An interdisciplinary study of weathering effects in ordinary chondrites from the Acfer region, Algeria

Weathering effects on meteorite finds from the Acfer region were studied by various analytical techniques and in dependence on the depth of sampling. In thin sections of weathered meteorites, weathering effects usually decrease from the outside to the interior of the meteorite. The results of evolved gas analysis indicate that variation in weathering between surface and core is not significant in respect to the formation of Fe-oxyhydroxides. The secondary alteration effects in the noble gases are distributed unevenly throughout the specimens, as seen in the nonsystematic differences observed for the heavy noble gases. Chemical analyses show significant enrichment of Ba and Sr in the outer parts of the weathered samples due to element contamination through aqueous solution. Iron, Ni, and Co are partly flushed from the system as the metal oxidation proceeds. Oxygen isotopes show increases in delta(18)O and delta(17)O with increasing terrestrial age. For a set of H3 chondrites, the degree of weathering determined from the water content was correlated with terrestrial ages and is discussed with respect to possible weathering mechanisms.