Ordinary Chondrites

The Most Common Meteorites
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-1-009-65613-9
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 370 Seiten, Gewicht: 500 g

Reihe: Cambridge Planetary Science

Ordinary chondrites, the most abundant meteorites, constitute about 80% of meteorite falls and are essential to our understanding of cosmochemistry. They provide important information about planetary accretion, the early Solar System, and the geological history of asteroids, including such processes as thermal metamorphism, shock metamorphism, and aqueous alteration. This comprehensive guide begins with meteorite classifications and useful definitions, followed by a discussion of fall phenomena and terrestrial weathering. It provides a detailed overview of the three main ordinary-chondrite groups, which include the most primitive, least-processed meteorites known. Compositional differences among these samples furnish clues to the nature of processes operating in the solar nebula 4.5 billion years ago. These rocks also disclose information on the nature and origin of chondrules, matrix material, and metallic iron-nickel grains. This book is a valuable resource for graduate students and research professionals interested in meteorites and planetary science, as well as amateur meteorite enthusiasts.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Rubin, Alan E

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface; Introduction; 1. Approaches to experimental and observational science; 2. Meteorite classification; 3. A few essential definitions; 4. Ordinary-chondrite abundances in different mass ranges; 5. Asteroids; 6. Carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous materials in the solar system; 7. Delivery of meteorites to the earth; 8. Fall phenomena; 9. Terrestrial weathering; 10. Ordinary-chondrite groups; 11. Physical components of ordinary chondrites; 12. Mineralogy of ordinary chondrites; 13. Parent-body processes; 14. Parent-body collisional histories; 15. Magnetic fields in the solar nebula; 16. Ordinary-chondrite formation: a summing up; Epilogue; References; Index.