Exploring Angrite Meteorites with Microanalysis: A Broad Spectrum Approach to Constraining Petrogenesis

Abstract

Translate Article

The Angrite meteorite group is comprised of a diverse set of ancient and enigmatic achondrites. Members of the group have been dated to 4563.36 0.34 Ga [1], making them almost as old as the solar system itself. Angrites fall into two distinct groups easily distinguished by textures indicating cooling regimes from shallow dike and lava flow emplacement (referred to hereafter as volcanic angrites) to deep seated plutonism (referred to hereafter as plutonic angrites) Angrite ages and textures indicate they were formed on a planetary sized body when many short lived isotopes were still present (i.e. 26 Al) and therefore provide important clues to the earliest stages of planetary melting and differentiation. Consequently, candidates for the Angrite parent body (APB) range from Mercury to large asteroids disrupted early in solar system history