Non-Destructive Classification Approaches for Equilbrated Ordinary Chondrites

• Main Authors: Morris, R. V., Harrington, R., Righter, K., Schroeder, C.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration; Antarctic; Larkman Nunatak; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20140000689

Classification of meteorites is most effectively carried out by petrographic and mineralogic studies of thin sections, but a rapid and accurate classification technique for the many samples collected in dense collection areas (hot and cold deserts) is of great interest. Oil immersion techniques have been used to classify a large proportion of the US Antarctic meteorite collections since the mid-1980s [1]. This approach has allowed rapid characterization of thousands of samples over time, but nonetheless utilizes a piece of the sample that has been ground to grains or a powder. In order to compare a few non-destructive techniques with the standard approaches, we have characterized a group of chondrites from the Larkman Nunatak region using magnetic susceptibility and Moessbauer spectroscopy.