NWA 4478

Lodranite Northwest Africa 4478 Link to published Meteoritical Society abstract on NWA 4478: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2007/pdf/5129.pdf Northwest Africa 4478 Algeria Find: September 2006 Achondrite (lodranite) History: G. Hupé purchased the sample in September 2006 in Zagora, Morocco. Physical characteristics: Two dense, brown stones (298 g and 146 g) lacking fusion crust. Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) This specimen is composed of large mineral and polycrystalline lithologies (up to 8 mm across) with interstitial fine-grained material of the same phases.The large minerals consist of either olivine or orthopyroxene (with clinopyroxene exsolution lamellae associated with blebs of Ni-free iron metal). The polycrystalline lithology consists mainly of interlocking olivine grains (up to 3 mm across) and sparse large chromite grains with interstitial clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, kamacite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite and troilite. The modal abundance of metal (+ limonite after primary metal) is 5 vol%. Plagioclase is absent. Olivine grains contain numerous blebby to worm-like polycrystalline inclusions, and clinopyroxene grains contain similar inclusions; some examples exhibit symplectitic intergrowths of these various phases. Some olivine grains contain multiple blade-like lamellae of olivine of a different composition. Narrow elongate zones or discontinuous veinlets of metal are present within clinopyroxene, and adjacent to such metal the pyroxene has a more magnesian composition. Mineral compositions and geochemistry: Olivine (Fa10.6-10.9; FeO/MnO = 22.1-23.9), clinopyroxene (Fs3.9Wo41.9; FeO/MnO = 10.2), orthopyroxene lamella in clinopyroxene (Fs9.1Wo1.3; FeO/MnO = 11.9) and chromite (Cr/(Cr+Al) = 0.822-0.825; Mg/(Mg+Fe) = 0.506 - 0.520, TiO2 = 0.31-0.37 wt%). Oxygen Isotopes: (D. Rumble, CIW) Quadruplicate analyses by laser fluorination gave, respectively, δ18O = 2.23, 2.43, 2.23, 2.40; δ17O = 0.14, 0.30, 0.07, 0.11; Δ17O = -1.034, -0.984, -1.107, -1.147 (all ‰). Classification: Achondrite (lodranite). Type specimens: A total of 20.1 g of sample and one polished thin section are on deposit at UWS. GHupé holds the main mass.