Clay minerals and other hydrous alteration products in the Kaba meteorite: Review of the literature and new XRD investigations

Abstract The present study is a review of publications regarding special aspects of the mineralogy of the Kaba meteorite, clay minerals, hydrous phases, and organic matter. In Section 1, the history of fall and finding of the meteorite and the first classical mineralogical description in the Year 1961 are mentioned. The most frequent alteration product of primary silicates and the glassy matrix is Fe-bearing saponite. By modelling of hydrothermal alteration of Allende-type meteorites, artificial saponite could be produced. The thermodynamic study proved the possibility of hydrous neoformation of silicates and magnetite at low temperatures, mostly below 100°C. The formation of Fe-rich external rims in forsterite grains by hydrothermal action was demonstrated by electron probe microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy-cathodo-luminescence methods. Foliation in CV3 carbonaceous chondrites indicates that the Kaba meteorite is derived from the external, shallow zone of the parent body. A combination of X-ray power diffraction (XRD) and Mössbauer spectroscopy made the exact modal analysis of CV3 chondrites possible, including Kaba. The study of alteration by in situ determination of stable oxygen isotope contents may provide constraints regarding the oxygen isotopic composition of the aqueous fluid on the CV parent asteroid. The degree of thermal metamorphism of the organic matter was determined by using Raman spectroscopy. The presence of aromatic and aliphatic, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, and various amino acids was demonstrated. The non-biogenic origin is more probable; however, there are textural and mineralogical observations that may indicate also the biogenic origin of organic matter. In addition to the review of the literature above, as an appendix, shortly new XRD investigations of the authors are reported that indicated smectite-like phases in a thin section made of the meteorite.