Happy Canyon [found: 1971, 34° 46.5′N, 101° 33.6′W, Texas] consists of about 85 vol. % enstatite (Fs 0.4%), 5 to 10 vol % plagioclase (An 26%), and 5 vol % diopside (Fs 0.9%). In addition, there are minor remnants of metal (Ni 6.35 wt %, Si‐free) and troilite (with 5.10 wt % Cr and 1.15 wt % Ti) that have survived extensive terrestrial weathering. The meteorite has a cumulate texture, uniform‐size euhedral, prismatic crystals of enstatite (0.3 to 0.4 mm long) with interstitial plagioclase, diopside, troilite, and metal. The enstatite crystals are dominantly disordered and occur in alignments that suggest flow. There are no chondrules or remnants of chondrules. The enstatite crystals contain internal negative crystal voids, which are charactieristic of enstatite achondrites, as well as internal branching submicron rivulet dislocations. The bulk composition is that of an E6 enstatite chondrite, however, it has the texture of a crystal cumulate; achondritic, but unlike that of enstatite achondrites. Glass of a granitic composition occurs mainly in the mesostasis and is compositionally like the glass found inside pyroxene crystals in the Cumberland Falls enstatite achondrite.
Happy Canyon is most simply explained as an E6 composition that has melted and reprecipitated at a slightly higher oxidation state, at some depth (> 7 km), possibly in the core volume of a small, asteroidal‐size parent body. In terms of classification, it occupies the gap between the recrystallized enstatite chondrites and the igneous, crystalline, unbrecciated enstatite achondrites like Shallowater. Happy Canyon is a new type of enstatite achondrite
Abstract— Chondrule‐like objects and brown glasses were analyzed in the howardites, Bununu, Malvern, Monticello, Pavlovka, and Yamato 7308. The objects are very similar to chondrules in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. Like the brown glasses the chondrule‐like objects could have been produced by impact melting that left some crystalline nuclei, followed by a slower cooling rate than for the glasses. Alternatively, these objects are chondrules implanted from chondrite impactors. They are, however, without rims or any adhering matrix. The brown glasses appear to represent melting of average regolithic surface material, except for Monticello and Y7308, both of which have some siliceous glasses. The siliceous glasses could not have been produced by vapor fractionation but by melting of differentiated lithologies such as fayalitic granites.
Impact mechanics indicates that howardites with abundant brown glasses came from an asteroid larger than Vesta (>400 km radius), upon which impacts occurred at relative velocities of up to 5 km/s. Howardites with little or no brown glasses came from a smaller parent body. We conclude that at least two parent bodies are likely sources for the basaltic achondrites.
Basic petrographic, mineralogic, and chemical descriptions are given for all eleven meteorites recovered by the U.S.‐Japan team in Antarctica during the austral summer 1976–1977. The meteorites are: Mt. Baldr a (H6), Mt. Baldr b (H6), Allan Hills #1 (L6), Allan Hills #2 (coarsest octahedrite, chemical group IA), Allan Hills #3 (L6), Allan Hills #4 (LL3), Allan Hills #5 (eucrite), Allan Hills #6 (H6), Allan Hills #7 (L6), Allan Hills #8 (H6), and Allan Hills #9 (L6).
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