Queen Alexandra Range 94204 meteorite, Queen Alexandra Range, Victoria Land, Eastern Antarctica, Antarcticai

Regional Level Types
Queen Alexandra Range 94204 meteorite	Meteorite Fall Location
Queen Alexandra Range	Mountain Range
Victoria Land	Region
Eastern Antarctica	Region
Antarctica	Continent

Enstatite-rich Meteorite (EH7 Chondrite or achondrite??)
1994 find, 2.43 kg, weathered

Queen Alexander Range 94204 (QUE 94204) is a coarse-grained, unbrecciated Enstatite-rich stone (~70 vol%) accompanied by significant amounts of Fe-Ni metal, Troilite, and Plagioclase. Weathering products suggest an even larger initial metal component (~20%?). A number of minor phases - daubréelite, niningerite, oldhamite, schreibersite - frequently found in Enstatite Chondrites and/or Enstatite Achondrites have been reported by one or more observers. Severe weathering complicates the issue as metal, most oldhamite, and other reduced minerals have been replaced by terrestrial weathering products (e.g., calcite, goethite…). Still, the equigranular rounded Enstatite crystals and interstitial phases have been brought at least to the point of melting. In fact, QUE 94204 is but one of several enstatite-rich meteorites found as the Antarctic site which display magmatic textures.

However, such differences due to small sample size, intrinsic inhomogeneities, and differential weathering are relative minor problems expected with most meteorite finds. Classifying QUE 94204 has, however, presented major difficulties. Initially classified as an EH7 Enstatite Chondrite and still so listed at the Meteoritical Bulletin Database, Izawa et al., (2011) classified QUE 94204 as a 'Primitive Enstatite Achondrite' while van Niekerk et al., (2014) argue that QUE 94204 is best described as an 'Anomalous Enstatite Achondrite.' These and other disagreements about these ancient objects suggests about that our assumptions about their nature and formational environment are still incomplete.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References