Boudenib 001        31°50.583’N, 3°43.633’W

Centre-South, Morocco

Find: 2021

Classification: HED achondrite (Diogenite, melt breccia)

History: Many stones were found and collected in the desert region close to Boudenib in 2021 by nomads. This material was later purchased by Nbark Boisofa.

Physical characteristics: Multiple stones and fragments that are weathered; some of them are partly covered by a dark brown fusion crust.

Petrography: (D. Sheikh, Cascadia) This sample is made up of two distinct lithologies; Lithology 1 (host) comprises ~85 vol. % of the analyzed thin section and represents a diogenite melt breccia composed of zoned, tabular low-Ca pyroxene grains (up to ~ 1 mm) set within a melt-textured matrix speckled with Fe-sulfides (primarily pentlandite) and containing accessory calcic plagioclase, olivine, kamacite, chromite, and merrillite. Lithology 2 comprises ~15 vol. % of the analyzed thin section (in the form of a few scattered clasts) and represents a mixed breccia composed of zoned, diogenitic tabular low-Ca pyroxene grains (up to ~1 mm, ~40 vol. %), reversely-zoned, eucritic tabular pigeonite grains (some displaying augite exsolution lamellae, up to ~1 mm, ~25 vol. %), and accessory chromite, merrillite, ilmenite, pentlandite, troilite, kamacite, olivine, and SiO₂-rich glass, all of which is sub-ophitically enclosed within a matrix of skeletal and lath-shaped calcic plagioclase (~90 μm, ~35 vol. %). The sample is crosscut by multiple weathering veins containing Fe-hydroxides.

Geochemistry: Lithology 1: Diogenite Low-Ca Pyroxene (Fs_25.0±2.5Wo_1.7±0.4, range Fs_22.5-32.4Wo_1.1-3.4, Fe/Mn=30±2, n=47), Olivine (Fa_33.9±1.6, range Fa_32.6-36.8, Fe/Mn=48±3, n=5), Calcic Plagioclase (An_87.4±0.8, range An_86.6-88.9, n=8); Lithology 2: Diogenite Low-Ca Pyroxene (Fs_26.9±4.5Wo_2.6±1.4, range Fs_19.1-34.8Wo_0.9-5.2, Fe/Mn=28±2, n=16), Eucrite Pigeonite (Fs_35.8±3.8Wo_10.0±4.8, range Fs_28.7-41.7Wo_5.5-24.2, Fe/Mn=24±2, n=19), Eucrite High-Ca Pyroxene (Fs_28.9±9.3Wo_31.7±8.9, range Fs_22.3-35.5Wo_25.4-38.0, Fe/Mn=23±2, n=2), Olivine (Fa_48.9±0.2, range Fa_48.8-49.1, Fe/Mn=46±1, n=2), Calcic Plagioclase (An_87.9±0.6, range An_87.3-89.9, n=16).

Classification: HED achondrite (Diogenite-melt breccia) due to the fact that the entirety of the host lithology (Lithology 1, occupies ~85 vol. % of section) and ~40% of Lithology 2 (occupies ~15 vol. % of section) is texturally/compositionally representative of a diogenite-melt breccia.

Specimens: 20.06 g at Cascadia, main mass with Nbark Boisofa.