NORTHWEST AFRICA 3330

A single 45 g stone was found in Northwest Africa and sold in Erfoud, Morocco to a collector. A sample was submitted for analysis and classification to Northern Arizona University (T. Bunch), and Planetary Studies Foundation (P. Sipiera). Northwest Africa 3330 was determined to have anomalous fayalite (Fa21.8) and ferrosilite (Fs18.8) ranges, and was assigned to the transitional H/L-chondrite group. The H/L-chondrite group comprises a couple of dozen members, most of which may represent a distinct ordinary chondrite parent body. Northwest Africa 3330 is either a representative of this distinct parent body, or alternatively, it may indicate that the Fa and Fs ranges for the H- and L-chondrite parent bodies need to be extended. The identification of other chemical and petrographic characteristics inconsistent with those of the H- and L-chondrite parent bodies will be helpful in arriving at a definite conclusion.

ordinary chondrite Fa and Fs ranges
	Fa	Fs
H	16–20.4	14.5–18.1
H/L	19.5–21.8	17.2–21.2
L	22–26	18.7–22
L/LL	25.5–26.5	—
LL	26–33	22–26

A petrologic type of 5 was assigned to this meteorite, a rare type shared by only one other transitional H/L-chondrite member (Dhofar 428). Northwest Africa 3330 has been shocked to stage S2 and has experienced terrestrial weathering consistent with grade W3. The specimen of NWA 3330 shown above is a 1.26 g partial slice.