GLASS-BEARING INCLUSIONS IN SHERGOTTY.

VARELA M.E.; ZINNER E

Houston

Conferencia; Lunar and Planetary Science Conference; 2013

NASA

Glass-bearing inclusions have been extensively studied in all SNC meteorites (Shergottites, Nakhlites and Chassignites) as a key to deduce the composition of the melt from which these meteorites formed [e.g., 1-3]. In the classical model view, these inclusions are considered to represent a small volume of the co-existing magma that was trapped during growth of the host mineral. The assemblage of crystal and glass -in multiphase inclusions- are assumed to be the result of subsequent closed-system crystallization. The study of all types of glass-bearing inclusions (glassy and multi-phase) in some of the SNC meteorites led [4] to suggest a non-classical scenario in which formation of these rocks was governed by low (sub-solidus) temperatures. In Shergotty, like in other basaltic shergot-tites, glass bearing inclusions are hosted by pyroxenes (augite and pigeonite), whitlockite and ulvospinel. Here we report results on major and trace element compositions of these inclusions in order to better understand the petrogenetic processes that were involved in the formation of this rock.