Northwest Africa 13036 (NWA 13036)

Morocco

Purchased: 2020 Sep

Classification: Lunar (feldsp. melt breccia)

History: A group of stones found together about 30 km north of Tichia, southern Morocco at 24.502°N, 13.767°W (within the Talhat Lihoudi dense collection area) was initially offered by the finders for purchase jointly by Adam Aaronson and Ahmad Bouragaa in December 2019. Although a sample was provided for analysis, the owners and potential buyers of the stones could not reach an agreement. Subsequently in September 2020 Rachid Chaoui and Jaouad Chaoui purchased the entire batch of stones from the finders, and provided the additional type material and GPS coordinates of the find site.

Physical characteristics: The stones (total weight 1815 g) lack fusion crust but have a dark external weathering patina. Interiors are light gray and very fine grained with visible tiny rounded vesicles.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Very fine grained specimen dominated by microvesicular, melt-textured crystalline material surrounding sparse small feldspathic lithic clasts. Minerals are anorthite, olivine, orthopyroxene, subcalcic augite, chromite, troilite and secondary barite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_26.9-36.8, FeO/MnO = 73-93, N = 10), low-Ca  pyroxene (Fs_17.4-18.4Wo_3.4-5.1, FeO/MnO = 50-58, N = 2), subcalcic augite (Fs_23.0Wo_20.3, FeO/MnO = 42), anorthite (An_95.9-97.5Or_0.1, N = 4).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic melt breccia). Although these stones were found in the same general region as lunar meteorite stone Talhat Lihoudi, they are distinct from it in both texture and mineral compositions.

Specimens: 21.6 g including a polished endcut at UWB; remainder with R. Chaoui and J. Chaoui.