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Lagain A, Bouley S, Zanda B, Miljković K, Rajšić A, Baratoux D, Payré V, Doucet LS, Timms NE, Hewins R, Benedix GK, Malarewic V, Servis K, Bland PA. Early crustal processes revealed by the ejection site of the oldest martian meteorite. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3782. [PMID: 35821210 PMCID: PMC9276826 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31444-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation and differentiation of the crust of Mars in the first tens of millions of years after its accretion can only be deciphered from incredibly limited records. The martian breccia NWA 7034 and its paired stones is one of them. This meteorite contains the oldest martian igneous material ever dated: ~4.5 Ga old. However, its source and geological context have so far remained unknown. Here, we show that the meteorite was ejected 5-10 Ma ago from the north-east of the Terra Cimmeria-Sirenum province, in the southern hemisphere of Mars. More specifically, the breccia belongs to the ejecta deposits of the Khujirt crater formed 1.5 Ga ago, and it was ejected as a result of the formation of the Karratha crater 5-10 Ma ago. Our findings demonstrate that the Terra Cimmeria-Sirenum province is a relic of the differentiated primordial martian crust, formed shortly after the accretion of the planet, and that it constitutes a unique record of early crustal processes. This province is an ideal landing site for future missions aiming to unravel the first tens of millions of years of the history of Mars and, by extension, of all terrestrial planets, including the Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Lagain
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - S Bouley
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, GEOPS, 91405, Orsay, France.,IMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, 77 avenue Denfert-Rochereau, 75005, Paris, France
| | - B Zanda
- IMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, 77 avenue Denfert-Rochereau, 75005, Paris, France.,Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université et CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - K Miljković
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - A Rajšić
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - D Baratoux
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, University of Toulouse, CNRS and IRD, Toulouse, 31400, France.,Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - V Payré
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - L S Doucet
- Earth Dynamics Research Group, TIGeR, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - N E Timms
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,The Institute for Geoscience Research (TIGeR), Curtin University, Perth, 6845, WA, Australia
| | - R Hewins
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université et CNRS, 75005, Paris, France.,EPS, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - G K Benedix
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Western Australian Museum, Perth, WA, Australia.,Planetary Sciences Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - V Malarewic
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, GEOPS, 91405, Orsay, France.,Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université et CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - K Servis
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, CSIRO, Kensington, WA, Australia
| | - P A Bland
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
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Lagain A, Benedix GK, Servis K, Baratoux D, Doucet LS, Rajšic A, Devillepoix HAR, Bland PA, Towner MC, Sansom EK, Miljković K. The Tharsis mantle source of depleted shergottites revealed by 90 million impact craters. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6352. [PMID: 34732704 PMCID: PMC8566585 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26648-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The only martian rock samples on Earth are meteorites ejected from the surface of Mars by asteroid impacts. The locations and geological contexts of the launch sites are currently unknown. Determining the impact locations is essential to unravel the relations between the evolution of the martian interior and its surface. Here we adapt a Crater Detection Algorithm that compile a database of 90 million impact craters, allowing to determine the potential launch position of these meteorites through the observation of secondary crater fields. We show that Tooting and 09-000015 craters, both located in the Tharsis volcanic province, are the most likely source of the depleted shergottites ejected 1.1 million year ago. This implies that a major thermal anomaly deeply rooted in the mantle under Tharsis was active over most of the geological history of the planet, and has sampled a depleted mantle, that has retained until recently geochemical signatures of Mars' early history.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Lagain
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
| | - G. K. Benedix
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia ,grid.452917.c0000 0000 9848 8286Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Western Australian Museum, Perth, WA Australia ,grid.423138.f0000 0004 0637 3991Planetary Sciences Institute, Tucson, AZ USA
| | - K. Servis
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia ,CSIRO—Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, Kensington, WA Australia
| | - D. Baratoux
- grid.508721.9Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, University of Toulouse, CNRS & IRD, 14, Avenue Edouard Belin, 31 400 Toulouse, France ,grid.410694.e0000 0001 2176 6353University Félix Houphouët-Boigny, UFR Sciences de la Terre et des Ressources Minières, Abidjan-Cocody, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - L. S. Doucet
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Earth Dynamics Research Group, TIGeR, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
| | - A. Rajšic
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
| | - H. A. R. Devillepoix
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
| | - P. A. Bland
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
| | - M. C. Towner
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
| | - E. K. Sansom
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
| | - K. Miljković
- grid.1032.00000 0004 0375 4078Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA Australia
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Daly L, Lee MR, Piazolo S, Griffin S, Bazargan M, Campanale F, Chung P, Cohen BE, Pickersgill AE, Hallis LJ, Trimby PW, Baumgartner R, Forman LV, Benedix GK. Boom boom pow: Shock-facilitated aqueous alteration and evidence for two shock events in the Martian nakhlite meteorites. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaaw5549. [PMID: 31517047 PMCID: PMC6726442 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw5549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nakhlite meteorites are ~1.4 to 1.3 Ga old igneous rocks, aqueously altered on Mars ~630 Ma ago. We test the theory that water-rock interaction was impact driven. Electron backscatter diffraction demonstrates that the meteorites Miller Range 03346 and Lafayette were heterogeneously deformed, leading to localized regions of brecciation, plastic deformation, and mechanical twinning of augite. Numerical modeling shows that the pattern of deformation is consistent with shock-generated compressive and tensile stresses. Mesostasis within shocked areas was aqueously altered to phyllosilicates, carbonates, and oxides, suggesting a genetic link between the two processes. We propose that an impact ~630 Ma ago simultaneously deformed the nakhlite parent rocks and generated liquid water by melting of permafrost. Ensuing water-rock interaction focused on shocked mesostasis with a high density of reactive sites. The nakhlite source location must have two spatially correlated craters, one ~630 Ma old and another, ejecting the meteorites, ~11 Ma ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Daly
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
- Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - M. R. Lee
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - S. Piazolo
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - S. Griffin
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - M. Bazargan
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - F. Campanale
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, via Santa Maria 53, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - P. Chung
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - B. E. Cohen
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - A. E. Pickersgill
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - L. J. Hallis
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - P. W. Trimby
- Oxford Instruments Nanoanalysis, High Wycombe HP12 3SE, UK
| | - R. Baumgartner
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - L. V. Forman
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - G. K. Benedix
- Space Science and Technology Centre, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Western Australia Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool, WA 6986, Australia
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA
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