossman J., Bouvier A., Chabot N.L., D'Orazio M., Goodrich C., Greshake A., Gross J., Komatsu M., Miao B., and Schrader D. (2022) The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 1-4
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Geography: 
Coordinates:Unknown.

Statistics:
     This is 1 of 9589 approved meteorites from (Northwest Africa) (plus 1869 unapproved names)
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Revision
  history:
  This lists important revisions made to data for this record.

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