MARMET METEORITES

THE COLORFUL WORLD OF THIN SECTIONS

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WHAT IS A METEORITE ?
CLASSIFICATION OF METEORITES
THE COLORFUL WORLD OF THIN SECTIONS
THIN SECTIONS - PART 2
HISTORIC METEORITES 1: Switzerland, Germany, Austria.
HISTORIC METEORITES 2: France: 1492-1841
HISTORIC METEORITES 3: France: 1842-1934
HISTORIC METEORITES 4: England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland.
HISTORIC METEORITES 5: Italy, Spain.
HISTORIC METEORITES 6: Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Norway.
HISTORIC METEORITES 7: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine
HISTORIC METEORITES 8: Romaina, Serbia, Croatia, Estonia, Bosnia-Herzeg.
HISTORIC INDIAN METEORITES
PETER MARMET METEORITE COLLECTION - US falls / finds
H. H. NININGER and Canyon Diablo
From MOON and MARS
FAMOUS IRON METEORITES
Libyan Desert Glass
Meteorites from Antarctica
The Allende Meteorite (Mexico)
The Hoba Meteorite (Namibia)
PING PONG IN SPACE
MUNICH 2004
MUNICH 2005
MUNICH 2006
MUNICH 2007
ENSISHEIM METEORITE 2005 part 1
ENSISHEIM METEORITE 2005 part 2
ENSISHEIM METEORITE 2006 part 1
ENSISHEIM METEORITE 2006 part 2
ENSISHEIM METEORITE 2007 part 1
ENSISHEIM METEORITE 2007 part 2
ENSISHEIM METEORITE 2008 Part 1
ENSISHEIM METEORITE 2008 Part 2
Ensisheim Meteorite 2009 part 1
Ensisheim Meteorite 2009 part 2
ENSISHEIM 2010
Ensisheim 2011

 A thin section is a laboratory preparation of a meteorite sample for use with a polarizing petrographic microscope. A thin sliver is cut from the meteorite, mounted on a glass slide and then ground to a thickness of only 0.03 mm (= 30 microns). When placed between two polarizing filters, the mineralogy is awash in color which makes it easier to determine the composition of the analysed meteorite, while in transmitted light, thin sections reveal mainly the texture and crystal shape of minerals.


Particularly fascinating are the unequilibrated type 3 chondrites.

Chondrites are the largest group of meteorites. They allow us to glimpse the very beginnings of our solar system. The largest structural components of most chondrites are the glass-bearing chondrules, and there are numerous theories for their origin. Here is one:
Chondrules were born in the disk of gas and dust surrounding the young Sun, the same disk that gave rise to the planets. Lightning zaps and shock waves briefly heated isolated regions of the disk, partially melting the dust. The resulting silicate and metal droplets cooled to form the tiny chondrules, which soon collided and stuck together with other minerals to form chondrites.

Chondrule links:

Chondrule thin sections

A Pictorial of Type-3 Chondrites

Elbert A. King: Condrules and their Origins


L chondrites

ts4.nwa5479.l3.001.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts4.nwa5479.l3.002.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts4.nwa5479.l3.005.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts4.nwa5479.l3.003.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts4.nwa5479.l3.006.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts4.nwa5672.l3.003.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5672, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts4.nwa5677.l3.002.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5677, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts4.nwa5701.l3.003.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5701, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts4.nwa5701.l3.005.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5701, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa5701.l3.003.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5701, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa5701.l3.002.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5701, L3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.nwa5479.l3.001.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.nwa5479.l3.002.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.nwa5479.l3.004.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.nwa5479.l3.003.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5479, L3; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.nwa2385.l.3.8.002kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 2385, L3.8; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet)..

ts.nwa2385.l.3.8.007kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 2385, L3.8.; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts.nwa2377.l3.7kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 2377, L3.7.; total view about 11 x 7.7 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.nwa2385.l3.8.03.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 2385, L3.8; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.nwa2385.l.3.8.001kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 2385, L3.8; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.svp.l3.002kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of Santa Vitoria do Palmar, L3; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa4460.l3.9.1.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 4460, L3.9; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa4460.l3.9.2.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 4460, L9.3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa4460.l3.9.3.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 4460, L9.3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa4460.l3.9.4.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 4460, L9.3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa4460.l3.9.5.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 4460, L9.3; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).


L/LL chondrites

sah98035.l.ll3.low.res.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of SAH 98035, L/LL3.; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts.sah98035.l.ll3.008kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of SAH 98035, L/LL3.; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts.sah98035.l.ll3.007kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of Sahara 98035, L/LL3; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).


LL chondrites

ts3.nwa533.ll3.4.001kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 533, LL3.4; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.nwa533.ll3.4.002kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 533, LL3.4; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts.nwa3119.ll4.007kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 3119, LL4; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts.nwa2398.ll3.5.007kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 2398, LL3.5.; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa4522.ll3.5.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 4522, LL3.5; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts5.nwa4522.ll3.5.2.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 4522, LL3.5; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

H chondrites

ts8.dag405.h3.5.003.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of DaG 405, H3.5; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts.tieschitz.h3.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of Tieschitz, H3.; total view about 15 x 11 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts.dag442kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of DaG 442, H3.6; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts3.selma.h4.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of Selma, H4; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts.roundtop.b.h4kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of Round Top, H4.; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

agen.h5kopie.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of Agen, H5.; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).


H/L chondrites

ts8.nwa5554.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5554, H/L3-6.; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

ts8.nwa5554.h.l3.6e.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of NWA 5554, H/L3-6.; total view about 8 x 6 mm (photo: P. Marmet).


E chondrites

ts3.nwa97121.eh3.jpg
Thin section (XPL) of Sahara 97121, EH3.; total view about 11 x 7.5 mm (photo: P. Marmet).

THIN SECTIONS - PART 2

For comments please write to: p.marmet@thinsections.ch