NORTHWEST AFRICA 1058


Tissemouminite (type 5/6)
Chondritic Primitive Achondrite
previously Achondrite, ungrouped
originally Primitive Achondrite (MetBull 87)

standby for northwest africa 1058 photo
Purchased 2001
no coordinates recorded

A 180 g stone was purchased in Erfoud, Morocco and subsequently sold to a meteorite dealer. The meteorite was submitted to the Institut für Planetologie in Münster and given the designation NWA 1058. Although initially considered to be an acapulcoite, NWA 1058 was classified in a broad terminology as a primitive achondrite by Russell et al. (2003) due to its anomalous O-isotopic composition. On an O-isotope plot it falls on the terrestrial fractionation line similar to the winonaites, but with O-isotopes that are more 16O-rich than most winonaites.

Further petrographic and compositional analyses have determined that NWA 1058 is very similar to the primitive acapulcoite GRA 98028 (Patzer et al., 2004), and that the anomalous O-isotopic composition might actually be due to terrestrial weathering effects (W2–3). A high abundance of relict chondrules are observed in NWA 1058, which is also a feature of some primitive acapulcoites. However, while most acapulcoites have similar CRE ages of ~6 m.y. (16.8 m.y. for TIL 99002), that calculated for NWA 1058 is significantly higher at 38.2 m.y. (Patzer et al., 2003). Nevertheless, the noble gas abundances of NWA 1058 remain high with 36Ar/132Xe ratios that are similar to the "Q" component, characteristics which are more consistent with acapulcoites.

A study was undertaken by Eugster and Lorenzetti (2005) in which they determined a possible structure for the acapulcoite parent body. They specifically analyzed a number of new acapulcoites as well as NWA 1058. They found that the data on the whole were more consistent with NWA 1058 being a winonaite rather than an acapulcoite: (1) NWA 1058 is more Mg-poor and Fe-rich than any acapulcoite; (2) its O-isotope composition plots outside the acapulcoite field; (3) its CRE age is much higher than any other acapulcoite (38.9 ±4.0 m.y.), whereas all except one acapulcoite have almost identical CRE ages of ~6 m.y.

Therefore, this meteorite appears to be neither a typical winonaite nor a typical acapulcoite. Utilizing a diagram that compares the Δ17O to the Fa content of olivine, Rumble III et al (2005) found that the winonaites and the acapulcoite–lodranite clan meteorites were readily resolved, and that NWA 1058 plots within the winonaite field. In addition, Moggi-Cecchi et al (2011 #1398) published a diagram that plots the Cr content of diopside vs. Mg# of olivine, and the acapulcoite–lodranite clan is clearly distinguished from the winonaite group (see diagram below).

standby for aca/lod/win diagram photo

Moggi-Cecchi et al (2011 #1398) also presented a diagram showing the reduction state of the samples (Fe# in orthopyroxene vs. Mg# of olivine) that distinguishes three separate clusters: the acapulcoites, lodranites, and winonaites. To that end, Irving et al. (2005) described NWA 1058 as a metamorphosed chondrite probably representing the regolith of the winonaite parent body. Furthermore, they argued that the occurrence of distinct chondrules precludes the use of the term achondrite to describe this meteorite, and suggest that the term metachondrite or 'W chondrite' would be a more appropriate term to describe this texturally-evolved group (Irving et al., 2005; Irving and Rumble III, 2006 #5288).

New analyses were conducted by Worsham et al. (2017) for IAB complex irons, along with two winonaites (Winona and HaH 193), a lodranite (GRA 95209), the primitive achondrite NWA 725 (similar to NWA 1058), and other selected meteorite groups. Employing precise Mo, W, and Os isotope data along with HSE and other literature data, they ascertained that the IAB complex irons represent at least three distinct parent bodies and at least three impact-generated metal–silicate segregation events (see top schematic diagram below). Moreover, they determined that the Mo isotope data, as well as the chemical and mineralogical data, attest to a common parent body for the winonaites and the MG/sLL irons. Analysis of metal in the winonaite Y-8005 was shown by Hidaka et al. (2019) to be consistent with that of IAB sLL subgroup irons, which supports such a genetic relationship.

Importantly, Worsham et al. (2017) demonstrated that the Mo isotope values of NWA 725 do not plot with the IAB MG/sLL/winonaites, and that the values are all higher than those of the lodranite in their study. Notably, the Mo isotope values of NWA 725 plot within the field of the magmatic sHL and sHH irons, which are not genetically related to the other IAB parent bodies (see bottom diagram below). Oxygen isotope data for the sHL and sHH irons could help resolve whether any potential genetic relationship exists with NWA 725 and similar meteorites.

standby for iab iron formation diagram

CRE-corrected Mo Isotopic Compositions of Meteorite Groups
(µ notation denotes deviation from terrestrial standards in parts per million)
standby for winonaite mo diagram
click on diagram for a magnified view

Diagrams credit: Worsham et al., Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 467, pp. 157–166 (2017)
'Characterizing cosmochemical materials with genetic affinities to the Earth: Genetic and chronological diversity within the IAB iron meteorite complex'
(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.02.044)

In their chemical composition analysis of metal in primitive achondrites, which included the two winonaites NWA 725 and Y-8005, Hidaka et al. (2019) demonstrated that these two meteorites have significant differences in abundances of the moderately volatile siderophile elements Cu, Sb, Ga, Ge, and Sn. Moreover, utilizing coupled diagrams for various elemental abundance ratios in metal, they demonstrated that NWA 725 does not plot together with Y-8005 in the sLL subgroup field, but instead it generally plots in a unique space between the sLL and the overlapping sHL and sLM fields; notably, in the Ga/Ge coupled diagram NWA 725 plots at the very border of the sHL and sLM fields (see diagrams below). It was concluded that the metal in NWA 725 and Y-8005 had separate origins, and that NWA 725 possibly represents a reassembled daughter body contaminated by metal from the projectile responsible for the disruption of the IAB parent body.

Chemical Composition of Winonaite Metals and IAB Iron Subgroups
standby for winonaite mo diagram
click on diagram for a magnified view

Diagrams credit: Hidaka et al., MAPS, vol. 54, #5, p. 1158 (2019)
'Siderophile element characteristics of acapulcoite–lodranites and winonaites: Implications for the early differentiation processes of their parent bodies'
(https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13273)

It was previously considered that NWA 1058 is likely paired with NWA 725, NWA 1052, NWA 1054, and NWA 1463 (Irving and Rumble III, 2006); a further possible pairing was found in 2007 and designated NWA 4835 (T. Bunch, NAU). However, new analyses by Stephant et al. (2023) indicate that only NWA 1052 and NWA 1054 are fall paired, and that based on variability in their modal abundances (see Fig. 3) the other samples represent distinct ejection events from a common parent body.

Stephant et al. (2023) investigated NWA 1058 and seven very similar meteorites (Dhofar 1222, NWA 090, NWA 725, NWA 1052, NWA 1054, NWA 1463, and NWA 8614) using newly acquired data for NWA 090 and literature data for each of the other meteorites. The authors went to great depths with regard to the petrography, mineralogy, isotopy, geothermometry, and especially the geochemistry of these samples in an effort to resolve the subtle differences that exist between them and the winonaite and acapulcoite groups. They were able to show through various means, but especially utilizing an oxygen three-isotope diagram and a ternary diagram combining olivine fayalite content, olivine FeO/MnO ratio, and plagioclase Or content, that the tissemouminite group is resolved from the winonaite and acapulcoite groups (see diagrams below).

Oxygen Isotope Diagrams Resolve the Tissemouminite Group
standby for tissemouminite oxygen isotope diagram
click on diagram for a magnified view

A Ternary Diagram Resolves the Tissemouminite Group
standby for tissemouminite ternary diagram
click on diagram for a magnified view

Diagrams credit: Stephant et al., MAPS, Early View, figs. 10, 11 (2023 open access link)
'Tissemouminites: A new group of primitive achondrites spanning the transition between acapulcoites and winonaites'
(https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13944)

Other potential members of the new tissemouminite group (e.g., NWA 4816 [ACA], NWA 4937 [WIN], NWA 6448 [WIN], SuV 014 [ACA], Y-983237 [ACA]) share some of the same characteristics as the eight known members, but each will need further work to distinguish to which of the three groups it belongs. Further details about this recently resolved group can be found on the NWA 725 page. The partial slice of NWA 1058 shown above weighs 0.9 g.