Unique meteorite from early Amazonian Mars: water-rich basaltic breccia Northwest Africa 7034
- PMID:23287721
- DOI: 10.1126/science.1228858
Unique meteorite from early Amazonian Mars: water-rich basaltic breccia Northwest Africa 7034
Abstract
We report data on the martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034, which shares some petrologic and geochemical characteristics with known martian meteorites of the SNC (i.e., shergottite, nakhlite, and chassignite) group, but also has some unique characteristics that would exclude it from that group. NWA 7034 is a geochemically enriched crustal rock compositionally similar to basalts and average martian crust measured by recent Rover and Orbiter missions. It formed 2.089 ± 0.081 billion years ago, during the early Amazonian epoch in Mars' geologic history. NWA 7034 has an order of magnitude more indigenous water than most SNC meteorites, with up to 6000 parts per million extraterrestrial H(2)O released during stepped heating. It also has bulk oxygen isotope values of Δ(17)O = 0.58 ± 0.05 per mil and a heat-released water oxygen isotope average value of Δ(17)O = 0.330 ± 0.011 per mil, suggesting the existence of multiple oxygen reservoirs on Mars.
Comment in
- Planetary science. A unique piece of Mars.Humayun M.Humayun M.Science. 2013 Feb 15;339(6121):771-2. doi: 10.1126/science.1232490.Science. 2013.PMID:23413347No abstract available.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Miscellaneous
