Kivesvaara C2 chondrite: silicate petrography and chemical composition

Abstract

Fragments of the Kivesvaara meteorite were said to have been found in Paltamo, northern Finland in 1968. The chemical and mineral composition and the textural features show that this meteorite is a rare C2 carbonaceous chondrite. The research material consists of two fragments with traces of fusion crust (total weight 164 g). The meteorite is composed of a fine-grained phyllosilicate matrix (77.5 vol.%) and of clasts: amoeboid olivine aggregates and fine-grained Ca-Al-Ti-rich aggregates (CAI inclusions), fluid drop chondrules and polymineralic fragments, monomineralic grains and fragments mainly of olivine, and opaque minerals. The clasts define a weak planar orientation and most of them are surrounded by black matrix rinds. The chemical composition of the Kivesvaara meteorite closely resembles Murchison C2 chondrite.

Keywords

• meteorite
• carbonaceous chondrite
• chemical composition
• textural modal composition
• grain size distribution
• CAI inclusions
• matrix textures
• chondrule textures
• euhedral olivine
• melt inclusions
• Finland