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 <[email protected]> > Subject: [meteorite-list] Clay meteorites? > To: Meteorite-list Meteoritecentral > <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > 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." > --------------------------------------------------------------------- ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
