PIANCALDOLI METEORITE: CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY

The fall occurred near Piancaldoli, Florence, Italy, at 19.14 U.T. on the 10th August 1968. The fireball broke up in the atmosphere producing a cloud like a balloon. The trajectory and the terminal point were calculated, leading to the recovery of three small meteoritic fragments, found on the roof of a house. Chemical analysis gave the following results: SiO2 40.80; TiO2 0.15; Al2O3 2. 70; Cr2O3 0.47; FeO 17.20; MnO 0.07; MgO 25.18; CaO 1.95; Na2O 0.64; K2O 0.07; P2O5 0.20; NiS 0.93; FeS 6.24; Fe° 2.40; Ni° 0.40; Co 0.05; sum 99.45. In the lithic portion of the meteorite the following minerals were found: both clino and orthopyroxenes (En = 76 to 98%), olivines (Fo = 66 to 98%), troilite, …