[meteorite-list] Bench Crater CM1

From: Treiman, Allan <Treiman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:37:32 2004
Message-ID: <D144DC845882D311959900500424D7D0B1B967_at_cassnt2>

Hi, all -
   The Bench Crater meteorite was found during a study of rock fragments in
Apollo 12 soil
(the "coarse fines" fraction). It is known only as a single fragment 3mm x
1.5 mm in a thin section
of rock fragments. The fragment was recognized as weird in 1971, but not
described until
1976. (I guess the real lunar rocks were first in line). Its classification
is a bit iffy. Rephrasing from
Zolensky et al 1996, Bench Crater resembles a pyrrhotite-rich CM1 clast in
the Kaidun breccia -
it has the chemical composition of a CM2 meteorite, but with hydrous
silicates (clays and serpentine)
replacing the olivine, pyroxene etc. Bench crater is the only rock from on
the moon that contains
water-bearing minerals.
 
Allan T

McSween H.Y.Jr. (1976) A new type of chondritic meteorite found in lunar
soil. Earth Planet.
Sci. Lett. 31, 193-199.

Zolensky M.E., Weisberg M.K., Buchannan P.C. and Mittlefehldt D.W. (1996)
Mineralogy of
carbonaceous chondrite clasts in howardites, eucrites, and the Moon.
Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 31,
518-537.

Zolensky M.E. (1997) Structural water in the Bench Crater chondrite returned
from the Moon.
Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 32, 15-18.



Allan H. Treiman
Lunar and Planetary Institute
3600 Bay Area Boulevard
Houston, TX 77058-1113

281-486-2117
281-486-2162 FAX
treiman_at_lpi.usra.edu

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Matt Morgan [SMTP:mhmeteorites_at_yahoo.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 11:07 PM
> To: Meteorite-List
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Bench Crater CM1
>
> I was flipping through the carb chondrite section of the new Catalogue and
> noticed the only CM1 is called Bench Crater. Guess where it was found...
> In a sample of lunar soil from the Apollo 12 Landing Site. I have to say,
> that is one of the sweetest "finds" I have ever heard of! Anyone else
> have
> info on this one?
>
> ----------
> Matt Morgan
> Mile High Meteorites
> http://www.mhmeteorites.com
> P.O. Box 151293
> Lakewood, CO 80215 USA
>
>
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Received on Wed 06 Dec 2000 09:36:34 AM PST