NWA 2828

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Northwest Africa 2828 Mauritania or Algeria Find: December 2005 EL3 Paleo-Meteorite (Fossil)

History: Purchased in December 2005 by Greg Hupé from a Moroccan dealer in Tagounite.

Physical characteristics: Thirty-six pale gray to whitish stones lacking fusion crust with a total weight of 8672 g. Several stones have exterior light orange staining, and two stones contain one or two dark brown cross-cutting veins (1–2 mm wide) of magnetic, fine-grained iron oxide and hydroxide minerals.

Classification: Although NWA 2828 was recently clessified as an aubrite [1], examination of new material requires revision of that classification. New information on the find site in Algeria indicates that these stones were excavated from a subsurface deposit, and we have found terrestrial rhyolite pebbles and sandy matrix attached to several NWA 2828 stones. Thus this is a rare example of a paleo-meteorite or 'fossil' meteorite.

Weathering effects in most stones are limited to alteration of interior troilite and probable oldhamite, and minor orange staining and dissolution on exterior surfaces. This paleo-meteorite appears to be completely different in appearance and texture from more metal-rich enstatite-rich meteorites NWA 002, NWA 1067, NWA 2736, and NWA 2965. Type specimen: A total of 20.1 g and two polished thin sections are on deposit at UWS. G. Hupé holds the main mass.