Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 10678

...and an unnamed pair

Three views of Northwest Africa 10678. Photo credit: Ahmad Bouragaa
Two slices (polished) of NWA 10678. Photo credit: Gary Fujihara
Unnamed 131 (515 g). Photo credit: Said Haddany
Lab samples of NWA 10678. Photo credit: Randy Korotev
Two views of a lab sample of unnamed 131. The light-colored clast is more mafic (6.1% FeO) than the dark matrix (4.0% FeO). Photo credit: Randy Korotev
from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 105

Northwest Africa 10678 (NWA 10678)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2016 February
Mass: 49.15 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased by Gary Fujihara in February 2016 from a dealer in Ouarzazate, Morocco.

Physical characteristics: A single stone (49.15 g) lacking fusion crust. Interior slices exhibit separated white clasts and rare small metal grains set in a black matrix (~60 vol.%).

Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Olivine-poor feldspathic breccia composed of angular mineral grains in a finer matrix. Minerals are anorthite, orthopyroxene, pigeonite, augite, rare olivine, ilmenite, Ti-chromite, troilite, taenite and zirconolite.

Geochemistry: (P. Carpenter, WUSL; S. Kuehner, UWS) Orthopyroxene (Fs39.9Wo4.8, FeO/MnO = 54), pigeonite (Fs31.8Wo14.7, FeO/MnO = 49), subcalcic augite (Fs21.2Wo33.9, FeO/MnO = 44), low-Ca pyroxene host (Fs43.8Wo10.8, FeO/MnO = 67), clinopyroxene exsolution lamella (Fs28.4Wo33.9, FeO/MnO = 57), anorthite (An­95.0-98.2Or0.1, N = 4), olivine (Fa24.8-47.7, FeO/MnO = 83-97, N = 4).

Bulk composition: (R. Korotev, WUSL) INAA of subsamples gave (in wt.%) FeO 3.8, Na2O 0.39; (in ppm) Sc 7.2, Cr 490, Co 13, La 6.2, Sm 2.8, Eu 0.91, Yb 1.8, Lu 0.25, Hf 2.0, Th 0.9.

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 9.85 g including one slice and a polished mount at UWB; remainder with Mr. G. Fujihara.

Randy Says…

Compositionally, Northwest Africa 10678 is a KREEP-bearing feldspathic lunar meteorite.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 10678

References

Consolmagno G. J., Macke R. J., Opeil C. P., and Britt D. T. (2023) Thermal and physical properties of lunar meteorites at low temperatures. 86th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, abstract no. 6092.

Korotev R. L. and Irving A. J. (2017) Still not keeping up with the lunar meteorites – 2017. Lunar and Planetary Science XLVIII, abstract no. 1498.

Korotev R. L. and Irving A. J. (2021) Lunar meteorites from northern Africa. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 206–240. 

Macke R. J., Opeil C. P., Britt D. T., Consolmagno G. J., Irving A. (2024) Low-temperature thermal and physical properties of lunar meteorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 59, 1610-1631. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14171

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