Lunar Meteorite: Ouargla 004
| from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110 Ouargla 004Ouargla, Algeria Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia) History: Nomads discovered black samples that did not correspond to the landscape of the area, marked coordinates and picked them up thinking they were possibly meteorites. Carlos Muñecas purchased the samples from a dealer in Algeria in July 2021. Physical characteristics: Samples are irregularly shaped and have a glossy black exterior devoid of fusion crust. A cut and polished face shows the interior is breccia of clasts and small FeNi grains (<1vol%). Petrography: Description and classification (A. Love, App): Sample is a fine-grained breccia composed of mm-sized rounded-angular lithic and mineral fragments set in a flow-textured glassy melt. Lithic clasts are feldspathic breccias, poikilitic norite, troctolite and rare ophitic-textured clasts. Additional minerals are: silica polymorph, spinel, FeNi metal grains, chromite, troilite and ilmenite. Geochemistry: (A. Love, App) Olivine (Fa31.3±9.4, Fe/Mn=81-109, n=24); low Ca pyroxene (Fs20.0±4.2Wo4.1±0.5, Fe/Mn=47-59, n=8); pigeonite (Fs29.6±2.9Wo10.3±3.0, Fe/Mn=46-58, n=17); high Ca Pyroxene (Fs16.5±4.0Wo40.6±3.2, Fe/Mn=39-70, n=9); plagioclase (An97.0±1.0Or0.3±0.1, n=16). Classification: (Lunar) feldspathic melt breccia. Based on textures and mineral compositions (Fe/Mn ratios of olivine and pyroxene and An content of plagioclase) sample is a polymict feldspathic melt breccia. Specimens: Carlos Muñecas (Expometeoritos) holds the main mass. A polished section and an end piece weighing 28.90 g are on deposit at App. |
| Randy Says… I have not studied Ouargla 004. |
More InformationMeteoritical Bulletin Database Ouargla 004 |