J. H. Jones

KR, NASA/JSC, Houston, Texas, USA

Several controversies are associated with the age and origin of the shergottite meteorites, a suite of basaltic samples from Mars. Here, it will be argued that (1) the shergottites have a young igneous age, ≤600 Myr, (2) their parent magmas were relatively dry, (3) the range of initial isotopic compositions in shergottites is most likely due to assimilation of crustal materials by mantle-derived basaltic magmas, and (4) the intercumulus liquid compositions of shergottites such as Shergotty and Zagami are relatively well constrained.

Reference
Jones JH (2015) Various aspects of the petrogenesis of the Martian shergottite meteorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Sciences (in Press)
Link to Article [doi:10.1111/maps.12421]

Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons