Day et al. Reply

Abstract

Arculus et al1. raise an important question regarding the use of terrestrial rock nomenclature to characterize extraterrestrial materials. Here the issue relates to the definition of ‘andesite’, and whether the felsic achondrite meteorites GRA 06128 and GRA 06129 (GRA 06128/9) can and should be classified using this term2. More broadly, the question is whether extraterrestrial rocks should be classified using standard petrologic and geochemical criteria, such as mineralogy and major-element bulk composition, developed for the description of terrestrial rocks3, 4. The approach of Arculus et al1. is that petrogenetic process is of equal or greater importance when classifying a rock. This question must ultimately be decided by the scientific community. © 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.