Definition
Chondrules are the most abundant component of chondrite meteorites. The term chondrule comes from the ancient Greek word for the kernel of a grain of wheat, χονδρος (chondros), which chondrules roughly resemble in size and shape. Chondrules are rounded, millimeter, or submillimeter stone particles. They are among the oldest solid materials in the solar system. Shapes and textures of chondrules indicate that they formed from molten droplets which were floating freely in the gas of the protoplanetary disk at the time of cooling and solidification. After formation, chondrules accreted with other materials to form asteroids, from which chondrite meteorites are derived. There is debate about the heating process that melted chondrules and the environment in which they formed. Properties of chondrules can be used to infer physical and chemical conditions within the protoplanetary disk in the first few million years of solar system history.
Chemistry and Mineralogy of Chondrules
Chon...
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Jones, R. (2018). Chondrules. In: White, W.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_302
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