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Ropey Schreibersite |
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| Meteorite: Oued Bouzdim 001, Palasite of the Eagle Station grouplet. |
| Figure 1. Scale bar 400 µm. |
| Meteorite: Oued Bouzdim 001, Palasite of the Eagle Station grouplet. |
| Ropey schreibersite (arrowed). |
| The thin, ropey appearance of
schreibersite occasionally seen in iron meteorites is primarily due to the
conditions in which it forms. Schreibersite, an iron-nickel phosphide mineral, forms during the slow cooling of the meteorite’s parent body after the formation of taenite and kamacite. Schreibersite often nucleates at specific sites within the meteorite, such as grain boundaries or interfaces between different metal phases. As the mineral grows along these boundaries, these nucleation sites can lead to the formation of thin, ropey structures. The diffusion of phosphorus and nickel controls the growth of schreibersite. As these elements migrate through the metal, they can form thin, ropey structures. The diffusion rates and the availability of these elements at different temperatures play a crucial role in determining the final morphology of the schreibersite structures. |
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