Petrology and mineralogy of the shock-melted H chondrites Yamato–791088 and LaPaz Ice Field 02240

Abstract

We studied the petrology and mineralogy of two types of shock-melted H chondrites: Yamato (Y)–791088 and LaPaz Ice Field (LAP) 02240. Y–791088, which consists of numerous coarse-grained relict phases (40%) and euhedral fine-grained minerals solidified from the shock melt (60%), experienced incomplete melting; a quiescent melt is indicated by the existence of abundant relict phases, pseudomorphed chondrules, and two types of glass. LAP 02240, which consists of small amounts of coarse-grained relict phases (∼10%) and fine-grained minerals (∼90%), experienced near-complete melting; a rapidly cooled mobilized melt is indicated by the homogeneous compositions of glass and opaque veins. The homogeneous compositions of relict olivines indicate that the precursors of both chondrites were equilibrated H chondrites. The melting features of Y–791088 and LAP 02240 are very similar to those of Y–790964 (LL) and the fine-grained lithology of Y–790519 (LL), respectively. These two types of shock-melted ordinary chondrites possibly formed in situ during dike formation. The quiescent melt is thought to have originated from the injection of shock-heated chondrite blocks into mobilized melt. These two types of melting could have occurred during dike formation on the H chondrite parent body. The textures of the two types of shock melts were not simply affected by the degree of shock melting: they were also controlled by the degree of shear stress.