Chemistry, petrology and bulk oxygen isotope compositions of chondrules from the Mokoia CV3 carbonaceous chondrite

Abstract

We report bulk chemical compositions and physical properties for a suite of 94 objects, mostly chondrules, separated from the Mokoia CV3 ox carbonaceous chondrite. We also describe mineralogical and petrologic information for a selected subset of the same suite of chondrules. The data are used to examine the range of chondrule bulk compositions, and to investigate the relationships between chondrule mineralogy, texture and bulk compositions, as well as oxygen isotopic properties that we reported previously. Most of the chondrules show minimal metamorphism, corresponding to petrologic subtype <3.2. In general, elemental fractionations observed in chondrule bulk compositions are reflected in the compositions of constituent minerals. For chondrules, mean bulk compositions and compositional ranges are very similar for large (>2 mg) and small (<2 mg) size fractions. Two of the objects studied are described as matrix-rich clasts. These have similar bulk compositions to the chondrule mean, and are potential chondrule precursors. One of these clasts has a similar bulk oxygen isotopic composition to Mokoia chondrules, but the other has an anomalously high value of Δ 17O (+3.60‰). Chondrules are diverse in bulk chemical composition, with factor of 10 variations in most major element abundances that cannot be attributed to secondary processes. The chondrules examined show evidence for extensive secondary oxidation, and possible sulfidization, as expected for an oxidized CV chondrite, but minimal aqueous alteration. Some of the bulk chondrule compositional variation might be the result of chemical (e.g. volatilization or condensation) or physical (e.g. metal loss) processes during chondrule formation. However, we suggest that it is mainly the result of significant variations in the assembly of particles that constituted chondrule precursors. Precursor material likely included a refractory component, possibly inherited from disaggregated CAIs, an FeO-poor ferromagnesian component such as olivine or pyroxene, an oxidized ferromagnesian component, and a metal component. Bulk oxygen isotope ratios of chondrules can be explained if refractory and ferromagnesian precursor materials initially shared similar oxygen isotopic compositions of δ 17O, δ 18O around −50‰, and then significant exchange occurred between the chondrule and surrounding 16O-poor gas during melting.