Phosphate minerals in meteorites and lunar rocks.

Abstract

Phosphates are minor accessories in meteorites: they belong to three main groups: 1) water-free, no foreign anions, medium-sized cations (graftonite, sarcopside, farringtonite); 2) water-free, no foreign anions, large cations (whitlockite, stanfieldite, panethite, brianite, buchwaldite); 3) water-free, foreign anions, large cations (chlorapatite, hydroxyapatite). The iron meteorites are, on average, richest in P, with approx 0.3%, though most of it is present as phosphides or in solid solution in the metal.-R.A.H.