[meteorite-list] NWA 3133

[Walter Branch]

Hi Adam,

>NWA 3133 may be the most important
>meteorite to have been found in 30 years

More important than ALH84001?

-Walter

-----------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adam Hupe" <raremeteorites at comcast.net>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 4:03 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] NWA 3133


> Dear List,
>
> Several have been asking about NWA 3133.  NWA 3133 is destined to be a
> famous set of stones exclusive to the Hupe Collection.  NWA 3133 was the
> very first achondrite to plot on the CV mixing line using oxygen isotope
> testing.  It has been stated that NWA 3133 may be the most important
> meteorite to have been found in 30 years and is destined to become a
classic
> among scientists.  There are several abstracts in progress in regards to
NWA
> 3133 and one that is already complete.  Here is a link to the completed
> abstract:
>
> http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm04/fm04-sessions/fm04_P31C.html
>
> I have not seen anything formal on any other meteorite that would cause me
> conclude a pairing.  Here is the classification submitted to the NomCom:
>
> Northwest Africa 3133
>  Morocco
>  Purchased 2004 March/August
>  Primitive achondrite (anomalous)
> Several complete, dense, brown stones (total 2393 g) were purchased in
> Tagounite by a Moroccan dealer for A. and G. Hupé (Hupé) in 2004 March and
> August.  Classification and mineralogy (T. Bunch and J. Wittke, NAU; A.
> Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS): equigranular texture of subhedral to anhedral
> grains with ~120° triple junctions; mean grain size = 0.28 mm.  Moderate
but
> pervasive weathering (W2) has converted some metal and troilite to brown
> iron hydroxides, which also coat grain boundaries.  Mineral mode in vol.%:
> olivine 46, orthopyroxene 28, plagioclase 7, Cr-diopside 5, Na-Mg-bearing
> merrillite 4, metal (including associated hydroxides) 5, chromite 3 and
> troilite 2.  Highly equilibrated mineral compositions: olivine (Fa22.2 to
> Fa22.6, FeO/MnO = 57 - 69), orthopyroxene (Fs18.6Wo2.8 to Fs19.2Wo2.1,
> FeO/MnO = 38 - 49), diopside (Fs7.3Wo44.6 to Fs8.7Wo42.2, FeO/MnO = 21 -
33,
> Cr2O3 = 0.56 to 0.82 wt.%, Al2O3 =1.21 to 1.74 wt.%), plagioclase
> (An50.1Or2.5 to An53.5Or2.3), metal (Ni = 17.4 - 20.2 wt.%), chromite
(TiO2
> = 2.61 wt.%, Cr/(Cr+Al) = 0.73), troilite (Ni = 1.2 - 5.2 wt.%).  Oxygen
> isotopes: replicate analyses of an acid-washed whole rock sample by laser
> fluorination (D. Rumble, CIW) gave respectively ?18O = 3.06, 2.46, ?17O
> = -1.75, -2.25, ?17O = -3.36, -3.54 per mil, and triplicate analyses of an
> acid-washed olivine-rich separate by laser fluorination (T. Larson and F.
> Longstaffe, UWO) gave respectively ?18O = 1.78, 0.92, 0.89, ?17O
> = -2.91, -3.67, -3.62, ?17O = -3.84, -4.16, -4.08 per mil.  All of these
> oxygen isotope compositions plot on the CV3 mixing line, suggesting that
> this achondritic meteorite has affinities with CV chondrites (Irving et
al.,
> 2004).  Specimens: type specimens, 20.1 g, and one polished thin section,
> NAU; 40.3 g, and four polished thin sections, UWS; main mass, Hupé.
>
> Irving, A. J., Larson, T. E., Longstaffe, F. J., Rumble, D., Bunch, T. E.,
> Wittke, J. H. and Kuehner, S. M. (2004)  A primitive achondrite with
oxygen
> isotopic affinities to CV chondrites:  Implications for differentiation
and
> size of the CV parent body.  Eos, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, 85(47),
Fall
> Meet. Suppl., Abstract P31C-02.
>
> I hope this clears things up,
>
> Adam
>
>
>
>
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