Rediscovering Lucky Hill: SEM-EDS insights into the composition and weathering of a Jamaican meteorite
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9095.v25-235735Keywords:
Iron meteorites, Jamaica, Lucky Hill, SEM-EDS, Terrestrial weatheringAbstract
The Lucky Hill meteorite, discovered in 1885 in Jamaica, remains one of the lesser-studied Caribbean specimens. In this study, we introduce for the first time the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to characterize a representative fragment (USNM 2889) from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Our SEM-EDS investigation reveals extensive terrestrial weathering — manifested as iron oxide/oxyhydroxide conversion, including the formation of akaganeite — and confirms the presence of key meteoritic phases such as kamacite (with 7.88 wt.% Ni) and schreibersite. These findings support its extraterrestrial origin and suggest that significant alteration has obscured primary crystalline features. The results contribute to a more detailed mineral-specific understanding of Lucky Hill’s composition and provide a basis for further investigations (e.g., via LA-ICP-MS) into the effects of environmental weathering on Caribbean meteorites.
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