THE MOAMA EUCRITE — A PYROXENE-PLAGIOCLASE ADCUMULATE

A non-brecciated, relatively coarsely crystalline eucrite was found in 1940 near Moama, southern New South Wales, Australia. The texture and mineralogy (plagioclase 49.1 volume %, pyroxene 48.9%, tridymite 0.72%, chromite 1.0%, troilite 0.24% and metallic iron 0.14%) are characteristic of an adcumulate formed in a terrestrial layered igneous intrusion. Its composition and texture most closely resemble the eucrite Serra de Magé. Moama and Serra de Magé are the best approximations to the pyroxeneplagioclase cumulates which McCarthy et al. (1973) propose have separated from a primary magma to produce the eucrite group of achondrites. Primary (coarse) and secondary (fine) augitic exsolution lamellae in the host hypersthene grains indicate a cooling history for the Moama eucrite similar to that of mafic rocks in slowly cooled, large, layered terrestrial intrusions such as Bushveld.