Premium
The differentiation of eucrites: The role of in situ crystallization
Author(s) -
BARRAT J. A.,
BLICHERTTOFT J.,
GILLET PH.,
KELLER F.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01495.x
Subject(s) - geochemistry , geology , fractional crystallization (geology) , trace element , plagioclase , neutron activation analysis , pyroxene , parent body , meteorite , troilite , magma chamber , mineralogy , volcano , magma , olivine , chemistry , chondrite , astrobiology , radiochemistry , paleontology , physics , quartz
— We report on major and trace element analyses of 17 eucrites, including three cumulate eucrites (Binda, Moore County, and Serra de Magé), determined by, respectively, inductively‐coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and inductively‐coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results obtained for Binda and Moore County are consistent with the model of Treiman (1997) for the formation of cumulate eucrites, which holds that these meteorites were produced from a eucritic melt. Our sample of Serra de Magé contains unusually large amounts of pyroxene and probably an accessory phase rich in heavy rare earth elements and is therefore not representative of this eucrite as known from literature data. Our results for the noncumulate eucrites Bereba, Bouvante, Cachari, Caldera, Camel Donga, Ibitira, Jonzac, Juvinas, Lakangaon, Millbillillie, Padvarninkai, Pasamonte, Sioux County, and Stannern are in good agreement with literature data. The observed decoupling between major and trace elements for noncumulate eucrites can be explained by in situ crystallization during the differentiation of an asteroidal magma ocean. This model can further account for both the Nuevo Laredo and the Stannern trends but has as a consequence that none of the analyzed eucrites represents a primary melt.