Earth’s oldest mantle peridotites show entire record of late accretion

1J. van de Löcht, 2J.E. Hoffmann, 2C. Li, 3Z. Wang, 2H. Becker, 4M.T. Rosing, 1R. Kleinschrodt, 1C. Münker
Geology (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/G39709.1]
1Institut für Geologie und Mineralogie, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Straße 49b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
2Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstraße 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany
3China University of Geosciences, No. 388 Lumo Road, 430074 Wuhan, China
4NordCEE (Nordic Center for Earth Evolution), Copenhagen University, Øster Voldgade 3-5, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark

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The Kargapole meteorite: New data on mineralogy

1Yu. V. Erokhin, 1V. A. Koroteev, 1V. V. Khiller, 2E. V. Burlakov, 1K. S. Ivanov, 2D. A. Kleimenov
Doklady Earth Sciences 477, 1441-1444 Link to Article [DOI
https://doi.org/10.1134/S1028334X17120121]
1Institute of Geology and Geochemistry, Ural Branch Russian Academy of Sciences Yekaterinburg Russia
2Ural Geological Museum Ural State Geological University Yekaterinburg Russia

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Characterization of Northwest Africa 6286 and 7857 ordinary chondrites using X-ray diffraction, magnetization measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy

1A.A.Maksimova, 1M.I.Oshtrakh, 1A.V.Chukin, 2I.Felner, 1G.A.Yakovlev, 1V.A.Semionkin
Spectrochmica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 192, 275-284 Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2017.10.056]
1Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation
2Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

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Multi-stage core formation in planetesimals revealed by numerical modeling and Hf-W chronometry of iron meteorites

1,2W. Neumann,1,3T. S. Kruijer,2D. Breuer,1T. Kleine
Journal of Geophysical Research, Planets Link to Article [DOI: 10.1002/2017JE005411]
1Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU), Münster, Deutschland
2Institut für Planetenforschung, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Deutschland
3Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Iron meteorites provide some of the most direct insights into the processes and timescales of core formation in planetesimals. Of these, group IVB irons stand out by having one of the youngest 182Hf-182W model ages for metal segregation (2.9 ± 0.6 Ma after solar system formation), as well as the lowest bulk sulphur content and hence highest liquidus temperature. Here, using a new model for the internal evolution of the IVB parent body, we show that a single stage of metal-silicate separation cannot account for the complete melting of pure Fe metal at the relatively late time given by the Hf-W model age. Instead, a complex metal-silicate separation scenario is required that includes migration of partial silicate melts, formation of a shallow magma ocean and core formation in two distinct stages of metal segregation. In the first stage, a proto-core formed at ≈1.5 Ma via settling of metal particles in a mantle magma ocean, followed by metal segregation from a shallow magma ocean at ≈5.4 Ma. As these stages of metal segregation occurred at different times, the two metal fractions had different 182W compositions. Consequently, the final 182W composition of the IVB core does not correspond to a single differentiation event, but represents the average composition of early- and late-segregated core fractions. Our best-fit model indicates a ≈100 km radius for the IVB parent body and provides an accretion age of ≈0.1 − 0.5 Ma after solar system formation. The computed solidification time is, furthermore, consistent with the Re-Os age for crystallization of the IVB core.

Bright carbonate surfaces on Ceres as remnants of salt-rich water fountains

1,2O.Ruesch et al (>10)
Icarus (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.01.022]
1NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/USRA, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
2ESTEC, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Copyright Elsevier

Vinalia and Cerealia Faculae are bright and salt-rich localized areas in Occator crater on Ceres. The predominance of the near-infrared signature of sodium carbonate on these surfaces suggests their original material was a brine. Here we analyze Dawn Framing Camera’s images and characterize the surfaces as composed of a central structure, either a possible depression (Vinalia) or a central dome (Cerealia), and a discontinuous mantling. We consider three materials enabling the ascent and formation of the faculae: ice ascent with sublimation and carbonate particle lofting, pure gas emission entraining carbonate particles, and brine extrusion. We find that a mechanism explaining the entire range of morphologies, topographies, as well as the common composition of the deposits is brine fountaining. This process consists of briny liquid extrusion, followed by flash freezing of carbonate and ice particles, particle fallback, and sublimation. Subsequent increase in briny liquid viscosity leads to doming. Dawn observations did not detect currently active water plumes, indicating the frequency of such extrusions is longer than years.

Mars Analogue Minerals’ Spectral Reflectance Characteristics Under Martian Surface Conditions

1J.T. Poitras, 1E.A. Cloutis, 2, M.R. Salvatore, 3S.A. Mertzman, 1D.M. Applin, 1P. Mann
Icarus (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.01.023]
1Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg MB R3B 2E9 Canada
2Department of Physics & Astronomy, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA 86011
3Department of Earth and Environment, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
Copyright Elsevier

We investigated the spectral reflectance properties of minerals under a simulated Martian environment. Twenty-Eight different hydrated or hydroxylated phases of carbonates, sulfates, and silica minerals were selected based on past detection on Mars through spectral remote sensing data. Samples were ground and dry sieved to <45 µm grain size and characterized by XRD before and after 133 days inside a simulated Martian surface environment (pressure 5 torr and CO2 fed). Reflectance spectra from 0.35 to 4 µm were taken periodically through a sapphire (0.35 to 2.5 µm) and zinc selenide (2.5 to 4 µm) window Over a 133-day period. Mineral stability on the Martian surface was assessed through changes in spectral characteristics. Results indicate that the hydrated carbonates studied would be stable on the surface of Mars, only losing adsorbed H2O while maintaining their diagnostic spectral features. Sulfates were less stable, often with shifts in the band position of the SO, Fe, and OH absorption features. Silicas displayed spectral shifts related to SiOH and hydration state of the mineral surface, while diagnostic bands for quartz were stable. Previous detection of carbonate minerals based on 2.3-2.5 µm and 3.4-3.9 µm features appear to be consistent with our results. Sulfate mineral detection is more questionable since there can be shifts in band position related to SO4. The loss of the 0.43 µm Fe3+ band in many of the sulfates indicate that there are fewer potential candidates for Fe3+ sulfates to permanently exist on the Martian surface based on this band. The gypsum sample changed phase to basanite during desiccation as demonstrated by both reflectance and XRD.Silica on Mars has been detected using band depth ratio at 1.91 and 1.96 µm and band minimum position of the 1.4 µm feature, and the properties are also used to determine their age. This technique continues to be useful for positive silica identifications, however, silica age appears to be less consistent with our laboratory data. These results will be useful in spectral libraries for characterizing Martian remote sensed data.

Magnetization of Extraterrestrial Allende material may relate to terrestrial descend

1,2,3Gunther Kletetschka
Earth and Planetary Science Letters 487, 1-8 Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.01.020]
1Institute of Geology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic
2Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czech Republic
3Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA
Copyright Elsevier

The origin of magnetization in Allende may have significant implications for our understanding of core formation/differentiation/dynamo processes in chondrite parent bodies. The magnetic Allende data may contain information that could constrain the magnetic history of Allende. The measurements on Allende chondrules reveal an existence of magnetization component that was likely acquired during the meteorite transit to terrestrial conditions. Both the pyrrhotite carrying magnetic remanence intensity and direction of the chondrules change erratically when subjecting the Allende meteorite’s chondrules to temperatures near 77 K and back to room temperature. Chondrules with more intense original magnetization are denser and contain larger inverse thermoremanent magnetization (ITRM). Temperature dependent monitoring of ITRM revealed that magnetization was acquired at temperature near 270 K. Such temperature is consistent with the condition when, in addition to temperature increase, the atmospheric uniaxial pressure applied during the meteorite entry on the porous material was responsible for meteorite break up in the atmosphere. During this process, collapse of the pore space in the matrix and some chondrules would generate crystalline anisotropy energy accumulation within pyrrhotite grains in form of parasitic magnetic transition.

Parentage Identification of Differentiated Achondritic Meteorites by Hand-held Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

1Maurizio Gemelli,1Tommaso Di Rocco,1Luigi Folco,1Massimo D’Orazio
Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research 41, 613-632 Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/ggr.12179]
1Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy

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Formation of a metastable hollandite phase from amorphous plagioclase: A possible origin of lingunite in shocked chondritic meteorites

1Tomoaki Kubo, 2Mari Kono, 1,2Masahiro Imamur, 1Takumi Kato, 1Seiichiro Uehara, 3Tadashi Kondo, 4Yuji Higo, 4Yoshinori Tange, 5Takumi Kikegawa
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 272, 50-57 Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2017.09.006]
1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
2Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
3Department of Earth Space Science, Osaka University, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
4Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
5Photon Factory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba 305-0801, Japan

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