Zastosowanie metod instrumentalnych w badaniach meteorytu Morasko
Abstract
Application of instrumental methods in the Morasko Meteorite investigations.
A b s t r a c t. Since its discovery, the Morasko meteorite has been the subject of many studies. Among the publications summarisingthe mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Morasko meteorite, two monographs are worth mentioning by: Dominik (1976) and Muszyński et al. (2012), in which the essential features of theMorasko meteorite were presented. Since the first piece of the Morasko meteorite was to be explored, the analysis of mineral composition has been conducted with more and more specialised and sophisticated instrumental methods. As it is well known, the Morasko meteorite is classified into the group of iron meteorites IAB MG, and consists mainly of the crystalline Fe-Ni alloy in the form of two minerals: kamacite and taenite, accompanied by tetrataenite. A commonly found structure of the mineral composition of the Morasko meteorite, as regards other iron meteorites, are graphite-troilite nodules, which contain silicate and phosphate minerals. This paper presents a review of research on the mineralogy and geochemistry of the Morasko meteorite, where a number of instrumental tests have been used, from microscopic observations to microchemical semi-quantitative analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), microchemical quantitative analyses using an electron microprobe (WDS), to the structural methods applying Raman spectroscopy. The results of microscopic, microchemical and microstructural investigations, which have included the outer layer of the meteorite known as a fusion crust, have been presented against the petrographic composition of the meteorite. Besides, the type of sediment attached to the outer meteorite layer was examined. The research, conducted on two dozen meteorite fragments, allowed distinguishing two different zones concerning mineralogy and geochemistry, and to determine microstructural changes within them, most probably created in the processes related to the moment of the meteorite impact.
A b s t r a c t. Since its discovery, the Morasko meteorite has been the subject of many studies. Among the publications summarisingthe mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Morasko meteorite, two monographs are worth mentioning by: Dominik (1976) and Muszyński et al. (2012), in which the essential features of theMorasko meteorite were presented. Since the first piece of the Morasko meteorite was to be explored, the analysis of mineral composition has been conducted with more and more specialised and sophisticated instrumental methods. As it is well known, the Morasko meteorite is classified into the group of iron meteorites IAB MG, and consists mainly of the crystalline Fe-Ni alloy in the form of two minerals: kamacite and taenite, accompanied by tetrataenite. A commonly found structure of the mineral composition of the Morasko meteorite, as regards other iron meteorites, are graphite-troilite nodules, which contain silicate and phosphate minerals. This paper presents a review of research on the mineralogy and geochemistry of the Morasko meteorite, where a number of instrumental tests have been used, from microscopic observations to microchemical semi-quantitative analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), microchemical quantitative analyses using an electron microprobe (WDS), to the structural methods applying Raman spectroscopy. The results of microscopic, microchemical and microstructural investigations, which have included the outer layer of the meteorite known as a fusion crust, have been presented against the petrographic composition of the meteorite. Besides, the type of sediment attached to the outer meteorite layer was examined. The research, conducted on two dozen meteorite fragments, allowed distinguishing two different zones concerning mineralogy and geochemistry, and to determine microstructural changes within them, most probably created in the processes related to the moment of the meteorite impact.