Identification of the giant impactor Theia in lunar rocks Herwartz, Daniel; Pack, Andreas; Friedrichs, Bjarne ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
06/2014, Letnik:
344, Številka:
6188
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The Moon was probably formed by a catastrophic collision of the proto-Earth with a planetesimal named Theia. Most numerical models of this collision imply a higher portion of Theia in the Moon than ...in Earth. Because of the isotope heterogeneity among solar system bodies, the isotopic composition of Earth and the Moon should thus be distinct. So far, however, all attempts to identify the isotopic component of Theia in lunar rocks have failed. Our triple oxygen isotope data reveal a 12 ± 3 parts per million difference in Δ17O between Earth and the Moon, which supports the giant impact hypothesis of Moon formation. We also show that enstatite chondrites and Earth have different Δ17O values, and we speculate on an enstatite chondrite–like composition of Theia. The observed small compositional difference could alternatively be explained by a carbonaceous chondrite–dominated late veneer.
CM chondrites are complex impact (mostly regolith) breccias, in which lithic clasts show various degrees of aqueous alteration. Here, we investigated the degree of alteration of individual clasts ...within 19 different CM chondrites and CM‐like clasts in three achondrites by chemical analysis of the tochilinite‐cronstedtite‐intergrowths (TCIs; formerly named “poorly characterized phases”). To identify TCIs in various chondritic lithologies, we used backscattered electron (BSE) overview images of polished thin sections, after which appropriate samples underwent electron microprobe measurements. Thus, 75 lithic clasts were classified. In general, the excellent work and specific criteria of Rubin et al. (2007) were used and considered to classify CM breccias in a similar way as ordinary chondrite breccias (e.g., CM2.2‐2.7). In BSE images, TCIs in strongly altered fragments in CM chondrites (CM2.0‐CM2.2) appear dark grayish and show a low contrast to the surrounding material (typically clastic matrix), and can be distinguished from TCIs in moderately (CM2.4‐CM2.6) or less altered fragments (CM2.7‐CM2.9); the latter are bright and have high contrast to the surroundings. We found that an accurate subclassification can be obtained by considering only the “FeO”/SiO2 ratio of the TCI chemistry. One could also consider the TCIs’ S/SiO2 ratio and the metal abundance, but these were not used for classification due to several disadvantages. Most of the CM chondrites are finds that have suffered terrestrial weathering in hot and cold deserts. Thus, the observed abundance of metal is susceptible to weathering and may not be a reliable indicator of subtype classification. This study proposes an extended classification scheme based on Rubin’s scale from subtypes CM2.0‐CM2.9 that takes the brecciation into account and includes the minimum to maximum degree of alteration of individual clasts. The range of aqueous alteration in CM chondrites and small spatial scale of mixing of clasts with different alteration histories will be important for interpreting returned samples from the OSIRIS‐REx and Hayabusa 2 missions in the future.
Al-rich objects (Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs), Al-rich chondrules, Al-rich fragments) occur in all chondrite classes. These objects can be centimeter-sized in CV3 carbonaceous chondrites, but they ...are generally much smaller in other chondrite groups and classes. Within the ordinary chondrites, most Al-rich objects are chondrules that vary from Ca- to Na-rich.
Here, we have investigated the mineralogy and major element chemistry of 32 Na-rich chondrules and 3 Na-rich fragments from 15 different chondrites. Most objects (chondrules and chondrule fragments) are from ordinary chondrites (petrologic types 3.2–3.8), but two of the chondrules are from two CO3 chondrites, and three of the chondrules are from one Rumuruti (R)-chondrite. We found that these Na-rich objects have bulk Na2O-concentrations between 4.3 and 15.2wt%. Texturally, they typically consist of euhedral to subhedral (often skeletal) mafic minerals (olivine and pyroxenes) embedded within a nepheline-normative, glassy mesostasis, which is brownish in transmitted light. In addition, some chondrules contain euhedral to subhedral spinel. Bulk chondrule compositions show group II, group III, and ultrarefractory rare earth element (REE) patterns similar to those found in CAIs. These results clearly demonstrate that the Na-rich chondrules must have been formed by melting of precursors containing an (ultra-)refractory element-rich component and Na-rich constituents. The Na-rich chondrules showed Sm and Eu anomalies, indicating that they must have formed at low oxygen fugacities. Based on the chemical composition of the Na-rich objects, we can rule out that they were formed as a result of planetary formation due to metasomatic processes or processes related to collisions between molten planetesimals.
On October 7, 2008, a small asteroid named 2008 TC3 was detected in space about 19h prior to its impact on Earth. Numerous world-wide observations of the object while still in space allowed a very ...precise determination of its impact area: the Nubian Desert of northern Sudan, Africa. The asteroid had a pre-atmospheric diameter of ∼4m; its weight is reported with values between ∼8 and 83t, and the bulk density with ∼2–3g/cm3, translating into a bulk porosity in the range of ∼20–50%. Several dedicated field campaigns in the predicted strewn field resulted in the recovery of more than 700 (monolithological) meteorite fragments with a total weight of ∼10.5kg. These meteorites were collectively named “Almahata Sitta”, after the nearby train station 6, and initially classified as an anomalous polymict ureilite. Further work, however, showed that Almahata Sitta is not only a ureilite but a complex polymict breccia containing chemically and texturally highly variable meteorite fragments, including different ureilites, a ureilite-related andesite, metal-sulfide assemblages related to ureilites, and various chondrite classes (enstatite, ordinary, carbonaceous, Rumuruti-like). It was shown that that chondrites and ureilites derive from one parent body, i.e., asteroid 2008 TC3, making this object, in combination with the remotely sensed physical parameters, a loosely aggregated, rubble-pile-like object. Detailed examinations have been conducted and mineral-chemical data for 110 samples have been collected, but more work on the remaining samples is mandatory.
Detailed study of Almahata Sitta allows insights into the formation and evolution of ureilites and their parent body. These results support the catastrophic impact disruption of the ureilite parent body and re-accretion of the dispersed ureilitic material into second generation ureilite asteroids. Almahata Sitta shows that different chondritic materials were present in the region of re-accretion and mixed into the newly formed rubble-pile-like asteroid. Asteroid 2008 TC3 was part of a late-formed ureilitic second generation body in the main belt and was liberated ∼20Ma ago, finally moving into Earth-crossing orbits that ultimately led to its impact on Earth. The abundant samples of Almahata Sitta, fragments of Asteroid 2008 TC3, allow study of not only different types of meteorites, but offer the unique opportunity to gain further insights into processes in the asteroid belt of our Solar System such as migration, collision, mixing, and (re-)accretion of asteroidal bodies. Beyond that, this event has the potential to further the understanding of the meteorite–asteroid links, which is a major goal of meteorite science.
Volatile-rich, CI- and CM-like clasts occur in different brecciated achondrite and chondrite groups. The CI-like clasts in HEDs, polymict ureilites, as well as ordinary, CR, and CB chondrites have a ...similar mineralogy, indicating a similar alteration history. However, when viewed in detail, their mineral chemistry shows some minor differences between the clasts from different meteorite groups. For CM-like clasts found in HED meteorites, the clasts are, based on their mineralogy, clearly fragments of CM chondrites. To be able to decipher whether CI- (or CM-)like clasts from different meteorite groups are related to certain meteorite classes known to contain volatiles, we obtained D/H ratios of several clasts from the meteorite groups mentioned above and compared them with those of CI and CM chondrites as well as to unique carbonaceous chondrites such as Bells, Essebi, and Tagish Lake. Considering the δD-values, CM-like clasts in HEDs span a similar range compared to bulk values of CM chondrites, further indicating that CM-like clasts are fragments of CM chondrites. For CI-like clasts a clear distinction can be made: While CI-like clasts in HEDs and ordinary chondrites show a very similar range in their δD-signatures compared to “common” CI chondrites, meaning that these clasts are likely related to CI chondrites, the CI-like clasts in polymict ureilites are enriched in D up to 3000‰; a similarly high enrichment is found for the CI-like clasts in CR chondrites. Thus, although the CI-like clasts in ureilites and CR chondrites likely experienced similar alteration histories as the CI-like clasts found in the other meteorite types, these clasts probably formed in a different region than the CI chondrites and, thus, are more accurately referred to as C1 clasts. Overall, the existence and isotopic signatures of the C1 clasts in several meteorite groups proves the existence of additional primitive, volatile-rich material in the (early) Solar System besides the matter we study as the CI, CM, and CR chondrites. This material was distributed throughout the Solar System very early and might have played an important role for the volatile inventory of the terrestrial planets.
Mars probably accreted within the first 10 million years of Solar System formation and likely underwent magma ocean crystallization and crust formation soon thereafter. To assess the nature and ...timescales of these large-scale mantle differentiation processes we applied the short-lived 182Hf–182W and 146Sm–142Nd chronometers to a comprehensive suite of martian meteorites, including several shergottites, augite basalt NWA 8159, orthopyroxenite ALH 84001 and polymict breccia NWA 7034. Compared to previous studies the 182W data are significantly more precise and have been obtained for a more diverse suite of martian meteorites, ranging from samples from highly depleted to highly enriched mantle and crustal sources. Our results show that martian meteorites exhibit widespread 182W/184W variations that are broadly correlated with 142Nd/144Nd, implying that silicate differentiation (and not core formation) is the main cause of the observed 182W/184W differences. The combined 182W–142Nd systematics are best explained by magma ocean crystallization on Mars within ∼20–25 million years after Solar System formation, followed by crust formation ∼15 million years later. These ages are indistinguishable from the I–Pu–Xe age for the formation of Mars' atmosphere, indicating that the major differentiation of Mars into mantle, crust, and atmosphere occurred between 20 and 40 million years after Solar System formation and, hence, earlier than previously inferred based on Sm–Nd chronometry alone.
•Martian meteorites show widespread 182W variations that are correlated with 142Nd.•Main cause of 182W variations is silicate differentiation and not core formation.•Magma ocean differentiation on Mars occurred within ∼20–25 Ma after CAI formation.•This was followed by prolonged crust formation until ∼15 million years later.
Abstract Calcium, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) are the oldest solids dated that formed in the solar system. Most CAIs in unmetamorphosed chondritic meteorites (chondrites; petrologic type ≤3.0) ...have uniform solar-like 16 O-rich compositions (Δ 17 O ∼ −24‰) and a high initial 26 Al/ 27 Al ratio ( 26 Al/ 27 Al) 0 of ∼(4–5) × 10 −5 , consistent with their origin in a gas of approximately solar composition during a brief (<0.3 Ma) epoch at the earliest stage of our solar system. The nature of O-isotope heterogeneity in CAIs (Δ 17 O range from ∼−24 up to ∼+5‰) from weakly metamorphosed chondrites (petrologic type >3.0) remains an open issue. This heterogeneity could have recorded fluctuations of O-isotope composition of nebular gas in the CAI-forming region and/or postcrystallization O-isotope exchange of CAI minerals with aqueous fluids on the chondrite parent asteroids. To obtain insights into possible processes resulting in this heterogeneity, we investigated the mineralogy, rare-earth element abundances, and O- and Mg-isotope compositions of a CAI from the CO3.1 chondrite Dar al Gani 083. This concentrically zoned inclusion has a Zn-hercynite core surrounded by layers of (from core to edge) grossite, spinel, melilite, and Al-diopside. The various phases have heterogeneous Δ 17 O (from core to edge): −2.2 ± 0.6‰, −0.9 ± 2.1‰, −13.7 ± 2.1‰, −2.6 ± 2.3‰, and −22.6 ± 2.1‰, respectively. Magnesium-isotope compositions of grossite, spinel, melilite, and Al-diopside define an undisturbed internal Al–Mg isochron with ( 26 Al/ 27 Al) 0 of (2.60 ± 0.29) × 10 −6 . We conclude that the variations in Δ 17 O of spinel and diopside recorded fluctuations in O-isotope composition of nebular gas in the CAI-forming region prior to injection and/or homogenization of 26 Al at the canonical level. The 16 O depletion of grossite and melilite resulted from O-isotope exchange with asteroidal fluid, which did not disturb Al–Mg isotope systematics of the CAI primary minerals.
An important question regarding the formation of the solar system is how planetary bodies developed from dust and ice into the planets and planetary bodies. A particularly interesting topic is the ...thermal evolution of carbonaceous chondrites and volatile-rich clasts that could have originated from CM- and CI-like parent bodies. Two types of these volatile-rich clasts, which are a particular type of dark clasts, can be found. These clasts are mineralogically very similar to CM and CI chondrites and can occasionally be found in achondritic meteorites. Mineral assemblages suggest that both CM and CI chondrites as well as volatile-rich clasts experienced low peak temperatures. However, these mineral assemblages only offer large estimated temperature ranges to describe the thermal history of CM and CI chondrites, and the thermal history of volatile-rich clasts has not been previously described. In this study, to gain a better understanding of the thermal history of both CM and CI chondrites and volatile-rich clasts, we estimated peak temperatures of 30 volatile-rich clasts (16 CI-, and 14 CM-like) in 10 different host meteorites (4 polymict ureilites, 5 polymict eucrites and 1 howardite) by Raman carbon thermometry. An automated method was developed in order to describe over 4000 collected Raman spectra using four pseudovoigt functions. The full width half maximum (FWHM) of the D1-band was then used to calculate peak temperatures. Results were then compared to Raman data of 8 different well-studied carbonaceous chondrites (including CI and CM chondrites) to evaluate the suggestion that volatile-rich clasts are composed of similar material to the equivalent CI and CM chondrites. Our results show that the peak temperatures experienced by CI-like clasts range between 30–110 °C with an average of about 65 ± 25 °C; the peak temperatures experienced by CM-like clasts range from 50 to 110 °C with an average of about 70 ± 25 °C. Six of the 8 studied carbonaceous chondrites (CM, CI, CR or C2ungr) also plot in the same low-temperature range between 50 °C and 75 °C and can thus be considered to have formed under similar temperature conditions as the volatile-rich clasts. This is in agreement with previous suggestions, based on their mineral compositions that volatile-rich clasts and CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites are composed of similar materials. The peak temperatures for carbonaceous chondrites determined in this study considerably reduce the range of temperature estimates proposed previously for these chondrites by different methods. By highlighting the ability of our methodology to evaluate data in an automated way, this study shows that Raman carbon thermometry is a good analytical technique for obtaining information about peak temperatures in small and delicate samples.
Understanding the relationships between and among chondritic components of various chondrite groups is of prime importance for deciphering the dynamics of material transport and planetary accretion ...in the early Solar System. Here we obtain insights into these processes and the reservoirs present by investigating the nucleosynthetic Ti isotopic signatures of individual Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) and Na–Al-rich chondrules from ordinary and CO chondrites. This specific type of chondrule is of interest as it is thought to have incorporated refractory, CAI-like material as precursors. Our data show that CAIs from ordinary and CO chondrites exhibit 50Ti excesses that are indistinguishable from CV CAIs, and thus indicate a common source reservoir for refractory inclusions in ordinary, CO, and CV chondrites. Na–Al-rich chondrules from CO chondrites also show 50Ti excesses, indicating the presence of CAIs from this reservoir in the precursor materials of CO chondrules. In contrast, Na–Al-rich chondrules from ordinary chondrites show no 50Ti excesses and are indistinguishable from the bulk values for ordinary chondrites. Thus, known CAIs cannot have been the refractory precursor of the Na–Al-rich chondrules in ordinary chondrites. Consequently, within the accretion region of the ordinary chondrites, two different types of refractory components must have existed: (1) a 50Ti-enriched refractory component that is present as CAIs and either arrived at the accretion region of the ordinary chondrites after chondrule formation, or was only present in insignificant amounts, and (2) another type of refractory material without a 50Ti excess, which was involved as precursor in the chondrule formation process. Our data thus imply that refractory components with condensation signatures must have formed in at least two isotopically distinct nebular regions. These may be related to non-carbonaceous and carbonaceous source regions, that is, the inner and outer Solar System, divided by the early formation of Jupiter.
•CAIs from ordinary and CO chondrites show similar 50Ti excesses.•Common isotopic reservoir for CAIs from ordinary, CO, and CV chondrites.•CAIs with 50Ti excesses were part of the precursors of Na–Al-rich chondrules in COs.•Na–Al-rich chondrules in ordinary chondrites do not show an excess in 50Ti.•Condensation of refractory material was not restricted to one region.
Enstatite (E) chondrites are a group of texturally highly variable meteorites formed under strongly reducing conditions giving rise to unique mineral and chemical characteristics (e.g., high ...abundances of various sulfides and Si-bearing metal). In particular the abundant metal comprises a range of textures in E chondrites of different petrologic type, but available in situ siderophile trace element data on metal are limited. Nine samples of E chondrites from the recent Almahata Sitta fall one EH3, two EL3/4, two EL6, two EL impact melt rocks (IMR), two EH IMR were investigated in this study in addition to St. Mark’s (EH5) and Grein 002 (EL4/5), with a focus on the nature of their metal constituents. Special attention was given to metal–silicate intergrowths (MSSI) that occur in many primitive E chondrites, which have been interpreted as post-accretionary asteroidal impact melts or primitive nebular condensates. This study shows that siderophile trace element systematics in E chondrite metal are independent of petrologic type of the host rock and distinct from condensation signatures. Three basic types of siderophile trace element signatures can be distinguished, indicating crystallization from a melt, thermal equilibration upon metamorphism/complete melting, and exsolution of schreibersite–perryite–sulfide. Textural and mineral–chemical constraints from EL3/4s are used to evaluate previously proposed formation processes of MSSI (impact melting vs. nebular condensation) and elucidate which other formation scenarios are feasible. It is shown that post-accretionary (in situ) impact melting or metallic melt injection forming MSSI on the thin section scale, and nebular condensation, are unlikely formation processes. This leads to the conclusion that MSSIs are pre-accretionary melt objects that were formed during melting processes prior to the accretion of the primitive E chondrites. The same can be concluded for metal nodules in the EH3 chondrite examined. The pre-accretionary origin of MSSIs in E chondrites is consistent with a growing body of evidence for early differentiation followed by impact disruption of early formed planetesimals in all major chondrite types.
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