Abstract
Abstract— Many properties of CO3 chondrites have been shown previously to have resulted from thermal metamorphism; petrologic subtypes 3.0–3.7 have been assigned to members of the group. Additional properties that correlate with the metamorphic sequence but seem to have resulted from hydrothermal alteration include the modal abundance of amoeboid olivine inclusions (AOI), chondrule size, the types of refractory inclusions and whole rock O isotopic composition. The percentage of rimmed AOI increases with petrologic subtype. The rims most likely formed during hydrothermal alteration. The previously reported correlation between AOI abundance and chondrite subtype is probably an artifact due to the difficulty in recognizing small unrimmed AOI in the least metamorphosed CO3 chondrites. Because large (≥ 200 μm size) porphyritic chondrules have nearly the same mean size in all CO3 chondrites, it seems likely that the correlation between chondrule size and subtype is due to alteration of the smallest chondrules to the point of unrecogizability as complete objects in the more metamorphosed CO3 chondrites. The previously reported decrease in the proportion of melilite‐rich refractory inclusions with increasing petrologic subtype may have resulted from more extensive hydrothermal alteration in CO3.4–3.7 chondrites that converted primary melilite into Ca‐pyroxene, andradite and nepheline. Alteration probably caused the preferential occurrence of 16O‐poor oxygen isotopes in the more metamorphosed whole rock samples.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.