Glossary · Expert level

Kakangari chondrite

Kakangari chondrites, or K chondrites, are a small grouplet with chemistry and oxygen isotopes unlike other chondrite classes.

Kakangari chondrites, also called K chondrites, form a small grouplet named after the Kakangari meteorite, which fell in Tamil Nadu, India, in June 1890. Only a handful of examples are known, including Lewis Cliff 87232 from Antarctica.

They have an unusual mix of features. Their matrix makes up a large share of the rock, as in carbonaceous chondrites, yet that matrix is made largely of magnesium-rich pyroxene and olivine rather than water-altered clays. Their metal content and degree of oxidation fall between ordinary and enstatite chondrites, and their oxygen isotopes plot in a place of their own.

Because they fit none of the main classes, Kakangari chondrites are counted as a separate chondrite class in many schemes, sometimes listed with the Rumuruti chondrites as 'other chondrites'. They show that the early Solar System produced more kinds of chondritic material than the three main classes suggest.

Related terms

Level: Expert Advanced