NWA 4040 / Northwest Africa 4040
Northwest Africa 4040
(NWA 4040) was found during 2004 in the Occidental Saharan Desert, Africa as a single
complete stone weighing 1226g. NWA 4040 has been classified as a Brecciated
L3 Chondrite, with a Shock Rating of S2 and a
Weathering Level of W2. The most obvious and notable feature of
NWA 4040 is the large pale or 'bright' inclusion which the
classification states is a "brecciated intergrowth of
compositionally zoned olivine and low-Ca pyroxene. Si,Al-rich
glass occurs in the interstitials and frequently contains
sulfide spherules". The pale inclusion in the specimen below
measures 38mm x 28mm at widest points. The classification also
makes mention of dark inclusions which are described as being
"composed of small unhedral often skeleton-like shaped olivine
displaying a compositional zoning from a Mg-rich core to a more
Fe-rich rim embedded into a mostly glassy groundmass containing
small dendritic olivine and pyroxene and sulfide spherules".
This specimen is part of the Meteorites Australia Collection
(MA.06.0009).
NWA 4040 (L3) - 21.71g
Partslice
Enlargement --->
700 x 611 (193 KB)
NWA 4040 (L3) - 21.71g
Partslice
Enlargement --->
700 x 634 (200 KB)
NWA 4040 (L3) - 21.71g
Partslice (Close-up)
Enlargement --->
700 x 654 (238 KB)
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