Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 14012

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110

Northwest Africa 14012 (NWA 14012)

(northwestern Africa)
Purchased 2018 April
Mass: 2394 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (basaltic breccia)

History: Purchased by Mohammed Sbai in April 2018 from a dealer in Tinfouchy, Algeria and subsequently acquired by Maryam al Faheem in Al Ain City, Abu Dhabi, UAE in December 2020.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Relatively mafic breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, pigeonite and augite in a fine grained matrix containing subcalcic ferroaugite, ilmenite, chromite, merrillite and baddeleyite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_47.0-65.5, FeO/MnO = 87-96, N = 5), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_37.7-55.2Wo_1.7-2.9, FeO/MnO = 55-64, N = 4), pigeonite (Fs_28.0Wo_14.4, FeO/MnO = 51), subcalcic ferroaugite (Fs_75.9Wo_23.1, FeO/MnO = 76), augite (Fs_15.9-23.9Wo_41.4-42.9, FeO/MnO = 49-61, N = 3), anorthite (An_95.7-97.0Or_0.1, N = 4).

Classification: Lunar (polymict basaltic breccia). Many of the mafic silicate clasts in this specimen are much more ferroan than in typical lunar feldspathic breccias, implying a significant proportion of mare components.

Specimens: 27.2 g including one polished endcut at UWB; remainder with M. al Faheem.

Randy Says…

I have not studied NWA 14012.

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