Alkali differentiation in LL-chondrites

The LL-group chondrites Krähenberg (Krbg) and Bhola are heterogeneous agglomerates containing a variety of lithic fragments and chondrules as well as crystal fragments. The $\text{Fe}\text{Fe}$ + Mg content of most olivine grains is uniform (Fa₂₈), although a few with distinctly lower Fe contents were found (Fa₁₉). Both meteorites contain large, cm-sized, fragments with high enrichments of K (~12×), Rb (~45×) and Cs (~70×) relative to LL-chondrites, while the REE concentrations are normal (except for a negative Eu anomaly); Na and Sr are depleted (~0.5×) and the $\text{Na}\text{K}$ weight ratio is 0.33 compared to 11 in the host. However, there is no difference in the sum of Na + K atoms. Also, the major elements, Si, Al, Mg, Ca and Fe, are nearly the same in fragments as in the host material. The K-rich igneous lithic fragments have a microporphyritic texture of euhedral to skeletal olivines in a partly devitrified glass with ~4% K₂O. The main pans of both Krbg and Bhola contain mesostasis glasses in porphyritic chondrules and lithic fragments with varying K content (0.1–8.6% K₂O) and $\text{Na}\text{K}$ ratios (0.2–100). Crystalline plagioclase is depleted in K with an average $\text{Na}\text{K}$ ratio of 22, i.e. higher than that for ordinary chondritic plagioclase, 8.4. Olivines in the large, K-rich fragments and in the host meteorites have the same iron content (Fa₂₈), indicating that both formed under the same oxygen fugacity and probably on the same parent body.Conceivable mechanisms for the formation of the K-rich rocks from normal LL-chondrite parent material are: 1, magmatic differentiation: 2. Na-K exchange via a vapor phase; 3. silicate liquid immiscibility; 4. volatilization and condensation in impact events. Process 2 appears most feasible for forming a rock enriched only in K and heavier alkalies and depleted in Na without noticeably changing other elements including the REE.