Slice of achondrite meteorite Eucrite melt breccia Nice texture of NWA 14503 - 3.13 g - (1)

Northwest Africa 14503 (NWA 14503)

(Northwest Africa)

Purchased: 2021

Classification: HED achondrite (Eucrite, melt breccia)

History: The meteorite was purchased from a meteorite dealer in Morocco.

Physical characteristics: Several fragments with minor fusion crust.

Petrography: The meteorite is a melt breccia composed of large,up to 2 cm basaltic clasts and up to 1.5 mm sized mineral fragments set into abundant fine-grained and mostly recrystallized melt rock matrix. Main minerals are exsolved pyroxenes and calcic plagioclase. Mineral grains entrained in the melt matrix often show resorption textures and pyroxene also mottled compositional zoning. The recrystallized melt rock is predominantly composed of 1-2 µm sized pyroxene and feldspar grains. Minor phases include silica, chromite, ilmenite, and FeS. No metallic iron has been detected. Contains secondary calcite and barite.

Geochemistry: low-Ca pyroxene: Fs60.6±1.8Wo3.2±1.3 (Fs61.8-62.7Wo2.2-6.0, FeO/MnO=28-31, n=10); Ca-pyroxene: Fs26.9±0.6Wo43.4±0.5 (Fs26.0-28.4Wo42.2-44.0, FeO/MnO=28-36, n=10); calcic plagioclase: An89.5±3.7 (An83.5-94.7, n=10)