Unique evidence of fluid alteration in the Kakowa (L6) ordinary chondrite.
Sci Rep 2022;
12:5520. [PMID:
35414699 PMCID:
PMC9005539 DOI:
10.1038/s41598-022-09465-6]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Meteorites preserve evidence of processes on their parent bodies, including alteration, metamorphism, and shock events. Here we show that the Kakowa (L6) ordinary chondrite (OC) preserves both shock-melt veins and pockets of detrital grains from a brecciated and altered object, including corundum, albite, silica, fayalite, forsterite, and margarite in a Pb- and Fe-rich matrix. Preservation of the observed mineralogy and texture requires a sequence of at least two impacts: first, a high-velocity collision formed the shock melt veins containing the high-pressure minerals ringwoodite, wadsleyite, majorite, and albitic jadeite; later, a low-velocity impact formed fractures and filled them with the detrital material. Oxygen and Pb isotope ratios suggest an OC origin for these detrital minerals. Although fluid alteration is common in carbonaceous chondrites, the discovery of margarite with an OC oxygen isotopic signature is novel. Kakowa extends both the impact and alteration history of L6 ordinary chondrites in general.
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