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 (Fs_39.9Wo_4.8, FeO/MnO = 54), pigeonite (Fs_31.8Wo_14.7, FeO/MnO = 49), subcalcic augite (Fs_21.2Wo_33.9, FeO/MnO = 44), low-Ca pyroxene host (Fs_43.8Wo_10.8, FeO/MnO = 67), clinopyroxene exsolution lamella (Fs_28.4Wo_33.9, FeO/MnO = 57), anorthite (An_95.0-98.2Or_0.1, N = 4), olivine (Fa_24.8-47.7, 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

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.

Lunar Meteorites

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List – Al₂O₃ Order