[meteorite-list] Clay meteorites?

[Laurence Garvie]

Using the definition that clays are phyllosilicate minerals with a grain size of <2 microns, then we already have lots of clay meteorites. The clay contents of the matrices of the CM2 meteorites is on the order of 70 to 80 vol% (see K.T. Howard, G.K. Benedix, P.A. Bland a,b, G. Cressey (2009) Modal mineralogy of CM2 chondrites by X-ray diffraction (PSD-XRD). Part 1: Total phyllosilicate abundance and the degree of aqueous alteration. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol 73, 4576-4589) and Orgueil around 80 vols % clay composed of serpentine and serpentine-saponite (see Philip A. BLAND, Gordon CRESSEY, and Olwyn N. MENZIES (2004) Modal mineralogy of carbonaceous chondrites by X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, vol. 39, 3-16).

Laurence Garvie
CMS
ASU



> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:01:27 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Robert Verish <bolidechaser at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Clay meteorites?
> To: Meteorite-list Meteoritecentral
> 	<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Message-ID: <972507.79052.qm at web51705.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
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> 
> After reading this article, I have a question:
> Do we have to keep an open mind to the possibility of finding a "clay meteorite"?
> -- Bob V.
> 
> <http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/breakingorbit/2010/10/geminids-meteor-shower-driven-by-exploding-clays.html>
> 
> Exploding Clays Drive Geminids Sky Show?
> 
> ++++++++
> If the Geminids are the spawn of Pallas, their meteorites could teach us a lot about that huge and hard-to-reach parent body.
> 
> "Pallas is second largest asteroid [by volume], and we don't know much about it," Campins said.
> 
> "So if we actually have pieces of it that come to the Earth and could be recovered, we would have a free sample-return mission to the asteroid."
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