Northwest Africa 14112 (NWA 14112)

Tindouf, Algeria

Purchased: 2021

Classification: HED achondrite (Eucrite, melt breccia)

History: (C. Muñecas, Expometeoritos) One piece weighing 3400 g was found near Tindouf, Algeria. Carlos Muñecas purchased the sample from a dealer in Tindouf.

Physical characteristics: Sample has a dark-brown, wind-ablated exterior and has an irregular shape. Clasts and vesicular melt veins are visible on the surface. The cut face shows the interior has a brecciated texture composed of dark and light-colored mineral clasts rimmed crosscut with dark-colored melt.

Petrography: Description and classification (A. Love, App) Sample is a breccia dominated by subophitic-textured clasts composed of exsolved pyroxenes and plagioclase. Sample is crosscut by vesicular shock melt veins containing clasts of pyroxene and plagioclase. Some pyroxenes have undergone recrystallization into finer-grained mosaics. Some plagioclase shows spherulitic texture and when in proximity to melt veins shows partial conversion to maskelynite. Additional minerals are: Ti-poor chromite, merrillite, ilmenite, secondary calcite, a Si polymorph.

Geochemistry: (A. Love, App) Low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_59.7±1.1Wo_3.3±0.9, Mg#=38.2±0.7, Fe/Mn=27.8±0.9, n=12); high Ca pyroxene (Fs_26.0±0.8Wo_44.1±1.0, Fe/Mn=28.1±0.8, n=12); plagioclase (An_91.8±2.5Or_0.6±0.1, n=12).

Classification: HED achondrite (eucrite melt breccia). Based on textures, mineral compositions, magnetic susceptibility, sample is a basaltic eucrite melt breccia.

Specimens: Carlos Muñecas (Expometeoritos) holds the main mass. A polished thin section and a 28.57 g endcut are on deposit at App.