NWA 13784 (8,514 g)
Northwest Africa 13784 (NWA 13784)
(Northwest Africa)
Purchased: 2020 Nov
Classification: Carbonaceous chondrite (CV3, anomalous)
History: The meteorite was purchased from a meteorite dealer in Morocco.
Physical characteristics: Dark-grayish rock largely covered with fusion crust.
Petrography: Carbonaceous chondrite composed of well-defined separated type I and II chondrules set in abundant fine-grained matrix dominated by ferrous Ni-free olivine. Chondrules have an apparent mean diameter of 687±579 (N=41), with a maximum diameter of 3.6 mm. Olivine is strongly compositionally zoned in most chondrules and equilibrated in the matrix. Low-Ca pyroxene is also zoned and only present in chondrules, typically concentrated in chondrule rims. Some Ca-pyroxene is present in matrix and chondrules; feldspar was not detected. Opaque phases are troilite and taenite. The section studied contains some small, mostly amoeboid-shaped CAIs predominantly composed of spinel and melilite. Sawn surfaces expose rare up to 4 mm sized CAIs with somewhat diffuse outlines.
Geochemistry: Chondrule olivine: Fa19.6±15.6 (Fa0.7-38.9, Cr2O3=0.09±0.04, n=19); low-Ca pyroxene: Fs4.5±2.3Wo1.2±0.4 (Fs1.7-12.7Wo0.7-2.5, n=21); matrix olivine: Fa38.6±0.4 (Fa37.9-39.5, FeO/MnO=113±9, Cr2O3=0.07±0.04, n=15); Ca-pyroxene: Fs5.2±2.7Wo46.8±1.9 (Fs1.5-7.5Wo42.9-48.7, n=8); oxygen isotopes (K. Ziegler, UNM): 3 acid-washed fragments analyzed by laser fluorination gave: δ18O=0.598, 0.593, 0.634; δ17O=-3.478, -3.868, -3.369; Δ17O=-3.794, -4.181, -3.703 (all per mil)
Classification: Carbonaceous chondrite (CV3, anomalous). CV chondrite based on oxygen isotopic composition and overall petrography. Absence of Cr-bearing magnetite, presence of Ni-free olivine and FeNi metal argue against CK. Matrix dominated by ferrous olivine, chondrule petrography, and dominantly small and rather rare CAIs are unusual for CV chondrites.
Place of purchase: | Morocco |
Date: | P 2020 Nov |
Mass (g): | 289.5 |
Pieces: | 1 |
Class: | CV3-an |
Shock stage: | S2 |
Weathering grade: | low |
Fayalite (mol%): | 28.0±14.8 (N=34) |
Ferrosilite (mol%): | 4.5; 5.2 |
Wollastonite (mol%): | 1.2; 46.8 |
Magnetic suscept.: | 3.84 |
Classifier: | A. Greshake, MNB |
Type spec mass (g): | 21.8 |
Type spec location: | MNB |
Main mass: | Hanno Strufe and Andreas Grünemeyer |
Comments: | Submitted by Ansgar Greshake |