The Canyon Diablo meteorite

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1973 · Space Science Reviews

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224776· OSTI ID:4390708

Vdovykin, GennadyP.

The giant diamond-containing Canyon Diablo meteorite is in composition a typical representative of the widespread group of iron meteorites---the coarse octahedrites. But it is unique in a number of scientifically important aspects. When it fell, it formed the Arizona (Barringer meteorite crater (1220 m in diam)), which is of the explosive type. The investigations of the shock recrystallization of the crater rocks and the meteoritic material are of importance for planetology, and in particular for the eludication of matter recrystallization conditions during the collisions of large cosmic bodies. The Canyon Diablo meteorite fell in Arizona, U. S. A., some tens of thousands years ago. Signs of shock recrystallization of the rocks--- shatter cones, impactites, dense and super-dense silica modifications were revealed in the Arizona meteorite crater. The total weight of the material attributed to the meteorite is put at 30 tons. Typical samples of the Canyon Diablo meteorite are represented by coarse octahedrite matter with kamacite band widths of 1.8--2.2 mm. In many meteorite fragments, especially fragments found on the crater rim, the Widmanstatten pattern has been destroyed as a result of the explosion which occurred when the meteorite hit the Earth. The meteorite is rich ln accessory minerals (cohenite, schreibersite, trollite). The Ni content is, in typical samples of the meteorite, about 7.16%, in rare, atypical, medium octahedrite samples the Ni content reached 8.2%. In the content of trace elements the meteorite may be classlfied with the I Ga-- Ge group. In the content of stable isotopes of elements there is no substantial difference between the Canyon Diablo meteorite and other octahedrites. Radioactive cosmogenic isotopes are represented by isotopes with a large half-life. The diamonds in the Canyon Diablo meteorite are unevenly distributed and are found inside the highly recrystallized meteorite fragments at the rim of the crater. Diamonds are present in the form of intergrowths of microcrystals, crystallite sizes are <1 mu , the sizes of the intergrowths reach 2--5 mm. Admixtures of graphite and the hexagonal diamond lonsdaleite are present in the intergrowths. 171 references.

• Research Organization: Inst. of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Moscow
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-29-001225
• OSTI ID: 4390708
• Journal Information: Space Science Reviews, Journal Name: Space Science Reviews Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 14; ISSN 0038-6308
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

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