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Netschaevo: a new class of chondritic meteorite
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 1, 1977
Summary
The Netschaëvo meteorite is an iron-rich ordinary chondrite, challenging existing models of solar system material formation. Its composition suggests current meteorite collections are incomplete representations of early solar system materials.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Cosmochemistry
- Planetary Science
Background:
- Ordinary chondrites are the most common type of meteorite.
- Understanding their composition provides insights into the early solar system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To classify the Netschaëvo meteorite.
- To investigate its implications for the ordinary chondrite sequence and solar system formation models.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of refractory and volatile element ratios (e.g., Zn/Si, In).
- Petrologic examination, including chondrule abundance and plagioclase grain size.
- Iron speciation analysis (reduced vs. oxidized iron).
- Abundance determination of siderophile elements (Ni, Ge, Ir, Au).
Main Results:
- Netschaëvo is classified as an ordinary chondrite, petrologic type 6.
- It exhibits unusually high abundances of siderophile elements compared to H-group chondrites.
- Its composition aligns with an extrapolation of the LL-L-H ordinary chondrite fractionation trend.
- The meteorite is exceptionally rich in iron relative to silicon.
Conclusions:
- Netschaëvo represents an extreme end-member of the ordinary chondrite sequence.
- Existing models for ordinary chondrite formation need to account for higher iron/silicon ratios.
- Meteorite collections may be biased, not fully representing primitive solar system materials.
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