Rediscovering Lucky Hill: SEM-EDS insights into the composition and weathering of a Jamaican meteoriteOPEN ACCESS 

· by · in , ,

Yasmani Ceballos Izquierdo, Gabriel Gonçalves Silva, Johanset Orihuela León

Geologia USP – Serie Cientifica 25(4):89-98, December 2025

LINK (OPEN ACCESS)
PDF (OPEN ACCESS)

“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.”

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. Weathering of ordinary chondrites from Oman: Correlation of weathering parameters with 14C terrestrial ages and a refined weathering scale.
  2. The effects of terrestrial weathering on samarium‑neodymium isotopic composition of ordinary chondritesOPEN ACCESS 
  3. Oxygen and carbon stable isotope composition of the weathering Mg‐carbonates formed on the surface of the LEW 85320 ordinary chondrite: Revisited
  4. Multiple Sulfur Isotopic Composition of Main Group Pallasites Support Genetic Links to IIIAB Iron Meteorites
  5. Heavy iron isotope composition of iron meteorites explained by core crystallization
  6. Characterization of iron meteorites by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, magnetization measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy: Kayakent IIIAB
  7. Effects of Desert Weathering on Meteoritic Hydrogen Isotope Systematics: Insights from Tissint
  8. Modification of REE distribution of ordinary chondrites from Atacama (Chile) and Lut (Iran) hot deserts: Insights into the chemical weathering of meteorites.
  9. The weathering of micrometeorites from the Transantarctic Mountains
  10. Effect of terrestrial weathering on stable Sr and Ba isotope compositions of eucrites
Tags: , ,