Stony-iron meteorite

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Stony-iron meteorite (siderolites)
  Type  
Esquel.jpg
A slice of the Esquel meteorite showing the mixture of meteoric iron and silicates that is typical of this division.
Type Stony-iron
Subgroups
  • Pallasite
  • Mesosiderite
CompositionMeteoric iron (kamacite, taenite & tetrataenite); silicates
Total known specimens95 pallasites, 183 mesosiderites (278 Total)

Stony-iron meteorites or siderolites are meteorites that consist of nearly equal parts of meteoric iron and silicates. This distinguishes them from the stony meteorites, that are mostly silicates, and the iron meteorites, that are mostly meteoric iron. [1]

Contents

Stony-iron meteorites are all differentiated, meaning that they show signs of alteration. They are therefore achondrites.

The stony-irons are divided into mesosiderites and pallasites. Pallasites have a matrix of meteoric iron with embedded silicates (most of it olivine). [2] Mesosiderites are breccias which show signs of metamorphism. The meteoric iron occurs in clasts instead of a matrix. [3] [4]

They are in the top rank of all Meteorite classification schemes, usually called "Type".

Mineralogy

The meteoric iron of stony-irons is similar to that of iron meteorites, consisting mostly of kamacite and taenite in different proportions. The silicates are dominated by olivine. Accessory minerals that also include non-silicates are: carlsbergite, chromite, cohenite, daubréelite, feldspar, graphite, ilmenite, merrillite, low-calcium pyroxene, schreibersite, tridymite and troilite.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallasite</span> Class of stony–iron meteorite

The pallasites are a class of stony–iron meteorite. They are relatively rare, and can be distinguished by the presence of large olivine crystal inclusions in the ferro-nickel matrix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron meteorite</span> Meteorite composed of iron-nickel alloy called meteoric iron

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesosiderite</span> Class of stony–iron meteorites

Mesosiderites are a class of stony–iron meteorites consisting of about equal parts of metallic nickel-iron and silicate. They are breccias with an irregular texture; silicates and metal occur often in lumps or pebbles as well as in fine-grained intergrowths. The silicate part contains olivine, pyroxenes, and Ca-rich feldspar and is similar in composition to eucrites and diogenites.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esquel (meteorite)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenham (meteorite)</span>

Brenham is a pallasite meteorite found near Haviland, a small town in Kiowa County, Kansas, United States. Pallasites are a type of stony–iron meteorite that when cut and polished show yellowish olivine (peridot) crystals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallasovka (meteorite)</span> Pallasite meterorite found during 1990 in southern Russia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">IIICD meteorite</span>

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The Eagle Station group is a set of pallasite meteorite specimen that do not fit into any of the other defined pallasite groups. In meteorite classification five meteorites have to be found, so they can be defined as their own group. Currently only five Eagle Station type meteorites have been found, which is just enough for a separate group.

IIG meteorites are a group of iron meteorites. The group currently has six members. They are hexahedrites with large amounts of schreibersite. The meteoric iron is composed of kamacite.

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This is a glossary of terms used in meteoritics, the science of meteorites.

References

  1. McSween, Harry Y. (1999). Meteorites and their parent planets (Sec. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. ISBN   978-0521587518.
  2. Buseck, P.R. (1977). "Pallasite meteorites: mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry". Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 41 (6): 711–740. Bibcode:1977GeCoA..41..711B. doi:10.1016/0016-7037(77)90044-8.
  3. F. Heide, F. Wlotzka: Meteorites, Messengers from Space. Springer Verlag 1985.
  4. Karl K. Turekian. Meteorites, comets, and planets,112