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At least 181 records · Page 10

Characteristics of Mineralogy and Space Weathering Observed on the Grains in the Fine Fraction Samples Returned From the C-type Asteroid Ryugu.

Samples returned from near-Earth C-type asteroid Ryugu by the JAXA Hayabusa2 spacecraft have been investigated from June, 2021. Our Min-Pet Fine ("sand") sub-team have investigated mineralogy and petrology and space weathering of grains in the fine fraction of the samples. Space weathering is alteration induced mainly by solar wind irradiation and micrometeoroid impact. Here, we report mineralogy and microstructural and chemical features related to space weathering of Ryugu grains.

Takaaki Noguchi↗

Mineralogy and space weathering found in the fine-grained samples returned from the C-type asteroid Ryugu

The JAXA Hayabusa2 spacecraft returned samples from near-Earth C-type asteroid Ryugu. Our Hayabusa2-initial-analysisMin-Pet Fine (“Sand”) team has investigated mineralogy and petrology and space weathering of grains in the fine-grained fraction of the samples. Space weathering is alteration induced mainly by solar wind irradiation and micrometeoroid impact. Here, we report the mineralogy, microstructural, and chemical features related to space weathering of the Ryugu grains.

Takaaki Noguchi↗

Olivine Mineralogy of Asteroid Ryugu Samples and CI Chondrites: Further Evidence for their Common Origin

Initial analysis of asteroid Ryugu samples has revealed that they were mm-mm scale brecciamostly composed of aqueously altered phases (e.g., Mg-Fe phyllosilicates, carbonates) and showed remarkablesimilarities to CI chondrites in mineralogy and chemistry [e.g., 1,2]. Our detailed analysis of Ryugu samples hasdetected small amounts (<<1 vol.%) of unaltered silicates that would escape severe aqueous alteration [3]. Olivine isthe most abundant (>90 vol%) phase among such unaltered silicates. Although most Ryugu olivine grains aresmaller than 5 mm, they bear important information about the precursors of the parent Ryugu asteroid. In thisabstract we report additional results of olivine mineralogical study of Ryugu samples, and especially compare witholivine grains in CI chondrites (Ivuna and Orgueil) to further discuss their relationship and possible common origin.

T. Mikouchi↗

Mineralogy, Petrology, and Oxygen-isotope Compositions of Magnetite ± Fayalite Assemblages in CO3, CV3, and LL3 Chondrites

We report on the mineralogy, petrology, and O-isotope compositions of magnetite and fayalite (Fa90−100) from several metasomatically altered and weakly metamorphosed carbonaceous (Y-81020 [CO3.05], EET 90043 [CO3.1], MAC 88107 [CO3.1-like], and Kaba [oxidized Bali-like CV3.1]) and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs; Semarkona [LL3.00], MET 00452 [LL3.05], MET 96503 [LL3.05], EET 910161 [LL3.05], Ngawi [LL3.0−3.6 breccia], and Vicencia [LL3.2]). In MAC 88107, EET 90043, and Kaba, nearly pure fayalite (Fa98−100) associates with phyllosilicates, magnetite, Fe, Ni-sulfides, and hedenbergite (Fs~50Wo~50), and occurs in all chondritic components—chondrules, matrices,and refractory inclusions. In UOCs, nearly pure fayalite (Fa95−98) associates withphyllosilicates and magnetite, and occurs mainly in matrices and fine-grained chondrulerims. Oxygen-isotope compositions of fayalite and magnetite in UOCs, COs, CVs, and MAC 88107 are in disequilibrium with those of chondrule olivine and low-Ca pyroxene phenocrysts, and plot along mass-dependent fractionation lines with slope of~0.5, butdifferent 17O (~+4.3 1.4‰,−0.2 0.6‰,−1.5 1‰, and−1.8 0.8‰, respectively). Based on the mineralogical observations, thermodynamic analysis, O-isotope compositions, and recently reported experimental data, we infer that (1) fayalite and magnetite in COs,CVs, MAC 88107, and UOCs resulted from aqueous fluid–rock interaction on the chondrite parent asteroids that occurred at low local water-to-rock mass ratios (0.1−0.4) and elevated temperatures (~100−300°C), and (2) 17O of fayalite and magnetite reflects O-isotope compositions of aqueous fluids on the host meteorite parent bodies. The observed differences in 17O of fayalite–magnetite assemblages in UOCs, CVs, COs, and MAC 88107suggest that water ices that accreted into the ordinary chondrite and carbonaceous chondrite parent asteroids had different 17O, implying spatial and/or temporal variations in O-isotope compositions of water in the protoplanetary disk.

Alexander N Krot↗

Mineralogical Signatures of Mars-Analog Eskers in Iceland

Orbital geomorphic observations of the martian surface suggest glaciers were present during much of Mars’ history. Amazonian- and Hesperian-aged lobate and viscous flow features and moraines, some of which retain remnant ice deposits, are typically interpreted as evidence for cold-based glaciation. There is some morphological evidence for wet-based glaciation, however, and the Late Noachian Icy Highlands model, in which melting of glaciers is hypothesized to create valley networks, would have generated features characteristic of wet-based glaciers, like eskers. Furthermore, recent work suggests lower gravity on Mars promoted subglacial water drainage, leading to channels and eskers. There is a paucity of morphological and compositional measurements of subglacial landforms on Earth to provide comparison to putative subglacial features on the martian surface, like eskers. Our group is studying the morphology, sedimentology, and composition of eskers formed in Iceland to identify characteristics of these features that will help determine whether sinuous ridges on Mars are ancient eskers. Here, we report on the mineralogy of eskers that were sampled during our summer 2022 field campaign and evaluate whether there is a mineralogical signature of eskers that is distinct from surrounding glacial outwash plains

E B Rampe↗

Magma-Sediment Interaction Induced Alteration Mineralogy on Mars: Detectability and Analytical Method Comparison Using the Curtis Sandstone as A Terrestrial Analog

Basaltic magmatism is a ubiquitous feature of the Martian crust, and would have interacted with sediments and fluids through the geologic history of Mars to potentially produce higher temperature hydrothermal systems , and contact metamorphic rocks. On Earth, comparable hydrothermal systems represent habitable environments, which can be used as an analog for Mars. Nevertheless, evidence of aforementioned hydrothermal systems on Mars has remained elusive, despite the efforts of both orbital and in-situ analyses. Limited low grade metamorphic minerals typically indicative of hydrothermal systems (prehnite, zeolites, serpentine) have been detected in the Martian crust, though the detections are typically isolated occurrences, and do not necessarily indicate an in-place metamorphic sequence. It is possible that orbital spectroscopy alone is not capable of detecting such an alteration front, with higher resolution in-situ analyses being required to detect the changes in mineralogy and species of alteration minerals associated with magma-sediment interaction. To constrain this, we have investigated a terrestrial analog on the Colorado Plateau, USA, where a mafic dike intrudes a quartz areinite of the Jurassic Curtis Sandstone. The investigation was carried out using Mars relevant instruments: Visible to Near-Infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy analogous to orbital spectroscopy, and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analogous to CheMin on Mars Sample Laboratory Curiosity. While quartz sandstones have not been, and are unlikely to be, detected on Mars, the relatively mineralogically uniform Curtis Sandstone serves as analog here as it avoids complications of multiple mineral systems or significant element exchange with the surrounding area.

J R Crandall↗

An evolutionary system of mineralogy, Part V: Aqueous and thermal alteration of planetesimals (~4565 to 4550 Ma)

Part V of the evolutionary system of mineralogy explores phases produced by aqueous alteration, metasomatism, and/or thermal metamorphism—relicts of ancient processes that affected virtually all asteroids and that are preserved in the secondary mineralogy of meteorites. We catalog 166 historical natural kinds of minerals that formed by alteration in the parent bodies of chondritic and non-chondritic meteorites within the first 20 Ma of the solar system. Secondary processes saw a dramatic increase in the chemical and structural diversity of minerals. These phases incorporate 41 different mineral-forming elements, including the earliest known appearances of species with essential Co, Ge, As, Nb, Ag, Sn, Te, Au, Hg, Pb, and Bi. Among the varied secondary meteorite minerals are the earliest known examples of halides, arsenides, tellurides, sulfates, carbonates, hydroxides, and a wide range of phyllosilicates.

Robert M. Hazen↗

An evolutionary system of mineralogy, Part IV: Planetesimal differentiation and impact mineralization (4566 to 4560 Ma)

The fourth installment of the evolutionary system of mineralogy considers two stages of planetesimal mineralogy that occurred early in the history of the solar nebula, commencing by 4.566 Ga and lasting for at least 5 million years: (1) primary igneous minerals derived from planetesimal melting and differentiation into core, mantle, and basaltic components and (2) impact mineralization resulting in shock-induced deformation, brecciation, melting, and high-pressure phase transformations. We tabulate 90 igneous differentiated asteroidal minerals, including the earliest known occurrences of minerals with Ba, Cl, Cu, F, and V as essential elements, as well as the first appearances of numerous phosphates, quartz, zircon, and amphibole group minerals. We also record 40 minerals formed through high-pressure impact alteration, commencing with the period of asteroid accretion and differentiation. These stages of mineral evolution thus mark the first time that high pressures, both static and dynamic, played a significant role in mineral paragenesis.

Shaunna M. Morrison↗

Mineralogy of Bennu From Spectral Analysis of the Sample Returned By OSIRIS-REx

Here we report on preliminary tests of hypotheses related to the mineralogy of Bennu that were generated from spectral data collected during the asteroid operations phase of the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and SecurityRegolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission. We focus on whether laboratory spectra confirm the hypotheses that (a) Bennu inorganic materials are dominated by Mg-rich phyllosilicates (with less than 10 vol% anhydrous silicates), contain magnetite, and exhibit signatures of up to three distinct carbonate phases, and (b) the dominant lithologies are comparable in bulk mineralogy to the most aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites (CCs; petrologic types ≤2.4 in the classification, or types 1 and 2 in the classification). Signatures of organics also were detected but are not discussed here. Analysis of material returned from asteroid Bennu contributes to the broader goals of the OSIRIS-REx mission by allowing us to compare sample data at microscopic scales to meteorites, meter-scale asteroid observations, and disk-integrated ground-based observations. These results allow us to better recognize, and resolve, key gaps in our understanding of primitive solar system bodies.

V. E. Hamilton↗

Mineralogical Analysis of Calcium-Aluminum-Rich Inclusions Provides Insight Into Post-Formation Processes

Introduction: Calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAIs) are cm- to mm-sized intergrowths of refractory phases found in chondritic meteorites [1]. Their mineral compositions closely match the compositions of the solids thought to condense from an extremely hot (>1500K) gas with a bulk solar composition [2-4], suggesting that CAIs were the earliest solids within the Solar System [2-4]. These inclusions provide invaluable insights into the conditions and dynamics of the early Solar System. CAIs must be transported from their formation region near the protosun to the chondrite parent-body accretion region. The nature of their journey could affect how, when, and where the secondary processes recorded in these CAIs occurred [4]. Did these secondary processes occur in the solar nebula or during accretion with the parent body, or both? How were the CAIs affected by varying thermochemical processes? To better answer these questions, we have undertaken an in-depth, textural study of the secondary alteration of select CAI samples. Methods: We chose three CAIs that experienced a range of post-formation processing to gain better understanding of secondary alteration based on previous preliminary examination [5]. Representative CAIs were chosen from NWA 5508 (CV3), NWA 12772 (CV3), and Coolidge (CL4) carbonaceous chondrites. We used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques for detailed chemical, mineralogical, and textural analysis of the CAIs. Backscattered electron (BSE) images and X-ray elemental maps were taken of Coolidge and NWA 5508 using the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) Phenom SEM. The JEOL 7900F SEM at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) was used to obtain energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) chemical maps of all samples. High resolution EBSD analysis identified the mineral phases and textures, providing key information on their nature. Based on the SEM and EBSD data, minerals of interest were selected for quantitative chemical electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) using the JEOL JXA-8530F at NASA JSC. Results and Discussion: The EDS maps show that the NWA 5508 and NWA 12772 CAIs designated “Saguaro” and “Hoopoe” respectively [5] are enriched in calcium while the Coolidge CAI designated “Cottonwood” is aluminum and magnesium rich. Saguaro. A ~1.5cm diameter igneous Type B CAI with a rounded shape. The dominant phases are melilite, spinel, and Al-Ti pyroxene with minor anorthite. Spinel is subhedral and occurs in clusters. Some of these clusters have a circular geometry which encloses other minerals, known as a palisade structure [6] (Fig. 1). Some palisades form near perfect circles while others are more irregular in shape. Melilite in Saguaro ranges in size from coarse (>250m) to fine-grained (5-7m) and forms intergrown laths. A third of the melilite grains exhibit simple twinning about their <001> axis. The spinel palisades and twinned melilite in Saguaro suggest an igneous history, and the lack of secondary minerals suggests minimal aqueous alteration. At some point in time after the initial condensation of the minerals and formation of the inclusion, the sample was remelted and quickly solidified. The formation of the palisades is still heavily debated. One hypothesis is that the palisades are the rims of smaller CAIs that accreted early on, essentially acting as xenoliths within the larger CAIs [7]. Another hypothesis suggests an igneous origin for palisade structures [6-8] wherein the melt traps gas bubbles, and the spinel nucleates on the surface of this bubble. Based on the WDS spot analyses of 41 melilite grains using EPMA, the data suggest that the composition inside and outside the palisades is nearly identical. This finding indicates that these palisades are likely not exogenous but rather formed from melt-vapor reactions. Our results are consistent with studies by Simon and Grossman,1997 [6] and Zhang et al. (2019) [8]. Hoopoe. A ~0.5cm compact Type A CAI with an irregular shape. The dominant mineral phases are melilite, spinel, and hibonite with minor amounts of anorthite, augite, and perovskite. The melilite ranges in size from ~500 to 50µm. The larger melilite grains have simple twinning along the <001> axis like melilite in Saguaro. Melilite in Hoopoe exhibits crystal-plastic strain with misorientation dominantly about the <010> and <110> axes. Spinel shows subhedral to euhedral morphology and appears in clusters. Hibonite grains are similar to spinel in habit and size but show more plastic strain. The two minerals are often found together with one appearing to replace the other. Perovskite appears in fine grained recrystallized regions alongside fine augite and spinel. The abundant strain and deformation features in the melilite and hibonite suggest that Hoopoe experienced shock. This shock could have occurred in the nebula [9] or from an impact of another body on the parent body asteroid. The appearance of fine-grained (<10m) areas of augite, perovskite, and spinel in the dominantly coarse-grained inclusion suggest recrystallization, possibly due to the sudden increase in pressure and temperature. Cottonwood. This ~0.5cm CAI exhibits distinct mineralogy and textures suggesting a high degree of alteration. It is irregular in shape. The dominant mineral phases are spinel and anorthite with minor amounts of augite and rutile. The two main texture types can be seen in Fig. 2. The first type consists of coarse euhedral to subhedral spinel and anorthite. The second includes fine grained spinel, anorthite, rutile, and iron sulfides. Within these fine-grained regions, the anorthite grains are clustered into domains exhibiting the same crystallographic orientation. Rutile exclusively occurs with fine anorthite indicating a potential relationship between the two. Cottonwood has a clear and unbroken Wark-Lovering [10] rim (Fig. 2) on one side that consists of a sequence of spinel followed by anorthite and an outer layer of augite. The abundance of the fine-grained regions containing iron oxides and iron sulfides, secondary phases such as rutile, and oriented anorthite grains is evidence for recrystallization associated with a high degree of thermal metamorphism. The EPMA analyses on both coarse- and fine-grained spinel show that the fine spinel grains are more enriched in Cr (1-2 wt. %) than their coarse counterparts (0.1-0.5 wt. %). The data suggest thermal metamorphism drove chemical exchange of the previously refractory inclusion, introducing chromium and iron as well as sulfur, which is moderately volatile. Conclusions: The three CAIs analyzed record distinct secondary nebular and parent body processes. Saguaro melted in the nebula as seen by the twinned melilite and spinel palisades. Hoopoe experienced intense shock which deformed its melilite and recrystallized perovskite, augite, and spinel in fine-grained regions. Cottonwood shows evidence of recrystallization and chemical changes consistent with thermal metamorphism occurring after accretion into the parent-body.

V E Burnette↗

Petrography and Mineralogy of Basalt Fragments in Apollo 17 Double Drive Tube 73002 and 73001

The ANGSA program was formed, in part, to examine previously unstudied Apollo 17 double drive tube samples. As a part of this project, the Moon United team received eight basalt fragments from 73001 and 73002. Here we present the petrography and mineralogy of these basalt fragments. Methods: We analyzed the petrography and mineralogy of the 73001/73002 particles using Electron Probe Microanalysis (EMPA) at both Carnegie Institution for Science and the Smithsonian Institution. We made quantitative compositional maps for each sample following the methods of [1,2].

S. N. Valencia↗

Mineralogical Measurements of Mars-Analog Eskers from Iceland

Orbital morphological observations of Mars demonstrate evidence for glaciation in the Hesperian and Amazonian eras [e.g., 1-2]. The discovery of sinuous ridges in association with relatively young (~100s Ma) buried glaciers suggests recent wet-based glaciation led to the formation of eskers [e.g., 3]. It is important to be able to discriminate eskers on Mars from other sinuous ridges (e.g., inverted river channels) to better characterize past aqueous environments on Mars and their potential as habitable environments. Our group is studying the geomorphology, sedimentology, and mineralogical composition of Mars-analog eskers in Iceland to identify signatures of eskers that would enable us to positively identify them on Mars [4]. Here, we present mineralogical measurements of sediments collected from eskers and the surrounding proglacial plains at the terminus of Breiðamerkurjökull in southeast Iceland (Figure 1) to determine whether the mineral assemblage within eskers can be used to uniquely identify them on the martian surface.

E B Rampe↗

Grossite-Bearing Refractory Inclusions from Reduced CV Chondrites: Mineralogical and Oxygen Isotopic Constraints on the Parent Body Alteration History

We report the results of coordinated mineralogical, microstructural, and oxygen isotopic analyses of grossite-bearing refractory inclusions from reduced CV (Vigarano type) chondrites to obtain a more complete picture of secondary parent body alteration processes and conditions. Grossite (CaAl 4 O 7 ) occurs in cores of nodules in fine-grained Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) that likely represent aggregates of nebular condensates. In many occurrences, grossite has been partially replaced by hercynite [(Fe,Mg,Zn)Al 2 O 4 ], which displays complex microstructures and compositions, and magnetite nanoparticles. The alteration of grossite was a crystallographically-controlled, fluid-driven process that occurred via partial dissolution of grossite and subsequent precipitation of hercynite and magnetite during short-lived and low-temperature metasomatic alteration on the CV chondrite parent body. The constituent phases of grossite-bearing CAIs show heterogeneous oxygen isotopic compositions, with grossite and perovskite displaying systematically 16O-depleted compositions (Δ 17 O = −12‰ to −1‰) relative to uniformly 16 O-rich hibonite and spinel (Δ 17 O = −25‰ to −21‰). Melilite is variably 16 O-depleted (Δ 17 O = −25‰ to −2‰). The observed oxygen isotopic distribution is interpreted as a result of mineralogically controlled oxygen isotopic exchange with an 16 O-poor fluid on the CV chondrite parent body. Collectively, the presence of limited fluids played an important role in preferential alteration of grossite to hercynite and magnetite and various degrees of 16O depletion in grossite, perovskite, and melilite during thermal metamorphism. We conclude that, among refractory phases in the inclusions, grossite was the most susceptible to metasomatic reactions with Fe-rich fluids and the second most susceptible, after perovskite, to oxygen isotopic exchange with an 16 O-poor fluid during the thermal history of the CV chondrite parent asteroid.

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions↗

A Coordinated Mineralogical and Oxygen Isotopic Study of Refractory Ca-Al-Rich Inclusions

Refractory Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) in primitive chondritic meteorites represent the oldest solids that formed in our Solar System. Coordinated analyses using multiple ion and electron-beam techniques are vital to fully understand complex nebular and asteroidal processes that CAIs may have experienced in the context of the formation and early evolution of our Solar System. We report the results of a coordinated mineralogical and oxygen isotopic study of unique grossite bearing CAIs from reduced CV (Vigarano type) carbonaceous chondrites using transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Grossite (CaAl 4 O 7 ) occurs in cores of nodules in fine grained CAIs that likely represent aggregates of nebular condensates. In many occurrences, grossite has been partially replaced by hercynite [(Fe,Mg,Zn)Al 2 O 4 ], which displays complex microstructures and compositions, and magnetite nanoparticles. This grossite alteration likely occurred via crystallographically controlled metasomatic reactions with Zn, Fe-rich aqueous fluids on the parent asteroid. The constituent phases of grossite bearing CAIs show heterogeneous oxygen isotopic compositions . That is, grossite and perovskite are 16 O poor and melilite is variably 16 O-depleted in contrast to solar like, 16 O-rich hibonite and spinel. The observed oxygen isotopic distribution is interpreted as a result of mineralogically controlled oxygen isotopic exchange with an 16 O-poor fluid on the parent asteroid. Collectively, we conclude that the presence of limited fluids played an important role in preferential alteration of grossite to hercynite and magnetite and various degrees of 16 O depletion in grossite, perovskite, and melilite during thermal metamorphism on the CV chondrite parent asteroid.

Jangmi Han↗