Martian meteorite Teghaza 001 formed at least 4.1 billion years ago, sampling ancient crust
Teg 001 is a slowly cooled igneous rock whose composition, mineralogy and texture differ from other Martian meteorites. It shows signs of reactions with fluids.
Researchers described the Martian meteorite Teghaza 001 (Teg 001), a slowly cooled igneous rock that formed at least 4.1 billion years ago, in a paper in Science. doi.org
Sciencedoi.orgOpen source ↗ Most known Martian meteorites are geologically young and do not represent the planet's surface, which is dominated by ancient rocks.
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Its composition, mineralogy and texture differ from other Martian meteorites. According to the authors, Teg 001 is a sample of ancient crust that formed from a geochemically distinct mantle source with primordial composition. doi.org
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The rock contains aqueously altered minerals. Bulk and mineral-specific oxygen isotope measurements indicate that it reacted with fluids enriched in 18O before an impact ejected it into space. doi.org
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