Ordinary chondrites - Multivariate statistical analysis of trace element contents

• Main Authors: Lipschutz, Michael E., Samuels, Stephen M.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1991
• Subjects: 91; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19910040091

The contents of mobile trace elements (Co, Au, Sb, Ga, Se, Rb, Cs, Te, Bi, Ag, In, Tl, Zn, and Cd) in Antarctic and non-Antarctic populations of H4-6 and L4-6 chondrites, were compared using standard multivariate discriminant functions borrowed from linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression. A nonstandard randomization-simulation method was developed, making it possible to carry out probability assignments on a distribution-free basis. Compositional differences were found both between the Antarctic and non-Antarctic H4-6 chondrite populations and between two L4-6 chondrite populations. It is shown that, for various types of meteorites (in particular, for the H4-6 chondrites), the Antarctic/non-Antarctic compositional difference is due to preterrestrial differences in the genesis of their parent materials.