[meteorite-list] Spherulitic texture in meteorites

[bernd.pauli at paulinet.de]

Hello Jeff P. and List,

http://www.spacerocksinc.com/July_27_2007.html

Jeff wrote:

That's an unusual texture, I think the geologists call it spherulitic - 
indicative of rapid cooling. Here's an example of a similar texture
in Apollo rock 60017:
 
http://ser.sese.asu.edu/cgi-bin/DPSC_Data.pl?search=1&rock=60017&piece=&
size=&slide=&coments=

Anyone recall seeing another meteorite with that texture?


The following meteorites are described as having similar textures:

NWA 1000, a highly shocked eucrite:

"subophitic and slightly variolitic (fan-spherulitic) texture with laths
of plagioclase (up to 4 mm long) and pyroxene (up to 5 mm)."

NWA 1240, an anomalous, unbrecciated eucrite:

"achondrite consisting of skeletal low-Ca pyroxene phenocrysts in a variolitic
(fan-spherulitic) mesostasis of pyroxenes, plagioclase,...The rock resembles
some Apollo 15 pigeonite basalts but mineral and bulk rock compositions
indicate a relationship to eucrites."


Bernd