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• 1. [Article] NWA 8614: The Least Heated Winonaite

  Northwest Africa 8614 is classified as a winonaite on the basis of oxygen isotope ratios, mineralogy, and highly reduced chemistry. Unlike other winonaites, it contains numerous and readily apparent chondrules. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: NWA 8614: The Least Heated Winonaite Author: Farley, Karla, Ruzicka, Alexander M., Armstrong, Katherine Year: 2015 Northwest Africa 8614 is classified as a winonaite on the basis of oxygen isotope ratios, mineralogy, and highly reduced chemistry. Unlike other winonaites, it contains numerous and readily apparent chondrules. Here we discuss various features of NWA 8614 and the possible significance of the meteorite. Petrological and chemical analyses were performed using optical microscopy with a DM2500 Leica petrographic microscope and a Zeiss Sigma VP-FEG scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a high-efficiency energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Oxygen isotopes were analyzed by Karen Ziegler at the University of New Mexico on acid-washed samples to remove terrestrial weathering products. Owing to the abundance of chondrules, NWA 8641 may be one of the least heated winonaites, and therefore may provide clues to the chondritic protolith of the winonaite parent body. Overall textures are similar to those found in type 6 chondrites that escaped significant melting. Despite similar geothermometer temperatures for various mineral pairs, NWA 8614 apparently did not attain Fe-Mg equilibrium between olivine and pyroxene. Like other winonaites, NWA 8614 has olivine compositions that are too magnesian for equilibrium relative to low-Ca pyroxene. Among winonaites as a whole, there is no evidence for a curved trend between Fa and Fs compositions as would be expected for FeO-reduction during metamorphism [Benedix, et al 1998], nor for mineral compositions that correlate with geothermometry temperatures. This argues against a single metamorphic FeO-reduction trend from a common chondritic precursor. Instead, protoliths for different winonaites may have varied slightly in composition. Title: NWA 8614: The Least Heated Winonaite Author: Farley, Karla, Ruzicka, Alexander M., Armstrong, Katherine Year: 2015 Northwest Africa 8614 is classified as a winonaite on the basis of oxygen isotope ratios, mineralogy, and highly reduced chemistry. Unlike other winonaites, it contains numerous and readily apparent chondrules. Here we discuss various features of NWA 8614 and the possible significance of the meteorite. Petrological and chemical analyses were performed using optical microscopy with a DM2500 Leica petrographic microscope and a Zeiss Sigma VP-FEG scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a high-efficiency energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Oxygen isotopes were analyzed by Karen Ziegler at the University of New Mexico on acid-washed samples to remove terrestrial weathering products. Owing to the abundance of chondrules, NWA 8641 may be one of the least heated winonaites, and therefore may provide clues to the chondritic protolith of the winonaite parent body. Overall textures are similar to those found in type 6 chondrites that escaped significant melting. Despite similar geothermometer temperatures for various mineral pairs, NWA 8614 apparently did not attain Fe-Mg equilibrium between olivine and pyroxene. Like other winonaites, NWA 8614 has olivine compositions that are too magnesian for equilibrium relative to low-Ca pyroxene. Among winonaites as a whole, there is no evidence for a curved trend between Fa and Fs compositions as would be expected for FeO-reduction during metamorphism [Benedix, et al 1998], nor for mineral compositions that correlate with geothermometry temperatures. This argues against a single metamorphic FeO-reduction trend from a common chondritic precursor. Instead, protoliths for different winonaites may have varied slightly in composition. Close