Lunar Meteorites: Adrar 012, 013, & 014
Adrar 013 and 014 are paired with each other; Adrar 012 is not paired
Encyclopedia of meteorites: Adrar 013
| from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 112 Adrar 012Adrar, Algeria Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia) Physical Characteristics: Stones have a gray patina. Interior shows various lithologies of abundant millimeter-sized clasts which are cemented within a gray matrix. Petrography: (R. Zhao, A. Bouvier, UBayr) The type specimen polished section consists of millimeter-sized melt rock clasts, sub-millimeter-sized glassy spherules, and lithic mineral fragments within a clastic to glassy matrix. Melt rock clasts are generally rounded in shape and dominated by feldspathic (anorthitic) and basalt lithologies. Mineral clasts are angular to more rounded in shape dominated by anorthite, olivine, low-Ca pyroxene with exsolution lamellae, Ca-rich pyroxene, and minor chromite, ilmenite, Fe-S and Fe-Ni metal. Geochemistry: In the host matrix, olivines are heterogeneous with Fa26.3±1.7 (Fe/Mn=98±3; n=2), Fa37.3±0.1 (Fe/Mn=106±6; n=3), or Fa73.6±1.7 (Fe/Mn=98±3; n=2), pyroxenes are Fe-rich augite with Fs47.4±2.9Wo30.5±3.2 (Fe/Mn = 62±1, n=2), low-Fe augite with Fs19.2±2.2Wo40.9±2.4 (Fe/Mn = 49±5, n=2), pigeonite with Fs40.2±2.1Wo 12.7±1.5 (Fe/Mn = 57±1, n=2), orthopyroxene with Fs48.1±0.1Wo2.1±0.1 (Fe/Mn = 55±3, n=2) and plagioclase is An95.9±0.5 (Ab= 2.0±0.2, n=4). In a basaltic clast, subhedral poikilitic low-Ca pyroxene Fs21.3±0.7Wo10.1±2.4 (Fe/Mn =50±5, n= 14) is enclosed within plagioclase An94.5±0.9 (Ab= 4.8±0.7, n = 14) and associated with glassy mesostasis, ilmenite, FeS and metal as Fe92.0Ni7.4Co0.5. In a feldspathic clast, anorthite An94.7±1.0 (Ab= 2.7±0.5, n = 10), associated with quenched glass, metal Fe91.7Ni7.9Co0.4 and FeS. Oxygen isotopic analyses (R. Greenwood, J. Malley, OU) δ17O=3.349±0.019, δ18O=6.391±0.042, Δ17O=0.025±0.003 (n=2), analyses after leaching ~100 mg sample powders in ethanolamine thioglycollate (EATG). Classification: Lunar (feldspathic regolith breccia). Specimens: 28.4 g including a polished mount at UBayr. Main mass with Stone gallery (The Netherlands). |
| from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 113 Adrar 013Adrar, Algeria Lunar meteorite (melt breccia) History: The meteorite was purchased from a meteorite dealer in Timokten, Algeria. Physical Characteristics: Several grayish-greenish fragments including a large 3 kg single stone. Petrography: Melt breccia composed of grayish-greenish clasts set in abundant anorthite-rich melt rock matrix displaying pronounced flow and quench textures with small acicular crystals nucleating on larger entrained mineral grains. Major phases are pigeonite, often zoned augite and less abundant olivine. Minor phases include ilmenite, chromite, and troilite. Geochemistry: (A. Greshake, MNB) olivine: Fa24.0±0.01 (Fa23.9-24.2, FeO/MnO=84±8, n=7); pigeonite: Fs25.0±1.5Wo10.0±0.5 (Fs21.9-27.1Wo9.1-10.6, FeO/MnO=47±3, n=7); zoned Ca-pyroxene: Fs23.4±3.2Wo29.3±6.2 (Fs20.4-26.4Wo16.1-35.2, FeO/MnO=45±5, n=7); calcic plagioclase: An95.8±0.8 (An94.8-97.7, n=7) Classification: Melt breccia (anorthositic norite/gabbro) based on Stoeffler et al. (1980). Specimens: Marcin Cimala holds 750 g, Craig Zlimen holds 600 g, Mark Lyon holds a 600 g and a 980 g mass, and Paul Durzan holds 400 g. |
| from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 113 Adrar 014Adrar, Algeria Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia) History: The samples were found in desert N of Timokten, Algeria, in 2023. Shun-Chung Yang purchased the samples from Ali Mftah in 2023. Physical Characteristics: Stone has a light greenish-gray exterior and is irregular shaped. Interior has a light greenish-gray brecciated texture. Petrography: Description and classification (A. Love, App) Sample shows a melt breccia texture composed of sparsely-distributed up to 2.5 mm-sized angular to subrounded lithic and mineral clasts set within a melt matrix host with subophitic texture composed of weakly zoned olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase with an average grain size of 97 µm, n=14. Lithic clasts are anorthosites and troctolites. Mineral clasts dominated by plagioclase. Sample is transected by schlieren-textured devitrified glassy melt veins. Additional minerals are: rare ilmenite, pentlandite, chromite, spinel, troilite and barite. Geochemistry: (A. Love, App) Clasts: olivine (Fa22.8±6.8, Fe/Mn=78.6±4.2, n=7); low Ca-pyroxene (Fs16.4Wo2.4, Fe/Mn=49.0, n=1). host: olivine (Fa22.8±2.1, Fe/Mn=85.7±5.0, n=11); pigeonite (Fs22.6±3.0Wo13.1±2.9, Fe/Mn= 52.8±1.8, n=6); high Ca-pyroxene (Fs9.9±4.1Wo38.3±8.9, Fe/Mn=36.0±6.5 n=4); plagioclase (An97.7±0.2Or0.0, n=10). Classification: Lunar achondrite (feldspathic melt breccia A-S3 W3). Based on textures, and mineral chemistry, sample is a feldspathic melt breccia. Specimens: Shun-Chung Yang (S-R meteorites) holds the main mass. A polished thin section and a broken individual weighing 22.66 g are on deposit at App. |
| Randy Says… I have not studied any of these meteorites. I put the descriptions of all three on one page for comparison. Descriptions of Adrar 013 and 014 are similar and the reported find locations of are identical so I assume that they paired. Adrar 012 is probably not paired with the other two as the descriptions differ (e.g., regolith breccia versus melt breccia) and the reported find locations are 97 km apart. NWA 16535 is speculated to be paired with Adrar 013. |