Petrography and mineral chemistry of Ca-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite

There are two types of white, coarse-grained, Ca-Al-rich inclusions in Allende. Type A inclusions contain 80–85 per cent melilite, 15–20 per cent spinel, 1–2 per cent perovskite and rare plagioclase, hibonite, wollastonite and grossularite. Clinopyroxene, if present, is restricted to thin rims around inclusions or cavities in their interiors. Type B inclusions contain 35–60 per cent pyroxene, 15–30 per cent spinel, 5–25 per cent plagioclase and 5–20 per cent melilite. The coarse pyroxene crystals in Type B's contain >15 per cent Al₂O₃ and >1.8 per cent Ti, some of which is trivalent. Type A pyroxenes contain <9 per cent Al₂O₃ and <0.7 per cent Ti.Electron microprobe analyses of 600 melilite, 39 pyroxene, 35 plagioelase, 33 spinel and 20 perovskite grains were performed in 16 Type A, 1 intermediate and 9 Type B inclusions in Allende and 1 Type A in Grosnaja. Melilite composition histograms from individual Type A inclusions are usually peaked between Ak10 and Ak30 and are 15–20 mole % wide while those from Type B inclusions are broader, unpeaked and displaced to higher åkermanite contents. Most pyroxenes contain < 1 per cent FeO. All plagioclase is An 98 to An 100. Spinel is almost pure MgAl₂O₄. Perovskite contains small (< 1 per cent) but significant amounts of Mg, Al, Fe, Y, Zr and Nb.Inferred bulk chemical compositions of Type A inclusions are rather close to those expected for high-temperature condensates. Those of Type B inclusions suggest slightly lower temperatures but their Ca/Al ratio seems less than the Type A's, indicating that the Type B's may not be their direct descendants. Some textural features suggest that the inclusions are primordial solid condensetes while others indicate that they may have been melted after condensation. Fragmentation and metamorphism may have also occurred after condensation.