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Chondrules in the chondrite classification Grassland. A millimeter scale is shown. Chondrules in the Carbonaceous Chondrite NWA 13887. A chondrule (from Ancient Greek χόνδρος chondros, grain) is a round grain found in a chondrite. Chondrules form as molten or partially molten droplets in space before being accreted to their parent asteroids.
Normal achondrites form by crystallizing from a magma and will show magmatic textures. [2] Lodranites are for example seen as residues of partial melting, while acapulcoites are seen as partial melts, but both were produced by partial melting. Ureileites and brachinites remain uncertain and could either be explained as residues or cumulates. [1]
A chondrite / ˈ k ɒ n d r aɪ t / is a stony (non-metallic) meteorite that has not been modified by either melting or differentiation of the parent body. [a] [1] They are formed when various types of dust and small grains in the early Solar System accreted to form primitive asteroids.
The main petrologic characteristic of Type 1 chondrites, such as CIs, is the lack of recognizable chondrules, thus excepting the sample from Tagish Lake. Yet small chondrule fragments and calcium–aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs) do occur, but are quite rare. [74]
CI chondrites typically contain a high proportion of water (up to 22%), [8] and organic matter in the form of amino acids [9] and PAHs. [10] Aqueous alteration promotes a composition of hydrous phyllosilicates, magnetite, and olivine crystals occurring in a black matrix, and a possible lack of chondrules. It is thought they have not been heated ...
While CM chondrules are smaller than average in diameter (~300 micrometer), CO chondrules are exceptionally small (~170 um). [ 31 ] [ 32 ] This may be a survivor bias : consider that the water which dissolves CM chondrules successfully eliminates those which are already small, while those which were large may remain to be observed, though with ...
EH (high-iron) chondrites contain small chondrules (~0.2 millimetres (0.0079 in)) and high ratios of siderophile elements to silicon. Somewhat more than 10% of the rock is composed of metal grains. A diagnostic feature of EH chondrites is that the Fe-Ni metal contains ~3 wt% elemental silicon.
Ordinary chondrite NWA 3189 sliced. Field of view c. 2.2 cm across. NWA 3189 has been classified as an LL3.2–3.4 ordinary chondrite ("LL" means very low total iron content; "3" refers to well-preserved chondrules – the rock has not been subjected to metamorphism intense enough to disrupt the chondritic texture).