Linked Life Data

19129845

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/19129845

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
7226
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-1-8
pubmed:abstractText
Mechanisms for the formation of crust on planetary bodies remain poorly understood. It is generally accepted that Earth's andesitic continental crust is the product of plate tectonics, whereas the Moon acquired its feldspar-rich crust by way of plagioclase flotation in a magma ocean. Basaltic meteorites provide evidence that, like the terrestrial planets, some asteroids generated crust and underwent large-scale differentiation processes. Until now, however, no evolved felsic asteroidal crust has been sampled or observed. Here we report age and compositional data for the newly discovered, paired and differentiated meteorites Graves Nunatak (GRA) 06128 and GRA 06129. These meteorites are feldspar-rich, with andesite bulk compositions. Their age of 4.52 +/- 0.06 Gyr demonstrates formation early in Solar System history. The isotopic and elemental compositions, degree of metamorphic re-equilibration and sulphide-rich nature of the meteorites are most consistent with an origin as partial melts from a volatile-rich, oxidized asteroid. GRA 06128 and 06129 are the result of a newly recognized style of evolved crust formation, bearing witness to incomplete differentiation of their parent asteroid and to previously unrecognized diversity of early-formed materials in the Solar System.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:status
PubMed-not-MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
1476-4687
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:day
8
pubmed:volume
457
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
179-82
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-6-1
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
Early formation of evolved asteroidal crust.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. jamesday@umd.edu
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.