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Northwest Africa 14446
Basic information Name: Northwest Africa 14446
     This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation: NWA 14446
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2021
Country: (Northwest Africa)
Mass:help 384 g
Classification
  history:
Recommended:  Lunar (feldsp. breccia)    [explanation]

This is 1 of 329 approved meteorites classified as Lunar (feldsp. breccia).   [show all]
Search for other: Lunar meteorites
Comments: Approved 5 Dec 2021
Writeuphelp
Writeup from MB 110:

Northwest Africa 14446 (NWA 14446)

(Northwest Africa)

Purchased: 14 September 2021

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased on September 14, 2021, by Edwin Thompson, Patrick Thompson, and Paul Stahura by a meteorite dealer in Morocco.

Physical characteristics: Single stone with absent fusion crust. The middle of the stone has a light-colored lithology that forms a crude layer ~2.5 cm thick sandwiched between a dark-colored lithology.

Petrography: (D. Sheikh, A. Ruzicka, Cascadia; A. Greshake, MNB) This sample is a dimict breccia composed of two distinct lithologies (light and dark lithologies) separated by a sharp boundary composed of broken up clasts, isolated mineral fragments, devitrified glass, and maskelynite. Light lithology: This lithology is a crystalline melt breccia composed of sub-angular feldspathic lithic clasts (Av. 1.0±0.2 mm diameter, n=11) and relict Mg-Al spinel grains (Mg#=68.9±0.8, Cr#=12.3±0.1, Av. 550±10 µm diameter, n=4) set within a microcrystalline matrix exhibiting a sub-ophitic texture composed of irregular olivine and pigeonite (some weakly zoned) grains and fractured and smooth (possibly maskelynite) plagioclase grains (silicate grain size Av. 100±40 µm diameter, n=51). Shock melt veins are visible throughout, some of which are associated with localized areas containing melt pockets, and some of which crosscut into the dark lithology. Accessory phases include ilmenite, apatite, troilite, and carbonate (from weathering veins). Dark lithology: This lithology is a crystalline melt breccia composed of sub-angular feldspathic lithic clasts and isolated mineral fragments (Av. 190±90 μm diameter, n=51) set within a cryptocrystalline matrix exhibiting a sub-ophitic texture composed of irregular pyroxene, olivine, and plagioclase (some lath-like) grains (silicate grain size Av. 6.0±3 µm diameter, n=40). Some flow banding of matrix minerals is evident along clast boundaries. Accessory phases include ilmenite, apatite, troilite, kamacite, spinel, baddeleyite, and carbonate (from weathering veins). Some plagioclase grains in lithic clasts have been transformed into maskelynite.

Geochemistry: Mineral compositions and geochemistry: Light lithology: Olivine (Fa36.8±0.3, range Fa36.1-38.6, FeO/MnO=96±5, n=20), Pigeonite (Fs27.0±1.9Wo12.7±3.4, range Fs23.8-31.6Wo9.1-21.8, FeO/MnO=54±2, n=19), Augite (Fs48.4Wo31.5, FeO/MnO=20, n=1), Calcic plagioclase (An97.0±0.6, range An96.1-97.9, n=15); Dark lithology: Olivine (Fa29.5±4.4, range Fa17.9-38.6, FeO/MnO=94±14, n=21), Low-Ca Pyroxene (Fs32.5±17.1Wo3.6±0.5, range Fs21.8-52.2Wo3.2-4.1, FeO/MnO=58±4, n=3), Pigeonite (Fs36.8±15.3Wo7.8±2.3, range Fs19.1-46.9Wo6.5-10.5, FeO/MnO=56±3, n=3), Augite (Fs21.1±16.0Wo34.1±11.4, range Fs9.8-32.4Wo26.1-42.2, FeO/MnO=47±8, n=2), Homogeneous low-Ca pyroxene (Fs29.1±0.2Wo4.2±0.0, range Fs28.9-29.4Wo4.2, FeO/MnO=52±3, n=5), Low-Ca pyroxene host to augite exsolution (Fs43.9±0.6Wo4.1±0.7, range Fs40.8-44.9Wo2.8-5.7, FeO/MnO=58±3, n=8), Augite exsolution lamellae (Fs16.9±0.1Wo41.7±0.2, range Fs16.7-17.6Wo41-42.1, FeO/MnO=50±4, n=8), Calcic plagioclase (An96.4±1.9, range An92.3-98.8, n=12).

Classification: Lunar (dimict feldspathic crystalline melt breccia). This sample has the appearance of an intrusive dike structure in hand specimen, representative of a dimict breccia (Stöffler et al., 1980). In this case, both lithologies appear to represent feldspathic crystalline melt breccias, but there are distinct textural and compositional differences between the light and dark lithologies.

Specimens: 20.3 g and a thin section at Cascadia; main mass with Edwin Thompson, Patrick Thompson, and Paul Stahura.

Bibliography:
  • Stoeffler D., Knoell H.-D., Marvin U.B., Simonds C.H., and Warren, P.H. (1980) Recommended classification and nomenclature of lunar highland rocks - A committee report. In: Conference on the Lunar Highlands Crust, Houston, Tex., November 14-16, 1979, Proceedings. (A81-26201 10-91) New York and Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1980, p. 51-70. (link)
Data from:
  MB110
  Table 0
  Line 0:
Place of purchase:Morocco
Date:P 14 September 2021
Mass (g):384
Pieces:1
Class:Lunar (feldspathic breccia)
Shock stage:high
Weathering grade:low
Classifier:D. Sheikh, A. Ruzicka, Cascadia; A. Greshake, MNB
Type spec mass (g):20.3
Type spec location:Cascadia
Main mass:Edwin Thompson, Patrick Thompson, and Paul Stahura
Comments:Submitted by Daniel Sheikh
Institutions
   and collections
Cascadia: Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory, Portland State University, Department of Geology, Room 17 Cramer Hall, 1721 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201, United States; Website (institutional address; updated 28 Oct 2011)
MNB: Museum für Naturkunde, Invalidenstraße 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany (institutional address; updated 24 Dec 2011)
Thompson: Edwin Thompson, 5150 Dawn St., Lake Oswego, OR 97035, United States (private address)
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
Find references in NASA ADS:
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Photos:
CreditPhotos
Public domain photographs:
Daniel Sheikh                        
Geography: 
Coordinates:Unknown.

Statistics:
     This is 1 of 9429 approved meteorites from (Northwest Africa) (plus 1876 unapproved names)

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