Repeated shock and thermal metamorphism of the Abernathy meteorite

Based on the example of Abernathy (L6 chondrite), it is shown how petrographic investigation can be used to unravel the nature, chronology and conditions of superposed metamorphic events in chondrites. Features considered include the texture of the rock, optical characteristics of olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase, refractive index of plagioclase, metallographical characteristics and microhardness of Fe-Ni alloys. It is deduced that Abernathy has been involved in at least six metamorphic events since the formation of the chondrite. Four distinct shock events and two separate reheating events have been identified. The chronology of these events is established. The conditions for the last four events are reasonably well constrained. These include severe reheating (T greater than 1200 C); severe shock causing complete melting of plagioclase and local melting of the rock (P between 90 and 110 GPa, T between 1250 and 1350 C); mild shock (P between 10 and 25 GPa, T less than 500 C); and reheating below 800 C.