Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Occurrence and mineral chemistry of chromite and xieite in the Suizhou L6 chondrite

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The occurrence and mineral chemistry of chromite and its high-pressure phase xieite in the Suizhou meteorite were studied by different modern micromineralogical techniques. Three types of occurrences for chromite were observed in the Suizhou L6 chondrite: coarse chromite grains, cluster of chromite fragments in molten plagioclase, and exsolution lamellar chromite in olivine. All the chromite grains of the first two types are remarkably similar in chemical compositions, but the composition of exsolution chromite is inhomogeneous and variable in Al2O3 content. Xieite is a post-spinel CT-phase of chromite firstly found in the Suizhou meteorite. Three types of occurrences of xieite have also been revealed in this meteorite: coarse xieite grains, complex three-zone-grains consisting of the inner xieite, the intermediate lamellae-like CF-phase and the outer chromite phase, and two-phase-grains consisting of xieite and one of the high-pressure silicate minerals lingunite, ringwoodite or majorite. The curved boundary between xieite and the silicate half in two-phase grains is indicative of some partial or even full melting of the silicate phase. EPMA and EDS results show that the compositions of xieite inside/contacting the shock veins are also identical to that of chromite outside the veins. However, some element diffusion appeared in between the xieite and the silicate half in the two-phase grains, namely, some of Al3+ from lingunite, or Fe2+ from ringwoodite migrated to xieite, and some of Cr3+ migrated from xieite to lingunite or ringwoodite. Majorite in two-phase grains shows remarkable decrease of SiO2 and MgO, and notable increase of Al2O3 and CaO, indicating that its host mineral pyroxene was fully molten and mixed with the surrounding silicate melt of the vein matrix. The complexity in mineral chemistry of these two-phase grains in shock veins can be explained by the much higher shock peak temperature in shock veins (1800–2000°C) than in unmelted main body (∼1000°C), and by the much lower density of the silicate minerals (2.6–3.3 g/cm3) than that of chromite (4.43 g/cm3). Being a refractory and a relatively high-impedance material, chromite is chemically more stable and easier to reflect shock wave into the silicate half causing the partial or even full melting of silicate phases, upon which some diffusion of elements between the two phases themselves, or even mixing of molten pyroxene and the surrounding silicate melt.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ramdohr P. Chromite and chromite chondrules in meteorites—I. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 1967, 31: 1961–1967

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ramdohr P. The Opaque Minerals in Stony Meteorites. Amsterdam: Elsevier Press, 1973. 245

  3. Rubin A E. Chromite-plagioclase assemblages as a new shock indicator: Implications for the shock and thermal histories of ordinary chondrites. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 2003, 67: 2695–2709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Brearley A J, Jones R H. Chondritic meteorites. Rew Mineral, 1998, 36: 6–37

    Google Scholar 

  5. Tassin W. On meteorite chromites. Proc U S Nat Mus, 1908, 34: 685–690

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bunch T E, Keil K, Snetsinger K G. Chromite composition in relation to chemistry of ordinary chondrites. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 1967, 31: 1569–1582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Jérémine E, Orcel J, Sandréa A, et al. La meteorite de Dosso (République du Niger). Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 1964, 28: 1119–1124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Buseck P K, Mason B, Wiik H B. The Farmington meteorite—Mineralogy and chemistry. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 1966, 30: 1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Snetsinger K G, Keil K, Bunch T E. Chromite from “equilibrated” chondrites. Am Min, 1967, 52: 1322–1331

    Google Scholar 

  10. Wang R J, Li Z H. Comprehensive studies on the Suizhou Meteorite. Wuhan: China University of Geosciences Press, 1990. 1–62

    Google Scholar 

  11. Wang D D. Introduction to Chinese Meteorites (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1993. 1–505

  12. Xie X D, Chen M, Wang D Q. Shock-related mineralogical features and P-T history of the Suizhou L6 chondrite. Eur J Mineral, 2001, 13: 1177–1190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Xie X D, Chen M, Wang D Q, et al. NaAlSi3O8-hollandite and other high-pressure minerals in the shock melt veins of the Suizhou L6 chondrite. Chin Sci Bull, 2001, 46: 1121–1126

    Google Scholar 

  14. Xie X D, Chen M, Dai C D, et al. A comparative study of naturally and experimentally shocked chondrites. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 2001, 187: 345–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Xie X D, Minitti M E, Chen M, et al. Natural high-pressure polymorph of merrillite in the shock vein of the Suizhou meteorite. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 2002, 66: 2439–2444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Xie X D, Minitti M E, Chen M, et al. Tuite, γ-Ca3(PO4)2, a new phosphate mineral from the Suizhou L6 chondrite. Eur J Mineral, 2003, 15: 1001–1005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Xie X D, Shu J F, Chen M. Synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction in-situ study of fine-grained minerals in shock veins of Suizhou meteorite. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2005, 48: 815–821

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Xie X D, Chen M, Wang D Q, et al. Melting and vitrification of plagioclase under dynamic high pressures (in Chinese with English abstract). Acta Petrol Sin, 2006, 22: 503–509

    Google Scholar 

  19. Chen M, Xie X D, El Goresy A. A shock-produced (Mg,Fe)SiO3 glass in the Suizhou meteorite. Meteor Planet Sci, 2004, 39: 1797–1808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Chen M, Shu J F, Xie X D, et al. Natural CaTi2O4-structured FeCr2O4 polymorph in the Suizhou meteorite and its significance in mantle mineralogy. Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 2003, 67: 3937–3942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Chen M, Shu J F, Mao H K, et al. Natural occurrence and synthesis of two new postspinel polymorphs of chromite. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA, 2003, 100: 14651–14654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Chen M, Shu J F, Mao H K. Xieite, a new mineral of high-pressure FeCr2O4 polymorph. Chin Sci Bull, 2008, 53: 3341–3345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Agee C B, Li J, Shannon M C, et al. Pressure-temperature phase diagram for Allende meteorite. J Geophys Res, 1995, 100: 17725–17740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Chen M, Sharp T G, E1 Goresy A, et al. The majorite-pyrope+magnesiowustite assemblage: Constrains on the history of shock veins in chondrites. Science, 1996, 271: 1570–1573

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Knot A N, Ivanova M A, Wasson J T. The origin of chromatic chondrules and the volatility of Cr under a range of nebular condensats. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 1991, 119: 569–584

    Google Scholar 

  26. Funamori N, Jeanloz R, Nguyen J H, et al. High-pressure transforms in MgAl2O4. J Geophys Res, 1998, 103: 20813–20818

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    XianDe Xie, Ming Chen & ChunYun Wang

Authors
  1. XianDe Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ming Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. ChunYun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to XianDe Xie.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Xie, X., Chen, M. & Wang, C. Occurrence and mineral chemistry of chromite and xieite in the Suizhou L6 chondrite. Sci. China Earth Sci. 54, 998–1010 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-011-4199-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-011-4199-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation