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Minor-element signature of relic olivine grains in deep-sea particles—a match with forsterites from C2 meteorites

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Abstract

Deep-sea particles (DSP) extracted magnetically from oceanic sediments are the products of aerodynamic heating and cooling of extraterrestrial materials1. Most DSP have bulk compositions and elemental ratios similar to CI and CM(C2) carbonaceous meteorites2 and some contain relic grains3 of Mg-rich olivine (forsterite). Here we describe the results of high-precision electron microprobe analyses on relic forsterites (26 spots) in 13 different DSP, comparing their ‘minor’ element (Mn, Cr, Ca, Ti, Al) signatures with those of olivines found in several types of meteorites. Our studies show that the DSP olivines do not match those from terrestrial and lunar rocks and achondritic meteorites4; match poorly those of the carbonaceous Allende (CV3) and Orgeuil (CI) meteorites5; but are well matched with olivines from C2 meteorites5,6, including the unusual Belgica 7904 meteorite7. We believe this demonstrates the power of the minor-element signature to fingerprint olivines—an idea we have introduced in the accompanying paper5.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA

    Ian M. Steele & Joseph V. Smith

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA

    Donald E. Brownlee

Authors
  1. Ian M. Steele
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  2. Joseph V. Smith
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  3. Donald E. Brownlee
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Steele, I., Smith, J. & Brownlee, D. Minor-element signature of relic olivine grains in deep-sea particles—a match with forsterites from C2 meteorites. Nature 313, 297–299 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/313297a0

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