Sample No.:	LAP 02430
Location:	LaPaz Icefield
Field No.:	15919
Dimensions (cm):	1.0x0.75x0.5
Weight (g):	1.277
Meteorite Type:	L6 Chondrite (Metal Rich)

   

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
50% of this ordinary chondrite’s exterior is covered with brown/black fusion crust. The interior is rusty and lumpy with metal and dark shiny areas.

Thin Section (,3) Description: Tim McCoy, Linda Welzenbach
The section consists of a large metal fragment (90% of sample) with a small area of highly recrystallized chondritic material. The mineral compositions are homogenous; olivine is Fa₂₄ and orthopyroxene is Fs₂₁. The meteorite is probably an unrepresentative fragment of an L6 chondrite.

Cross-Polarized Light	Plane-Polarized Light	Reflected Light	Reflected Light

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
Black, purple tinged, polygonally fractured fusion crust covers 90% of this carbonaceous chondrite. The interior is black, friable and weathered with white and rust stained inclusions.

Thin Section (,4) Description: Linda Welzenbach, Tim McCoy

Cross-Polarized Light	Plane-Polarized Light

The section consists of a few small shock flattened chondrules (up to 1 mm), mineral grains and CAIs set in a black matrix; rare metal and sulfide grains are present. Olivine compositions are Fa_0-52, with a peak at Fa_0-2; orthopyroxene is Fs_0-1. The matrix consists dominantly of an Fe-rich serpentine. The meteorite is a CM2 chondrite.

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
Black, purple tinged, polygonally fractured fusion crust covers 90% of this carbonaceous chondrite. The interior is black, friable and weathered with white and rust stained inclusions.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Linda Welzenbach, Tim McCoy

Cross-Polarized Light	Plane-Polarized Light

The section consist of a few small chondrules (up to 1 mm), mineral grains and CAIs set in a black matrix; rare metal, framboidal magnetite and sulfide grains are present. Chondrites are moderately altered; Fe-rich serpentine dominates the matrix . Olivine compositions are Fa_2-3. The meteorite is a CM2 chondrite.

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
Purplish black fusion crust covers 50% of the exterior. Interior is charcoal black with mm sized white or light colored chondrules.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Linda Welzenbach, Tim McCoy

Cross-Polarized Light	Plane-Polarized Light

The section is extensively altered, with a few large olivines surviving. Chondrules reach up to a mm and isolated mineral grains are present. Rare sulfide grains are also present. Olivine compositions are Fa_0-2. The meteorite is a CM2 chondrite.

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
The exterior of this enstatite chondrite is rusty and shiny. The rusty black matrix is hard, brittle and contains dark gray to rusty chondrules/inclusions that are 1-2 mm in size.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Linda Welzenbach, Tim McCoy
The section shows an aggregate of chondrules (up to 2 mm), chondrule fragments, and pyroxene grains in a matrix of about 30% metal and sulfide. A few chondrules contain rare olivine. Weathering is moderate, with staining of enstatite grains and heavy alteration of metal and sulfides. Microprobe analyses shows the orthopyroxene is Fs_1-4 and metal contains 1.1 wt.% Si. The meteorite is an EL3 chondrite and is likely not paired with MAC 02837/02839.

Cross-Polarized Light	Plane-Polarized Light	Reflected Light

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
Black fusion crust with oxidation haloes covers 50% of the exterior. It has a rusty interior.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Tim McCoy, Linda Welzenbach
The section consists dominantly of a fine-grained melt-textured matrix of olivine and pyroxene (1-10 microns) with irregular blebs of metal with rimming sulfide and fragments of mineral grains (2-300 micron grain size.) The mineral compositions are variable; olivine is Fa_16-29 and orthopyroxene is Fs_19-22. The meteorite is an impact melt of an L chondrite precursor. It differs texturally and compositionally from MAC 02497.

Cross-Polarized Light	Plane-Polarized Light	Reflected Light

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
Brown/black fusion crust with oxidation haloes covers the entire exterior surface. The interior is a medium gray matrix with high metal and light colored, rust stained chondrules, 1-4 mm in size.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Linda Welzenbach, Tim McCoy
The section exhibits numerous, well-defined chondrules (up to 3 mm) in a black matrix of silicates, metal and troilite. Weak shock effects are present and polysynthetically twinned pyroxenes are present. The meteorite is mildly weathered. Silicates are unequilibrated; olivines range from Fa_13-27, with a peak from Fa_16-19, and pyroxenes from Fs_2-16. The meteorite is a H3 chondrite (estimated subtype 3.7).

Cross-Polarized Light	Plane-Polarized Light	Reflected Light	Cross-Polarized Light

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
50% brown/black fractured fusion crust covers the exterior of these meteorites. The interiors are heavily fractured and very rusty. MAC 02837 was broken into many pieces.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Linda Welzenbach, Tim McCoy
The sections show an aggregate of chondrules (up to 1 mm), chondrule fragments, and pyroxene grains in a matrix of about 30% metal and sulfide. Several chondrules contain olivine. Weathering is light, with little staining of enstatite grains and minor alteration of metal and sulfides. Microprobe analyses show the orthopyroxene is Fs_0-6 and metal contains 0.7 wt.% Si. The meteorites are EL3 chondrites and are almost certainly paired.

MAC 02837 Cross-Polarized Light	MAC 02837 Plane-Polarized Light	MAC 02837 Relected Light
MAC 02839 Cross-Polarized Light	MAC 02839 Plane-Polarized Light	MAC 02839 Relected Light

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
The exteriors of these diogenites have smooth, shiny black fusion crust. The interiors are fine-grained, medium gray matrix with light gray and cream colored inclusions.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Tim McCoy, Linda Welzenbach
These sections show a groundmass of coarse (up to 2 mm) comminuted pyroxene with minor SiO₂, olivine (Fa_25-29) and plagioclase (An₉₀). Orthopyroxene has a composition of Fs_17-26Wo_2-3 and an Fe/Mn ratio of ~28-30. The meteorites are diogenites and are probably paired.

PCA 02008 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02008 Plane-Polarized Light	PCA 02017 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02017 Plane-Polarized Light

Sample No.: PCA 02009; PCA 02013; PCA 02014; PCA 02015; PCA 02018; PCA 02019 Location: Pecora Escarpment Field No.: 13655; 13622; 13693; 13637; 13636; 13646 Dimensions (cm):   3.0x2.0x2.25 5.0x3.0x2.25 3.5x2.5x1.5 3.5x2.5x1.5 2.0x1.25x1.0 2.5x2.5x1.5 Weight (g): 22.509; 40.961; 21.244; 16.794; 3.058; 11.701 Meteorite Type: Howardite

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
Fusion crust ranges from black to brown and is shiny and glassy with oxidation haloes. The interiors of these howardites are a gray to black matrix with some oxidation and multicolored inclusions.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Tim McCoy, Linda Welzenbach
These sections are similar enough that a single description will suffice. Each show a groundmass of comminuted pyroxene (up to 2 mm) and plagioclase with fine- to coarse-grained basaltic, impact-melt and diogentitic clasts ranging up to 3 mm. Minerals include abundant orthopyroxene with compositions ranging from Fs_17-60Wo_2-8 (Fe/Mn ~29), augite of Fs_~40, plagioclase (An_90-95) and SiO₂. These meteorites are howardites. They are almost certainly paired with each other and with PCA 02016.

PCA 02009 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02009 Plane-Polarized Light	PCA 02013 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02013 Plane-Polarized Light
PCA 02013 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02013 Plane-Polarized Light	PCA 02014 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02014 Plane-Polarized Light
PCA 02014 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02014 Plane-Polarized Light	PCA 02015 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02015 Plane-Polarized Light
PCA 02018 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02018 Plane-Polarized Light	PCA 02018 Reflected Light
PCA 02019 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02019 Plane-Polarized Light

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride
5-10% of the exteriors have a purplish black fusion crust with rough areas and a slight sheen. The interiors reveal a black charcoal-like, platy matrix, with tiny white and tan inclusions.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Linda Welzenbach, Tim McCoy
The sections consist of a few small chondrules (up to 1 mm), mineral grains and CAIs set in a black matrix; rare metal and sulfide grains are present. Olivine compositions are Fa_0-43, with a peak at Fa_0-2, orthopyroxene is Fs_0-5. The matrix consists dominantly of an Fe-rich serpentine; chondrules are relatively unaltered. The meteorites are CM2 chondrites and probably paired.

PCA 02011 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02011 Plane-Polarized Light	PCA 02012 Cross-Polarized Light	PCA 02012 Plane-Polarized Light