The Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite fall: I. Fireball energy,meteorite recovery,strewn field,and petrography

Abstract— An impressive daylight fireball was observed from Spain, Portugal, and the south of France at 16h46m45s UTC on January 4, 2004. The meteoroid penetrated into the atmosphere, generating shock waves that reached the ground and produced audible booms. The associated airwave was recorded at a seismic station located 90 km north of the fireball trajectory in Spain, and at an infrasound station in France located 750 km north‐east of the fireball. The absolute magnitude of the bolide has been determined to be ?18 ± 1 from a casual video record. The energy released in the atmosphere determined from photometric, seismic, and infrasound data was about 0.02 kilotons (kt). A massive fragmentation occurred at a height of 28 ± 0.2 km, resulting in a meteorite strewn field of 20 × 6 km. The first meteorite specimen was found on January 11, 2004, near the village of Villalbeto de la Peña, in northern Palencia (Spain). To date, about 4.6 kg of meteorite mass have been recovered during several recovery campaigns. The meteorite is a moderately shocked (S4) L6 ordinary chondrite with a cosmic‐ray‐exposure age of 48 ± 5 Ma. Radioisotope analysis shows that the original body had a mass of 760 ± 150 kg, which is in agreement with the estimated mass obtained from photometric and seismic measurements.     

Holocene pisoliths and encrustations associated with spring-fed surface pools, Pastos Grandes, Bolivia

Calcite pisoliths, with diameters ranging from 1 to 200 mm, are forming now on the surface of a playa (salar) in the Andean Altiplano (4500 m above MSL) of Bolivia. They are associated with active or recently active hot springs (20-75°C) which flow onto the playa surface. Encrustations of pieces of an older caliche-type crust, of pisoliths, of indurated mud and of older concretions are also found as well as series of small (1-3 cm high) sinter terraces (rimstone dams). Arborescent concretions and overgrowths are common and they are reminiscent of drip-stone textures. Water analyses demonstrate that calcite supersaturation (about twenty times) occurs mainly through CO₂ loss, with photosynthesis by algae and degassing the main removal mechanisms. The two available analyses indicate slight evaporation and a calcium loss between spring and pool of 2.3 mmol per litre of water. It is thought that the hot springs pick up much of their solute load from the playa sediments. The closest analogues to these deposits have been reported from caves (cave pearls and concretions). Although the depositional processes may be similar, the environment on an evaporitic playa surface is quite different. The geological implications for this newly observed pisolith environment may be considerable.     

Mineral Equilibria in the Searles Lake Evaporites, California

The Searles Lake evaporites (late Quaternary) consist of salineand mud layers permeated by brines. Two mineral pairs (gaylussite-pirssonite,mirabilite-thenardite) are used as indicators of relative aH₂othroughout the stratigraphic column. Variations are attributedmostly to changes in brine salinity and partly to temperature. These aH₂o-sensitive minerals locally coexist with trona, nahcolite,burkeite, northupite, tychite, hanksite, and aphthitalite, whichare sensitive to both aH₂o and a_co. Such assemblages permitconstruction of schematic isothermal aH₂o-a_co, diagrams. Fieldboundary sequences are derived from both theoretical considerationsand observed assemblages; their slopes are determined by thestoichiometry of possible reactions. Predicted assemblages invariablyagree with observed assemblages. By means of these diagrams, present-day lateral and stratigraphicvariations in relative aH₂o and aco₂ in the deposit are reconstructed.They show that aH₂o and a_co2 vary independently. Many of thepresent activities reflect depositional conditions; some indicatepost-depositional events.     

Stability Relations of the Ferruginous Biotite, Annite

Annite, KFe₃AISi₃O₁₀(OH)₂ a member of the iron biotites andthe ferrous analogue of phlogopite, has been synthesized andits phase relations have been determined as functions of temperature,fugacity of oxygen (fo₂), and total pressure (P_totalPH₂O+PH₂).A method for controlling fo₂at high total pressures is described,and data for the ‘oxygen buffers’ used are given.Buffers range from quartz+iron+fayalite assemblages (low fo₂)to magnetite-hematite assemblages (high fo₂). Optical propertiesand unit-cell dimensions of synthetic annites depend on theconditions of synthesis. By recalculating published analyses of natural iron-rich biotitesit can be shown that one cannot assume a constant hydrogen contentfor such biotites. Oxidation may have occurred by drying at115?C. Octahedral occupancy therefore cannot be calculated fromsuch data. Phase relations of annite are presented in 2,070 and 1,035 barsections. Depending on fo₂-T values annite was found to decomposeto one of the following assemblages: hematite+ sanidine, magnetite+sanidine,fayalite+leucite+kalsilite, iron+sanidine. All decompositionsare dehydration and redox reactions and are sensitive to changesin fH₂0 and fo₂ (or fH₂0 and fH₂). At 2, 070 bars total pressureannite+magnetite+sanidine can coexist between 425?C and 825?C, depending upon the magnitude of fo₂. In the presence of quartz the stability field of annite is morerestricted. Phase equilibria in the system KAlSiO₄–SiO₂–Fe–O₂–H₂have been summarized schematically. Wherever possible, thermodynamic extrapolations are made totest the internal consistency of the data. Enthalpies of formationare calculated for both annite and phlogopite. Ranges of fo₂values in nature as well as mechanisms for changes in fo₂ areinvestigated. It is useful to distinguish between assemblageswhich are internally buffered with respect to fo₂changes andthose which are not buffered. The applications of individualreactions involving annite to specific geologic problems arediscussed with respect to igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentaryrocks.     

Evidence for common breakup events of the acapulcoites‐lodranites and chondrites

Abstract— Acapulcoites and lodranites are believed to originate on a common parent body and to represent some of the earliest events in the differentiation of the chondritic asteroids. We have conducted isotopic studies of the noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe, and determinations of the concentrations of the major elements and of the radionuclides ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, and ³⁶Cl in an attempt to constrain the cosmic‐ray exposure history of two members of the acapulcoite‐lodranite clan recovered in Antarctica: Frontier Mountain (FRO) 95029 and Graves Nunataks (GRA) 95209. From cosmic‐ray‐produced ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar and appropriate production rates, we derive parent‐body breakup times of 4.59 ± 0.60 and 6.82 ± 0.60 Ma for FOR 95029 and GRA 95209, respectively. These times are consistent with those obtained from the pairs ¹⁰Be‐²¹Ne and ²⁶Al‐²¹Ne; whereas the times inferred from the pair ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar are slightly longer, perhaps because the ³⁶Cl activities decreased as a result of decay on Earth. Terrestrial ages up to ～50 ka for the two meteorites are consistent with the measured ³⁶Cl activities of the metal phases. All acapulcoites and lodranites dated until now show cosmic‐ray exposure ages in the range of 4–10 Ma. This is the same range as that found for the major exposure age cluster of the H chondrites. As a common parent body is improbable on the basis of the O‐isotopic systematics, a common set of impactors might have affected the asteroid belt 4–10 Ma ago.     

The antiquity indicator argon‐40/argon‐36 for lunar surface samples calibrated by uranium‐235‐xenon‐136 dating

Abstract— Several solar gas rich lunar soils and breccias have trapped ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios >10, although solar Ar is expected to yield a ratio of <0.01. Radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar produced in the lunar crust from ⁴⁰K decay was outgassed into the lunar atmosphere, ionized, accelerated in the electromagnetic field of the solar wind, and reimplanted into lunar surface material. The ⁴⁰Ar loss rate depends on the decreasing abundance of ⁴⁰K. In order to calibrate the time dependence of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio in lunar surface material, the period of reimplantation of lunar atmospheric ions and of solar wind Ar was determined using the ²³⁵U‐¹³⁶Xe dating method that relies on secondary cosmic‐ray neutron‐induced fission of ²³⁵U. We identified the trapped, fissiogenic, and cosmogenic noble gases in lunar breccia 14307 and lunar soils 70001‐8, 70181, 74261, and 75081. Uranium and Th concentrations were determined in the 74261 soil for which we obtain the ²³⁵U‐¹³⁶Xe time of implantation of 3.25^+0.38_‐0.60 Ga ago. On the basis of several cosmogenic noble gas signatures we calculate the duration of this near surface exposure of 393 ± 45 Ma and an average shielding depth below the lunar surface of 73 ± 7 g/cm². A second, recent exposure to solar and cosmic‐ray particles occurred after this soil was excavated from Shorty crater 17.2 ± 1.4 Ma ago. Using a compilation of all lunar data with reliable trapped Ar isotopic ratios and pre‐exposure times we infer a calibration curve of implantation times, based on the trapped⁴⁰ Ar/³⁶Ar ratio. A possible trend for the increase with time of the solar ³He/⁴He and ²⁰Ne/²²Ne ratios of about 12%/Ga and about 2%/Ga, respectively, is also discussed.     

Fe--Al Oxides: Phase Relationships below 1,000?C

The subsolidus phase relationships of magnetite, hercynite,hematite, corundum, wostite, and iron are described. The phaseswere synthesized from chemical mixtures. Reactions and solidsolution between them were induced under controlled conditionsof composition, temperature, total vapor pressure, and partialpressure of oxygen. Reaction rates are slow, so that the experimentslasted from 1 to 40 days, and quenching is completely successful. A solvus was determined which limits solid solution along themagnetitc-hercynite join at temperatures below 860^o?15^oC. Compositionsof the spinel solid solutions were determined by measuring theshift of the (440) reflection, using a powder X-ray diffractometer.The calibration curve, 20 vs. composition, was made from measurementsof spinel solid solutions synthesized in the one-phase region.The cell edge a_o changes from 8–391?0.002 A (magnetic,Fe⁺²Fe₂⁺²O₄OJ to 8.150?0.004 (hercynite, Fe⁺²Al₂O₄)by a_o?8.391–0.00190x- 0.5X²10^-5 (X is mol per cent FeAl₂O₄ in solid solution). In the system Fe-Al₂-O₃-O there are five univariant assemblages: 1. Hematite-corundum+magnetite +V (vapor) 2. Corundum+magnetite+hercynite+V 3. Magnetite+hercynite+w?stite+V 4. Hercynite+wilstite+iron+V 5. Hercynite+iron+corundum+V The lines were located by determining the composition of themagnetite, hercynite, hematite, and corundum solid solutionsfor each assemblage. The diagrams provide a basis for the discussion of the paragenesisof the oxide minerals. The progressive metamorphism of lateritedeposits can be represented by (1) laterites and bauxites: hematiteH+hydratedaluminum oxides; (2) diasporites: hematite+diaspore+corundum,with magnetite as a rare accessory; (3) emery: corundum+magnetite,with hematite as an accessory. The path of these mineral changeson the diagrams shows the decrease in oxygen content of thesolids with decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen and relatesthe aluminum content of the magnetite to temperature. The occurrences of hercynite are discussed. It is a rare mineralbecause it requires unusual conditions to grow, i.e. relativelylow oxygen pressure and an extremely Fe-Al-rich environment.     

The Atomic Ratios of Natural Ferruginous Biotites with reference to 'The Stability Relations of the Ferruginous Biotite, Annite'

The atomic ratios given by Eugster and Wones (1962) for analysesof high FeO-low MgO micas cited by Foster (1960) are in error.The recalculated atomic ratios herein presented show that onlythree of the thirteen have low (OH+F), and only one has characteristicsthat may possibly be due to loss of water during determination.None of the analyses exhibit characteristics suggestive of oxidationof iron and loss of H, as in progression towards oxyannite. The average recalculated octahedral occupancy is 2.69, not 2.91as in the previous calculation. The differences between atomic ratios calculated on the basisot determined H₂O⁺ and F and those calculated on the basis ofthe theoretical O₁₀ (OH)₂ content are not great enough to changethe essential compositional character of these micas as interpretedby Foster (1960). However, they do affect significantly thecalculated octahedral occupancy.     

Mineralogical and chemical composition and cosmic‐ray exposure history of two mesosiderites and two iron meteorites

Abstract— We performed a comprehensive study of the noble gas isotopic abundances, radionuclide activities, and mineralogical and chemical composition of two mesosiderites and two iron meteorites. For the mesosiderites Dong Ujimqin Qi and Weiyuan, the silicate and the metal phases were studied. The anomalous ataxite Rafrüti is not chemically related to any other meteorite class, whereas Ningbo is a type IVA octahedrite. The mineralogy and major and trace element abundances of the silicate phases of Dong Ujimqin Qi and Weiyuan are similar to those of other mesosiderites and distinct from those of the howardites. The cosmic‐ray exposure history was studied based on the concentrations of the cosmogenic noble gas nuclei and radionuclide activities. For the iron meteorites, cosmic‐ray exposure ages were calculated from the pairs ¹⁰Be‐²¹Ne, ²⁶Al‐²¹Ne, and ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar. Rafrüti yields the youngest exposure age of all ataxites (6.8 ± 1.7 Ma), whereas that of Ningbo with 107 ± 15 Ma falls within the range observed for the other octahedrites. The parent body break‐up times of the mesosiderites Dong Ujimqin Qi and Weiyuan are 252 ± 50 and 25.9 ± 5.0 Ma, respectively. We find no evidence for a common break‐up event for the mesosiderites and the howardites.