Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Microstructural And Microchemical Studies Of Fluid–Chondrule Interactions In A Pristine Cr Carbonaceous Chondrite And Apatite In Martian Nakhlites, Marina Martínez

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

PROJECT 1: Chondrites are the most primitive objects in the solar system, aggregates of the material that formed in the solar protoplanetary disk during the first 1-5 million years of its formation. However, petrographic observations indicate that most chondrites have been modified by secondary processes, including aqueous alteration, thermal metamorphism, and shock. Fortunately, a few chondrites largely escaped these processes and are considered pristine, such as the CR carbonaceous chondrite Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 99177. QUE 99177 is an excellent sample for deciphering information about the reactions that took place between unaltered anhydrous solar nebular components and water under highly …