Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 032 & 479

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 84

Northwest Africa 032

Morocco, near Algerian border
Found: 1999 October
Mass: ~300 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (olivine-pyroxene basalt) 

Classification and mineralogy (T. Fagan, UHaw; T. Bunch and J. Wittke, NAU): olivine, pyroxene, and chromite phenocrysts occur in a groundmass of elongate, zoned pyroxene (En_1-25Wo_15-25) and feldspar (~An₈₅) crystals radiating from common nucleation sites; opaque phases include elongate, skeletal ilmenite, troilite, and trace metal; olivine phenocrysts (~12 vol%) up to 300 µm are zoned from Fo₆₅ (cores) to Fo₆₀ (rims), and commonly have chromite inclusions; pyroxene phenocrysts (~5 vol%) are complexly zoned, with En_40-50Wo_20-40 and En_15-25Wo_10-20 domains; both olivine and pyroxene phenocrysts surrounded by Fe-rich quenched margins (olivines, ~Fo₃₀; pyroxenes, En_5-25Wo_15-30); glass with ~45.7 wt% SiO₂ occurs in semi-continuous shock veins up to 50 µm wide; some terrestrial weathering products are present in fractures, but primary assemblage is essentially unaltered.

Oxygen isotope compositions (R. Clayton, UChi): δ¹⁸O = +5.63 ‰, δ¹⁷O = +2.92‰.

Bulk composition (in wt%, E. Jarosewich, SI): SiO₂ = 44.7; TiO₂ = 3.08; Al₂O₃ = 8.74; FeO = 23.0; MnO = 0.33; MgO = 8.45; CaO = 10.9; Na₂O = 0.37; K₂O = 0.11; H₂O = 0.06.

Specimens: Type specimen, ~5-6 g, contact T. Bunch, NAU; 1.1 g plus thin section, UHaw; main mass, 260 g, Radomsky.

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 85

Northwest Africa 479

Possibly Khter n’Aït Khebbach, Morocco
Found: 2000 November
Mass: 156 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (mare basalt) 

A 156 g stone was collected in Morocco in the area of Khter n’Aït Khebbach, however, the exact location is unknown.

Classification and mineralogy (J.-A. Barrat, UAng, A. Jambon, UPVI, Violaine Sautter, MNHNP, Ph. Gillet, ENSL): consists of phenocrysts of olivine, pyroxene and chromite in a groundmass of pyroxene and calcic plagioclase; texture closely resembles that of NWA 032; mineral compositions are identical to those reported for NWA 032 (see Met. Bull. 84).

Specimens: main mass with anonymous finder; type specimen, 8 g and 1 thin section, ENSL; 3.6 g, NHMV.

Randy Says…

NWA 032 is the first lunar meteorite to be recognized from Africa. NWA 479 is compositionally indistinguishable (Korotev and Irving (2021). NWA 032/479 is distinct from Apollo and Luna basalts. It is one of the youngest basalts known from the Moon, ~3000 Ma (Borg et al., 2007; Merle et al., 2024). There is both compositional and geochronological evidence that it is launch paired with NWA 4734/10597 and the LAP pairs (Antarctica; Zeigler et al., 2005; Merle et al., 2024).

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 032 | 479

References

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