Northwest Africa 14494 (NWA 14494)

Mauritania

Purchased: 2017

Classification: Iron meteorite (IAB complex)

History: Purchased from Luc Labenne at the 2017 Ensisheim show. Reportedly found in Mauritania.

Physical characteristics: The 693.8 g mass is roughly tabular, approximately 3 × 6 × 10 cm, and has a dark brown surface with numerous sub-cm regmaglypts on one side. The other side is more planar, and has a mottled red-brown appearance.

Petrography: (C. Herd and P. Hill, UAb) Petrographic investigation of a 1.5 × 4.5 cm polished and etched surface reveals schreibersite inclusions up to 3 mm in width and over 15 mm in length, surrounded by approx. 0.5 mm wide swathing kamacite.

Geochemistry: ICP-MS data, using sample of North Chile (Filomena) as standard (C. Herd, P. Hill, and S. DuFrane UAb): Ni = 19.1, Co = 0.966 (both wt%); Ir = 0.15, Ga = 8.2, Ge = 12, As = 28.3, Sb = 0.857, Ru = 0.2, Re = 0.013, Os = 0.142, Pt = 0.14, Cu = 515 (all μg/g). W concentration was below detection (<0.1 ppb).

Classification: (C. Herd, UAb): IAB iron, ataxite. Most likely belongs to a high-Ni subgroup (sLH or sHH), by comparison with Wasson and Kallemeyn (2002).

Specimens: Type specimen consisting of a 27.4 g representative specimen at UAb. Main mass with Don Hurkot.