Northwest Africa 13385 (NWA 13385)

Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco

Purchased: 2015

Classification: CVred3

History: Mohamed Boukbot found the samples in the desert 3.8 km NE of the town of Mezguida, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco. Many samples were distributed to a number of dealers and subsequently purchased by John Higgins in 2015.

Physical characteristics: Type specimens are dark-light brown and have an irregular-shaped exterior. The cut face shows the interior is composed of abundant chondrules and refractory inclusions. The color variation of the interior of some stones show regions stained by FeOH minerals indicating variable weathering.

Petrography: Description and classification (A. Love, App): Sample shows brecciated chondritic texture composed of distinct chondrules with an average diameter of 640 μm (n=51), fragments, refractory inclusions (CAIs and AOAs) and a single xenolithic clast set within a fine-grained opaque oxidized matrix (~55 vol%). Some porphyritic chondrules contain rounded inclusions of FeNi metal. The 2 × 3mm lithic clast contains unequilibrated chondrules with an average diameter of 112 μm (n=10).

Geochemistry: (A. Love, App) Olivine Fa_6.4±8.0 (Fa_0.3-33.0, n=18); low-Ca pyroxene Fs_1.2±0.4Wo_1.8±1.4 (Fs_0.7-2.2Wo_0.8-2.8, n=12); high-Ca pyroxene Fs_1.8Wo_31.1 (n=1). Sulfides contain 0.31±0.24 wt% Ni, n=18.

Classification: Carbonaceous chondrite (CVred3). Chondrule diameter, modal abundance of matrix, and abundant CAIs indicate sample is CV3. Presence of FeNi metal in silicates, wt% Ni in sulfides and magnetic susceptibility indicate the sample belongs to the CVred group (Bonal et al. (2020), Gattacceca et al. (2020)).

Specimens: John Higgins holds the main mass. Many slices and endcuts totaling 37.82 g and a polished thin section and mount are on deposit at App.