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Petrology and geochemistry of feldspathic impact‐melt breccia Abar al' Uj 012, the first lunar meteorite from Saudi Arabia
Author(s) -
Mészáros Marianna,
Hofmann Beda A.,
Lanari Pierre,
Korotev Randy L.,
Gnos Edwin,
Greber Nicolas D.,
Leya Ingo,
Greenwood Richard C.,
Jull A. J. Timothy,
AlWagdani Khalid,
Mahjoub Ayman,
AlSolami Abdulaziz A.,
Habibullah Siddiq N.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/maps.12693
Subject(s) - breccia , pigeonite , geology , geochemistry , basalt , meteorite , plagioclase , augite , population , clastic rock , astrobiology , quartz , sedimentary rock , paleontology , physics , demography , sociology
Abar al' Uj (AaU) 012 is a clast‐rich, vesicular impact‐melt (IM) breccia, composed of lithic and mineral clasts set in a very fine‐grained and well‐crystallized matrix. It is a typical feldspathic lunar meteorite, most likely originating from the lunar farside. Bulk composition (31.0 wt% Al 2 O 3 , 3.85 wt% FeO) is close to the mean of feldspathic lunar meteorites and Apollo FAN ‐suite rocks. The low concentration of incompatible trace elements (0.39 ppm Th, 0.13 ppm U) reflects the absence of a significant KREEP component. Plagioclase is highly anorthitic with a mean of An 96.9 Ab 3.0 Or 0.1 . Bulk rock Mg# is 63 and molar FeO/MnO is 76. The terrestrial age of the meteorite is 33.4 ± 5.2 kyr. AaU 012 contains a ~1.4 × 1.5 mm 2 exotic clast different from the lithic clast population which is dominated by clasts of anorthosite breccias. Bulk composition and presence of relatively large vesicles indicate that the clast was most probably formed by an impact into a precursor having nonmare igneous origin most likely related to the rare alkali‐suite rocks. The IM clast is mainly composed of clinopyroxenes, contains a significant amount of cristobalite (9.0 vol%), and has a microcrystalline mesostasis. Although the clast shows similarities in texture and modal mineral abundances with some Apollo pigeonite basalts, it has lower FeO and higher SiO 2 than any mare basalt. It also has higher FeO and lower Al 2 O 3 than rocks from the FAN ‐ or Mg‐suite. Its lower Mg# (59) compared to Mg‐suite rocks also excludes a relationship with these types of lunar material.