Trebbin, LL6-chondrite, Fall, UH 125


This section displays a very distinct breccia texture with many angular clasts of type 6 chondrite material (ranging in size from some 100 µm olivine clasts to 5 mm lithic clasts) embedded in a finer grained, darker matrix which appears to be clastic. Three clasts contain 1 to 2 mm sized troilite and metal grains. Many of the lithic clasts contain large olivine grains which have a polygonized intergranular texture. In such grains planar fractures have been observed which cross the grain boundaries of the polygons as if the premetamorphic material had been shocked to at least S3 (although the present grains have sharp extinction, probably restored during thermal metamorphism). The clastic nature of the matrix is hard to confirm by reflected light microscopy alone, it probably needs TEM. The matrix olivines have a somewhat less transparent appearance (light tan and somewhat dull) than those of the clasts. They show lots of internal bright reflections in reflected light at high magnification. At low magnification the matrix appears simply darker than the clasts. Although most clasts are rather similar in texture and mode (LL 6 material), some might be xenolithic such as two dark melt rock clasts (very fine-grained with tiny opaques), one large troilite grain, one chondrule with spherulitic texture, several chondrules fragments which have fine-grained crystalline mesostasis and are therefore akin to type 4 or 5 material, some lithic clasts in which olivine contains opaque deposits on fractures, and finally some olivine clasts with planar fractures. Two large clasts contain S1 grains and grains with planar fractures but sharp extinction (see above). A tentative interpretation is that this meteorite is a polymict fragmental breccia in which clasts of variable provenance and variable shock are assembled.

Results

Lithic clasts
Olivine 18  grains S1
3
grains S3 (premetamorphic)
Total 21 grains
Equilibration shock level: S1

Mineral clasts in matrix
Olivine
9
grains S1
2
grains S2
3
grains S3
Total 14 grains
Equilibration shock level: S1 to S3 variation

Whole rock
Olivine  27 grains S1
2
grains S2
3
grains S3
Total 35 grains

Whole rock equilibration shock level after breccia formation: most probably S1


Back to main list