Magnetite-sulfide chondrules and nodules in CK carbonaceous chondrites: Implications for the timing of CK oxidation

Abstract— CK carbonaceous chondrites contain rare (～0.1 vol%) magnetite-sulfide chondrules. These objects range from ～240 to 500 μm in apparent diameter and have ellipsoidal to spheroidal morphologies, granular textures and concentric layering. They are very similar in size, shape, texture, mineralogy and mineral composition to the magnetite-sulfide nodules which occur inside mafic silicate chondrules in CK chondrites. It seems likely that the magnetite-sulfide chondrules constitute the subset of magnetite-sulfide nodules that escaped as immiscible droplets from their molten silicate chondrule hosts during chondrule formation. The intactness of the magnetite-sulfide chondrules and nodules implies that oxidation of CK metal occurred before agglomeration; otherwise, the factor of two increase in molar volume associated with the conversion of metallic Fe-Ni into magnetite would have disrupted the objects and destroyed their concentrically layered textures. Hence, the pervasive silicate darkening of CK chondrites documented previously was caused by the shock mobilization of magnetite and sulfide, not metallic Fe-Ni and sulfide as in shock-darkened ordinary chondrites.