Happy Canyon meteorite, Armstrong County, Texas, USAi

Regional Level Types
Happy Canyon meteorite	Meteorite Fall Location
Armstrong County	County
Texas	State
USA	Country

Enstatite Chondrite, low-iron [EL6/7; S2]
1971 find, 16.3 kg; highly weathered


The Happy Canyon meteorite was plowed up on a farm and identified as a meteorite. In spite of severe weathering which has removed much of the exterior and allowed carbonate-rich veins to penetrate the interior, the remaining mass preserves both a clear meteoritic identity and has provoked some controversy about its preferred classification. The main constituents of the meteorite are Enstatite (~85 vol%), Plagioclase (Oligoclase), Enstatite (5-10 vol%), and minor diopside. In addition, minor amounts of troilite and Ni-Fe metal have (partially) survived the weathering processes. In sum, the meteorite has the bulk chemistry of a weathered Enstatite Chondrite — most likely, an member of the EL (low-iron) chemical group. It would seem that the absence of oldhamite, Daubreélite, and other reduced sulfides would be but the natural consequence of weathering over a period of several centuries.

We have, however, left the best for last. This meteoritic stone consists primarily of euhedral crystals of enstatite. There are no chondrules and, in the first reports at least, no relics of chondrules. The conundrum as stated by Olsen et al., (1977) is that “The bulk composition is that of an (E6) enstatite chondrite, however, it has the texture of a crystal cumulate…” One might explain this curious phenomenon as due to burial of EL6 material or, as has, been the custom lately, as an instance of ‘shock melting’ — melting due to violent pre-terrestrial impact(s) on the original Enstatite Chondrite homeworld(s). Before the reader draws his or her own conclusions, the descriptive article by Olsen et al. provides an excellent starting point.

Descriptive Reference:
Olsen, E. J., Bunch, T. E., Jarosewich, E., Noonan, A. F. & Huss, G. I. (1977) Happy Canyon - A new type of enstatite achondrite, Meteoritics 12 (2), 109-123. (June 1977)

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References