[meteorite-list] More on Etching Estherville

[bernd.pauli at paulinet.de]

Mike wrote (in a private mail):

"The finer grains: ... Many are complete rice shaped grains
and in the order of 1 to 2 mm wide. Any insights as to what
these finer grains represent?"

Hello Mike (and List),

Thank you for the attached image of your remarkable Estherville slice. As for
the finer grains, they might represent grains of tetrataenite (nickel-iron with
an extremely high nickel content of up to 60%) or maybe grains of cloudy taenite
with a rim of tetrataenite.

HUTCHISON R. (2004) Meteorites: A Petrologic, Chemical, and
Isotopic Synthesis (Cambridge Planetary Science Series) p. 353:

"Taenite and tetrataenite are present in the interiors of [mesosiderite] metal grains."

Cheers,

Bernd