Ureilite Parent Body Research Articles

A large planetary body inferred from diamond inclusions in a ureilite meteorite

Planetary formation models show that terrestrial planets are formed by the accretion of tens of Moon- to Mars-sized planetary embryos through energetic giant impacts. However, relics of these large proto-planets are yet to be found. Ureilites are one of the main families of achondritic meteorites and their parent body is believed to have been catastrophically disrupted by an impact during the first 10 million years of the solar system. Here we studied a section of the Almahata Sitta ureilite using transmission electron microscopy, where large diamonds were formed at high pressure inside the parent body. We discovered chromite, phosphate, and (Fe,Ni)-sulfide inclusions embedded in diamond. The composition and morphology of the inclusions can only be explained if the formation pressure was higher than 20 GPa. Such pressures suggest that the ureilite parent body was a Mercury- to Mars-sized planetary embryo.

Carbon isotopic variation in ureilites: Evidence for an early, volatile-rich Inner Solar System

We analyzed the C isotopic compositions of 32 unbrecciated ureilites, which represent mantle debris from a now disrupted, C-rich, differentiated body. The δ13C values of their C fractions range from −8.48 to +0.11‰. The correlations obtained between δ13C, δ18O and Δ17O values and the compositions of the olivine cores, indicate that the ureilite parent body (UPB) accreted from two reservoirs displaying distinct O and C isotopic compositions. The range of Fe/Mg ratios shown by its mantle was not the result of melting processes involving reduction with C (“smelting”), but was chiefly inherited from the mixing of these two components. Because smelting reactions are pressure-dependent, this result has strong implications for the size of the UPB, and points to a large parent body, at least 690 km in diameter. It demonstrates that C-rich primitive matter distinct from that represented by carbonaceous chondrites was present in some areas of the early inner Solar System, and could have contributed to the growth of the terrestrial planets. We speculate that differentiated, C-rich bodies, or debris produced by their disruption, were an additional source of volatiles during the later accretion stages of the rocky planets, including Earth.

Tracing metal–silicate segregation and late veneer in the Earth and the ureilite parent body with palladium stable isotopes

Stable isotope studies of highly siderophile elements (HSE) have the potential to yield valuable insights into a range of geological processes. In particular, the strong partitioning of these elements into metal over silicates may lead to stable isotope fractionation during metal–silicate segregation, making them sensitive tracers of planetary differentiation processes. We present the first techniques for the precise determination of palladium stable isotopes by MC-ICPMS using a 106Pd–110Pd double-spike to correct for instrumental mass fractionation. Results are expressed as the per mil (‰) difference in the 106Pd/105Pd ratio (δ106Pd) relative to an in-house solution standard (Pd_IPGP) in the absence of a certified Pd isotopic standard. Repeated analyses of the Pd isotopic composition of the chondrite Allende demonstrate the external reproducibility of the technique of ±0.032‰ on δ106Pd. Using these techniques, we have analysed Pd stable isotopes from a range of terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples. We find that chondrites define a mean δ106Pdchondrite=−0.19±0.05‰. Ureilites reveal a weak trend towards heavier δ106Pd with decreasing Pd content, similar to recent findings based on Pt stable isotopes (Creech et al., 2017), although fractionation of Pd isotopes is significantly less than for Pt, possibly related to its weaker metal–silicate partitioning behaviour and the limited field shift effect. Terrestrial mantle samples have a mean δ106Pdmantle=−0.182±0.130‰, which is consistent with a late-veneer of chondritic material after core formation.

The Miller Range 090340 and 090206 Meteorites: Identification of New Brachinite-Like Achondrites with Implications for the Diversity and Petrogenesis of the Brachinite Clan.

Miller Range (MIL) 090340 and MIL 090206 are olivine-rich achondrites originally classified as ureilites. We investigate their petrography, mineral compositions, olivine Cr valences, equilibration temperatures, and (for MIL 090340) oxygen isotope compositions, and compare them with ureilites and other olivine-rich achondrites. We conclude that they are brachinite-like achondrites that provide new insights into the petrogenesis of brachinite clan meteorites. MIL 090340,6 has a granoblastic texture and consists of ~97 modal % by area olivine (Fo = molar Mg/[Mg+Fe] = 71.3±0.6). It also contains minor to trace augite, chromite, chlorapatite, orthopyroxene, metal, troilite, and terrestrial Fe-oxides. Approximately 80% by area of MIL 090206,5 has a granoblastic texture of olivine (Fo 72.3±0.1) plus minor augite and chromite, similar to MIL 090340 but also containing minor plagioclase. The rest of the section consists of a single crystal of orthopyroxene (~11×3 mm), poikilitically enclosing rounded grains of olivine (Fo = 76.1±0.6), augite, chromite, metal and sulfide. Equilibration temperatures for MIL 090340 and MIL 090206, calculated from olivine-spinel, olivine-augite, and two-pyroxene thermometry range from ~800-930°C. In both samples, symplectic intergrowths of Ca-poor orthopyroxene + opaque phases (Fe-oxides, sulfide, metal) occur as rims on and veins/patches within olivine. Before terrestrial weathering, the opaques were probably mostly sulfide, with minor metal. All petrologic properties of MIL 090340 and MIL 090206 are consistent with those of brachinite clan meteorites, and largely distinct from those of ureilites. Oxygen isotope compositions of olivine in MIL 090340 (δ18O = 5.08±0.30‰, δ17O = 2.44±0.21‰, and Δ17O = -0.20±0.12‰) are also within the range of brachinite clan meteorites, and well distinguished from ureilites. Olivine Cr valences in MIL 090340 and the granoblastic area of MIL 090206 are 2.57±0.06 and 2.59±0.07, respectively, similar to those of three brachinites also analyzed here (Brachina, Hughes 026, Nova 003). They are higher than those of olivine in ureilites, even those containing chromite. The valence systematics of MIL 090340, MIL 090206, and the three analyzed brachinites (lower Fo = more oxidized Cr) are consistent with previous evidence that brachinite-like parent bodies were inherently more oxidized than the ureilite parent body. The symplectic orthopyroxene + sulfide/metal assemblages in MIL 090340, MIL 090206, and many brachinite clan meteorites have superficial similarities to characteristic "reduction rims" in ureilites. However, they differ significantly in detail. They likely formed by reaction of olivine with S-rich fluids, with only minor reduction. MIL 090340 and the granoblastic area of MIL 090206 are similar in modal mineralogy and texture to most brachinites, but have higher Fo values typical of brachinite-like achondrites. The poiklitic pyroxene area of MIL 090206 is more typical of brachinite-like achondrites. The majority of their properties suggest that MIL 090340 and MIL 090206 are residues of low-degree partial melting. The poikilitic area of MIL 090206 could be a result of limited melt migration, with trapping and recrystallization of a small volume of melt in the residual matrix. These two samples are so similar in mineral compositions, Cr valence, and cosmic ray exposure ages that they could be derived from the same lithologic unit on a common parent body.

Magnesium and chromium isotope evidence for initial melting by radioactive decay of 26Al and late stage impact-melting of the ureilite parent body

Polymict ureilites are meteoritic breccias that provide insights into the differentiation history of the ureilite parent body. We have sampled a total of 24 clasts from the polymict ureilite Dar al Gani 319, representing a variety of lithologies such as mantle residues, cumulates and crustal fragments that are genetically related to monomict ureilites. In addition, we sampled four non-indigenous dark clasts and two chondrule-containing clasts from the same meteorite. We report on the petrology and the bulk mass-dependent and mass-independent magnesium and chromium isotope systematics of these clasts. The DaG 319 polymict ureilite consists predominantly of clasts related to Main Group ureilite residues (MG clasts) with varying Mg#s (0.74–0.91), as well as a significant fraction of olivine-orthopyroxene clasts related to Hughes Type ureilites (HT clasts) with consistently high Mg#s (∼0.89). In addition, DaG 319 contains less abundant feldspathic clasts that are thought to represent melts derived from the ureilite mantle. A significant mass-dependent Mg-isotope fractionation totaling Δμ25Mg=∼450ppm was found between isotopically light feldspathic clasts (μ25Mg=−305±25 to 15±12ppm), MG clasts (μ25Mg=−23±51ppm) and HT clasts (μ25Mg=157±21ppm). We suggest that this isotopic offset is the result of equilibrium isotope fractionation during melting in the presence of an isotopically light magnesite component. We propose Mg-carbonates to be stable in the upper ureilite mantle, and pure carbon phases such as graphite to be stable at higher pressures. This is consistent with HT clasts lacking carbon-related phases, whereas MG clasts contain abundant carbon. The timing of differentiation events for the ureilitic clasts are constrained by high precision 53Mn-53Cr systematics and 26Al-26Mg model ages. We show that a dichotomy of ages exist between the differentiation of main group ureilite residues and HT cumulates rapidly after CAI formation and later remelting of cumulates with corresponding feldspathic melts, at 3.8±1.3Myr after CAI formation. Assuming an initial 26Al/27Al abundance [(26Al/27Al)0=1.33-0.18+0.21×10−5] similar to the angrite parent body, the early melting event is best explained by heat production from 26Al whereas the late event is more likely caused by a major impact. Variations in 54Cr between MG clasts and HT clasts agree with a carbonaceous chondrite impactor onto the ureilite parent body. This impactor may be represented by abundant dark clasts found in polymict ureilites, which have μ26Mg∗ and μ54Cr signatures similar to CI chondrites. Similar volatile-rich dark clasts found in other meteorite breccias provide insights into the timing of volatile influx to the accretion region of the terrestrial planets.

Titanium, vanadium and chromium valences in silicates of ungrouped achondrite NWA 7325 and ureilite Y-791538 record highly-reduced origins

Titanium, Cr, and V valences were determined by applying micro-X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (micro-XANES) spectroscopy methods to individual grains of olivine and pyroxene in the ungrouped achondrite NWA 7325 and ureilite Y-791538, as well as to plagioclase in NWA 7325. The advantages of applying multiple, multivalent-element-based oxybarometers to individual grains are (1) the ability to cover the entire oxygen fugacity (fO2) range encountered in nature, and (2) the increased reliability from consistent results for semi-independent fO2 proxies. fO2 values were inferred from each mineral valence determination after correcting with available laboratory-experiment-derived, valence-specific partition coefficients to obtain melt valences and then calibrating with the fO2 values of the relevant equal species proportions points suggested for igneous (primarily basaltic) systems.The resulting olivine and pyroxene valences are highly reduced and similar in the two meteorites with substantial fractions of Cr2+, Ti3+ and V2+. The exception is Cr in NWA 7325 pyroxene which is much more oxidized than the Cr in its olivine. Chromium and Ti in plagioclase in NWA 7325 is relatively oxidized (V valence not determined). The anomalously oxidized Cr in NWA 7325 pyroxene may be due to a secondary reheating event that oxidized Cr in the pyroxene without similarly oxidizing Ti and V. Such a separation of the redox couples may be an effect of re-equilibration kinetics, where the valence of Cr would be more rapidly modified. These valences yielded similar mean fO2s for the two meteorites; IW-3.1±0.2 for NWA 7325 and IW-2.8±0.2 for Y-791538, consistent with an origin of NWA 7325 in either Mercury or an asteroid that experienced redox conditions similar to those on the ureilite parent body.

Partial melting of a C-rich asteroid: Lithophile trace elements in ureilites

Ureilites are among the most common achondrites and are widely believed to sample the mantle of a single, now-disrupted, C-rich body. We analyzed 17 ureilite samples, mostly Antarctic finds, and determined their incompatible trace element abundances. In order to remove or reduce the terrestrial contamination, which is marked among Antarctic ureilites by light-REE enrichment, we leached the powdered samples with nitric acid. The residues display consistent abundances, which strongly resemble those of the pristine rocks. All the analyzed samples display light-REE depletions, negative Eu anomalies, low (Sr/Eu∗)n, and (Zr/Eu∗)n ratios which are correlated. Two groups of ureilites (groups A and B) are defined. Compared to group A, group B ureilites, which are the less numerous, tend to be richer in heavy REEs, more light-REE depleted, and display among the deepest Eu anomalies. In addition, olivine cores in group B ureilites tend to be more forsteritic (Mg#=81.9–95.2) than in group A ureilites (Mg#=74.7–86.1). Incompatible trace element systematics supports the view that ureilites are mantle restites. REE modeling suggests that their precursors were rather REE-rich (ca. 1.8–2×CI) and contained a phosphate phase, possibly merrillite. The REE abundances in ureilites can be explained if at least two distinct types of magmas were removed successively from their precursors: aluminous and alkali-rich melts as exemplified by the Almahata Sitta trachyandesite (ALM-A), and Al and alkali-poor melts produced after the exhaustion of plagioclase from the source. Partial melting was near fractional (group B ureilites, which are probably among the least residual samples) to dynamic with melt porosities that did not exceed a couple of percent (group A ureilites). The ureilite parent body (UPB) was almost certainly covered by a crust formed chiefly from the extrusion products of the aluminous and alkali-rich magmas. It is currently uncertain whether the Al and alkali-poor melts produced during the second phase of melting reached the surface of the body. The fact that initial silicate melting of ureilitic precursors would have produced relatively low density liquids capable of forming an external crust to the UPB casts doubt on models that invoke chondritic outer layers to achondritic asteroids.

Constraints on the early delivery and fractionation of Earth’s major volatiles from C/H, C/N, and C/S ratios

Earth’s inventory of principle volatiles C, H, N, and S is a legacy of its early stages of accretion and differentiation. Elemental ratios (C/H, C/N, C/S) are powerful tools for understanding early processing of Earth’s volatiles, as they monitor relative fractionations through important processes even when absolute concentrations are less well defined. The C/H ratio of the bulk silicate Earth (BSE), defined from surface reservoirs and minimally degassed oceanic basalts is 1.3 ± 0.3, which is 5–15 times lower than the C/H ratio of carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites and 2–5 times lower than ordinary chondrites. The BSE C/N ratio is superchondritic (40 ± 8; Bergin et al. 2015) while the C/S ratio (0.49 ± 0.14) is nearly chondritic. Successful models of volatile acquisition and processing must account for the effects of accretion, core formation, and atmospheric loss on all three of these ratios. Simple models of equilibration between a magma ocean, the overlying atmosphere, and alloy destined for the core are used to explore the influence of core formation and atmospheric loss on major volatile concentrations and ratios. Among major volatile elements, C is most siderophile, and consequently core formation leaves behind a non-metallic Earth with low C/H, C/N, and C/S ratios compared to originally accreted materials and compared to the BSE. Compared to the predicted effect of early differentiation, the relatively high C/X ratios of the BSE argue in part that significant volatile replenishment occurred after core formation ceased, possibly in the form of a late veneer. However, a late veneer with chondritic composition is insufficient to explain the pattern of major volatile enrichments and depletions because BSE C/H and C/N ratios are non-chondritic. The C/H ratio is best explained if an appreciable fraction of H in the BSE predates delivery in the late veneer. Although atmospheric blow-off is an attractive explanation for the high C/N ratio, available data for C and N solubility and metal/silicate partitioning suggest that atmospheric blow-off cannot counter core formation to produce subchondritic C/N. Thus, unless virtually all core-forming metal segregated prior to volatile accretion (or relative C and N solubilities are appreciably different from those assumed here), the BSE C/N ratio suggests that accreting materials had elevated ratios compared to carbonaceous chondrites. One possibility is that a fraction of Earth’s volatiles accreted from differentiated C-rich planetesimals similar to the ureilite parent body. Reconciling C/H, C/N, and C/S ratios of the BSE simultaneously presents a major challenge that almost certainly involves a combination of parent body processing, core formation, catastrophic atmospheric loss, and partial replenishment by a late veneer. The chondritic C/S ratio of the BSE and relatively low S content of the BSE constrains the BSE C concentration, but a potential complicating factor in interpreting the BSE C/S ratio is the possible effect of segregation of an S-rich matte to the core during the later parts of core-mantle differentiation.

Evidence from Tm anomalies for non-CI refractory lithophile element proportions in terrestrial planets and achondrites

Thulium is a heavy rare earth element (REE) whose geochemical behavior is intermediate between Er and Yb, and that is not expected to be decoupled from these elements during accretion of planetary bodies and geological processes. However, irregularities in REE volatilities at higher temperature could have decoupled the REEs relative to one another during the early stages of condensation of the solar nebula. Indeed, positive Tm anomalies are found in some refractory inclusions from carbonaceous chondrites, and it is possible that large scale nebular reservoirs displaying positive or negative Tm anomalies were formed during the early history of the solar system. We analyzed a series of meteorites and terrestrial rocks in order to evaluate the existence of Tm anomalies in planetary materials. Relative to CIs (Ivuna-type carbonaceous chondrites), carbonaceous chondrites display unresolved or positive Tm anomalies, while most of the noncarbonaceous chondrites show slightly negative Tm anomalies. Quantification of these anomalies in terrestrial samples is complicated when samples display fractionated heavy REE patterns. Taking this effect into account, we show that the Earth, Mars, Vesta, the aubrite and ureilite parent bodies display small negative anomalies (Tm/Tm∗≈0.975), very similar to those found in ordinary and enstatite chondrites. We suggest that a slight negative Tm anomaly relative to CI is a widespread feature of the materials from the inner solar system. This finding suggests that CI chondrites may not be appropriate for normalizing REE abundances of most planetary materials as they may be enriched in a high-temperature refractory component with non-solar composition. The presence of Tm anomalies at a bulk planetary scale is, to this day, the strongest piece of evidence that refractory lithophile elements are not present in constant CI proportions in planetary bodies.

S-Process Os isotope enrichment in ureilites by planetary processing

Ubiquitous nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies relative to the terrestrial isotopic composition in Mo, Ru, and other elements are known from both bulk chondrites and differentiated meteorites, but Os isotope ratios reported from such meteorites have been found to be indistinguishable from the terrestrial value. The carriers of s- and r-process Os must thus have been homogeneously distributed in the solar nebula. As large Os isotope anomalies are known from acid leachates and residues of primitive chondrites, the constant relative proportions of presolar s- and r-process carriers in such chondrites must have been maintained during nebular processes. It has long been assumed that partial melting of primitive chondrites would homogenize the isotopic heterogeneity carried by presolar grains. Here, ureilites, carbon-rich ultramafic achondrites dominantly composed of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene, are shown to be the first differentiated bulk Solar System materials for which nucleosynthetic Os isotope anomalies have been identified. These anomalies consist of enrichment in s-process Os heterogeneously distributed in different ureilites. Given the observed homogeneity of Os isotopes in all types of primitive chondrites, this Os isotope variability among ureilites must have been caused by selective removal of s-process-poor Os host phases, probably metal, during rapid localized melting on the ureilite parent body. While Mo and Ru isotope anomalies for all meteorites measured so far exhibit s-process deficits relative to the Earth, the opposite holds for the Os isotope anomalies in ureilites reported here. This might indicate that the Earth preferentially accreted olivine-rich restites and inherited a s-process excess relative to smaller meteorite bodies, consistent with Earth's high Mg/Si ratio and enrichment of s-process nuclides in Mo, Ru, and Nd isotopes. Our new Os isotope results imply that caution must be used when applying nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies as provenance indicators between different classes of meteorites.

Planetesimal differentiation revealed by the Hf–W systematics of ureilites

Determining the timescales of the accretion and chemical differentiation of meteorite parent bodies provides some of the most direct constraints on the formation of planetesimals and the earliest stages of planet formation. We present high-precision Hf–W isotope data for a comprehensive set of ureilites, ultramafic mantle restites derived from a partially melted and incompletely differentiated asteroid. All samples are characterized by strong 182W deficits, indicating that silicate melt extraction on the ureilite parent body at 3.3±0.7 Ma after CAI formation postdated core formation in iron meteorite parent bodies by ∼2–3 Ma. Thermal modeling of planetesimal heating by 26Al-decay combined with the new Hf–W data indicates that the ureilite parent body accreted at ∼1.6 Ma after CAI formation and, therefore, more than ∼1 Ma later than iron meteorite parent bodies, but more than ∼0.5 Ma earlier that most chondrite parent bodies. Due to its relatively ‘late’ accretion, the ureilite parent body contained too little 26Al to cause complete melting and, therefore, would have probably remained incompletely differentiated even without exhaustion of 26Al by silicate melt segregation. Our results show that both in terms of degree of differentiation and accretion timescale the ureilite parent body is intermediate between fully differentiated and undifferentiated bodies, implying that there is an inverse correlation between extent of melting and metal–silicate separation versus time of accretion and differentiation.

Petrology of a nonindigenous microgranitic clast in polymict ureilite EET 87720: Evidence for formation of evolved melt on an unknown parent body

EET 87720 is a polymict ureilite breccia known to contain numerous non-indigenous fragments. We have discovered a microgranitic clast in an interior chip of EET 87720. The clast consists of a granophyre-like intergrowth of a pure SiO2 phase (tridymite) and albite, mantling a zoned oligoclase phenocryst. In the intergrowth, the tridymite occurs as thin elongate vermicular blebs within larger albite crystals. The granophyre-like intergrowth and the oligoclase phenocryst share a common margin, suggesting that the clast was originally part of a larger fragment. An estimate of its bulk composition is equivalent to that of granite (77 wt.% SiO2). Patches of high-Si K-bearing glass occur interstitially within the clast; they have high concentrations of SO3 (11-12 wt.%) and contain Cl (0.6 wt.%), suggesting that the clast formed on a volatile-rich parent body perhaps resembling early Mars. The mean oxygen isotope composition of the feldspar and tridymite in the clast is very different from the oxygen isotope compositions of ureilites, and is similar to those of silicate inclusions in IIE and IVA irons. Thus the clast is not indigenous to the ureilite parent body, but it provides evidence for the formation of evolved melts on an unknown parent body in the early solar system.

Unique large diamonds in a ureilite from Almahata Sitta 2008 TC3 asteroid

The Almahata Sitta MS-170 ureilite (a piece of a breccia originating from the asteroid, 2008 TC3) consists mainly of olivine, with many diamond and graphite grains existing between the olivine grains. The occurrences of the diamonds are unique; i.e., (i) some diamonds exhibit sub-euhedral habits and (ii) some diamonds have large grain-size (up to about 40μm). Several diamonds are segmented into many fragments by fractures. Individual fragments have similar crystallographic orientation, which implies that the adjacent diamond segments were originally a single crystal. Large diamond assemblages occur besides such individual diamond grains. In one of the largest assemblages (almost about 100μm in size) has also the same crystallographic orientation. They can be regarded as the pieces of a previously unique single diamond, which provides evidence for large single-crystals diamond in meteorites. Almahata Sitta MS-170 is a meteorite fragment from the 2008 TC3 asteroid that underwent less shock than other ureilitic meteorites. It is unlikely that such large diamonds were formed from graphite through a shock-induced phase transformation during planetesimal collision, despite this idea being now widely accepted as the diamond formation mechanism of ureilites. Fine-scale heterogeneous distribution of impurities (hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen) exists in single crystal diamonds, indicative of sluggish growth. This distribution is reminiscent of sector zoning growth. Its grain size, the shock features of MS-170, and the C- and N-isotopic composition signatures allow us to revive classical and but not widely accepted models for diamond formation in ureilites; i.e., a diamond formed from partially melted magma or a C–O–H fluid in the deep interior of the ureilite parent-body or, alternatively, through a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process in the solar nebula. Considering present mineralogical and isotopic features, the former scenario is more favorable.

Early stages of core segregation recorded by Fe isotopes in an asteroidal mantle

Ureilite meteorites are achondrites that are debris of the mantle of a now disrupted differentiated asteroid rich in carbon. They provide a unique opportunity to study the differentiation processes of such a body. We analyzed the iron isotopic compositions of 30 samples from the Ureilite Parent Body (UPB) including 29 unbrecciated ureilites and one ureilitic trachyandesite (ALM-A) which is at present the sole large crustal sample of the UPB. The δ56Fe of the whole rocks fall within a restricted range, from 0.01 to 0.11‰, with an average of +0.056±0.008‰, which is significantly higher than that of chondrites. We show that this difference can be ascribed to the segregation of S-rich metallic melts at low degrees of melting at a temperature close to the Fe–FeS eutectic, and certainly before the onset of the melting of the silicates (<1100°C), in agreement with the marked S depletions, and the siderophile element abundances of the ureilites. These results point to an efficient segregation of S-rich metallic melts during the differentiation of small terrestrial bodies.

Origin and history of ureilitic material in the solar system: The view from asteroid 2008 TC3 and the Almahata Sitta meteorite

AbstractAsteroid 2008 TC3 (approximately 4 m diameter) was tracked and studied in space for approximately 19 h before it impacted Earth's atmosphere, shattering at 44–36 km altitude. The recovered samples (&gt;680 individual rocks) comprise the meteorite Almahata Sitta (AhS). Approximately 50–70% of these are ureilites (ultramafic achondrites). The rest are chondrites, mainly enstatite, ordinary, and Rumuruti types. The goal of this work is to understand how fragments of so many different types of parent bodies became mixed in the same asteroid. Almahata Sitta has been classified as a polymict ureilite with an anomalously high component of foreign clasts. However, we calculate that the mass of fallen material was ≤0.1% of the pre‐atmospheric mass of the asteroid. Based on published data for the reflectance spectrum of the asteroid and laboratory spectra of the samples, we infer that the lost material was mostly ureilitic. Therefore, 2008 TC3 probably contained only a few percent nonureilitic materials, similar to other polymict ureilites except less well consolidated. From available data for the AhS meteorite fragments, we conclude that 2008 TC3 samples essentially the same range of types of ureilitic and nonureilitic materials as other polymict ureilites. We therefore suggest that the immediate parent of 2008 TC3 was the immediate parent of all ureilitic material sampled on Earth. We trace critical stages in the evolution of that material through solar system history. Based on various types of new modeling and re‐evaluation of published data, we propose the following scenario. (1) The ureilite parent body (UPB) accreted 0.5–0.6 Ma after formation of calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAI), beyond the ice line (outer asteroid belt). Differentiation began approximately 1 Ma after CAI. (2) The UPB was catastrophically disrupted by a major impact approximately 5 Ma after CAI, with selective subsets of the fragments reassembling into daughter bodies. (3) Either the UPB (before breakup), or one of its daughters (after breakup), migrated to the inner belt due to scattering by massive embryos. (4) One daughter (after forming in or migrating to the inner belt) became the parent of 2008 TC3. It developed a regolith, mostly ≥3.8 Ga ago. Clasts of enstatite, ordinary, and Rumuruti‐type chondrites were implanted by low‐velocity collisions. (5) Recently, the daughter was disrupted. Fragments were injected or drifted into Earth‐crossing orbits. 2008 TC3 comes from outer layers of regolith, other polymict ureilites from deeper regolith, and main group ureilites from the interior of this body. In contrast to other models that have been proposed, this model invokes a stochastic history to explain the unique diversity of foreign materials in 2008 TC3 and other polymict ureilites.

Si‐bearing metal and niningerite in Almahata Sitta fine‐grained ureilites and insights into the diversity of metal on the ureilite parent body

AbstractA detailed mineralogical and chemical study of Almahata Sitta fine‐grained ureilites (MS‐20, MS‐165, MS‐168) was performed to shed light on the origin of these lithologies and their sulfide and metal. The Almahata Sitta fine‐grained ureilites (silicates &lt;30 μm grain size) show textural and chemical evidence for severe impact smelting as described for other fine‐grained ureilites. Highly reduced areas in Almahata Sitta fine‐grained ureilites show large (up to ∼1 mm) Si‐bearing metal grains (up to ∼4.5 wt% Si) and niningerite [Mg&gt;0.5,(Mn,Fe)&lt;0.5S] with some similarities to the mineralogy of enstatite (E) chondrites. Overall, metal grains show a large compositional variability in Ni and Si concentrations. Niningerite grains probably formed as a by‐product of smelting via sulfidation. The large Si‐Ni variation in fine‐grained ureilite metal could be the result of variable degrees of reduction during impact smelting, inherited from coarse‐grained ureilite precursors, or a combination of both. Large Si‐bearing metal grains probably formed via coalescence of existing and newly formed metal during impact smelting. Bulk and in situ siderophile trace element abundances indicate three distinct populations of (1) metal crystallized from partial melts in MS‐20, (2) metal resembling bulk chondritic compositions in MS‐165, and (3) residual metal in MS‐168. Almahata Sitta fine‐grained ureilites developed their distinctive mineralogy due to severe reduction during smelting. Despite the presence of E chondrite and ureilite stones in the Almahata Sitta fall, a mixing relation of E chondrites or their constituents and ureilite material in Almahata Sitta can be ruled out based on isotopic, textural, and mineral‐chemical reasons.

Petrology of chromite in ureilites: Deconvolution of primary oxidation states and secondary reduction processes

Ureilites are ultramafic achondrites thought to be residues of partial melting on a carbon-rich asteroid. They show a trend of FeO-variation (olivine Fo from ∼74 to 95) that suggests variation in oxidation state. Whether this variation was established during high-temperature igneous processing on the ureilite parent body (UPB), or preserved from nebular precursors, is a subject of debate. The behavior of chromium in ureilites offers a way to assess redox conditions during their formation and address this issue, independent of Fo. We conducted a petrographic and mineral compositional study of occurrences of chromite (Cr-rich spinel) in ureilites, aimed at determining the origin of the chromite in each occurrence and using primary occurrences to constrain models of ureilite petrogenesis. Chromite was studied in LEW 88774 (Fo 74.2), NWA 766 (Fo 76.7), NWA 3109 (Fo 76.3), HaH 064 (Fo 77.5), LAP 03587 (Fo 74.9), CMS 04048 (Fo 76.4), LAP 02382 (Fo 78.6) and EET 96328 (Fo 85.2).Chromite occurs in LEW 88774 (∼5vol.%), NWA 766 (<1vol.%), NWA 3109 (<1vol.%) and HaH 064 (<1vol.%) as subhedral to anhedral grains comparable in size (∼30μm to 1mm) and/or textural setting to the major silicates (olivine and pyroxenes[s]) in each rock, indicating that it is a primary phase. The most FeO-rich chromites in these sample (rare grain cores or chadocrysts in silicates) are the most primitive compositions preserved (fe#=0.55–0.6; Cr# varying from 0.65 to 0.72 among samples). They record olivine–chromite equilibration temperatures of ∼1040–1050°C, reflecting subsolidus Fe/Mg reequilibration during slow cooling from ∼1200 to 1300°C. All other chromite in these samples is reduced. Three types of zones are observed. (1) Inclusion-free interior zones showing reduction of FeO (fe# ∼0.4→0.28); (2) Outer zones showing further reduction of FeO (fe# ∼0.28→0.15) and containing abundant laths of eskolaite–corundum (Cr2O3–Al2O3); (3) Outermost zones showing extreme reduction of both FeO (fe# <0.15) and Cr2O3 (Cr# as low as 0.2). The grains are surrounded by rims of Si-Al-rich glass, graphite, Fe, Cr-carbides ([Fe,Cr]3C and [Fe,Cr]7C3), Cr-rich sulfides (daubréelite and brezinaite) and Cr-rich symplectic bands on adjacent silicates. Chromite is inferred to have been reduced by graphite, forming eskolaite–corundum and carbides as byproducts, during impact excavation. This event involved initial elevation of T (to 1300–1400°C), followed by rapid decompression and drop in T (to <700°C) at 1–20°C/h. The kinetics of reduction of chromite is consistent with this scenario. The reduction was facilitated by silicate melt surrounding the chromites, which was partly generated by shock-melting of pyroxenes. Symplectic bands, consisting of fine-scale intergrowths of Ca-pyroxene, chromite and glass, formed by reaction between the Cr-enriched melt and adjacent silicates.Early chromite also occurs in a melt inclusion in olivine in HaH 064 and in a metallic spherule in olivine in LAP 02382. LAP 03587 and CMS 04048 contain ⩽μm-sized chromite+pyroxene symplectic exsolutions in olivine, indicating high Cr valence in the primary olivine. EET 96328 contains a round grain of chromite that could be a late-crystallizing phase. Tiny chromite grains in melt inclusions in EET 96328 formed in late, closed-system reactions.For 7 of the 8 ureilites we conclude that the relatively oxidizing conditions evidenced by the presence of primary or early chromite pertain to the period of high-T igneous processing. The observation that such conditions are recorded almost exclusively in low-Fo samples supports the interpretation that the ureilite FeO-variation was established during igneous processing on the UPB.

Chromium valences in ureilite olivine and implications for ureilite petrogenesis

Ureilites are a group of ultramafic achondrites commonly thought to be residues of partial melting on a carbon-rich asteroid. They show a large variation in FeO content (olivine Fo values ranging from ∼74 to 95) that cannot be due to igneous fractionation and suggests instead variation in oxidation state. The presence of chromite in only a few of the most ferroan (Fo 75–76) samples appears to support such a model. MicroXANES analyses were used in this study to determine the valence states of Cr (previously unknown) in olivine cores of 11 main group ureilites. The goal of this work was to use a method that is independent of Fo to determine the oxidation conditions under which ureilites formed, in order to evaluate whether the ureilite FeO-variation is correlated with oxidation state, and whether it is nebular or planetary in origin. Two of the analyzed samples, LEW 88774 (Fo 74.2) and NWA 766 (Fo 76.7) contain primary chromite; two others, LAP 03587 (Fo 74.4) and CMS 04048 (Fo 76.2) contain sub-micrometer-sized exsolutions of chromite+Ca-rich pyroxene in olivine; and one, EET 96328 (Fo 85.2) contains an unusual chromite grain of uncertain origin. No chromite has been observed in the remaining six samples (Fo 77.4–92.3).Chromium in olivine in all eleven samples was found to be dominated by the divalent species, with valences ranging from 2.10±0.02 (1σ) to 2.46±0.04. The non-chromite-bearing ureilites have the most reduced Cr, with a weighted mean valence of 2.12±0.01, i.e., Cr2+/Cr3+=7.33. All low-Fo chromite-bearing ureilites have more oxidized Cr, with valences ranging from 2.22±0.03 to 2.46±0.04. EET 96328, whose chromite grain we interpret as a late-crystallizing phase, yielded a reduced Cr valence of 2.15±0.07, similar to the non-chromite-bearing samples. Based on the measured Cr valences, magmatic (1200–1300°C) oxygen fugacities (fO2) of the non-chromite-bearing samples were estimated to be in the range IW−1.9 to IW−2.8 (assuming basaltic melt composition), consistent with fO2 values obtained by assuming olivine-silica-iron metal (OSI) equilibrium. For the primary chromite-bearing-ureilites, the corresponding fO2 were estimated (again, assuming basaltic melt composition) to be ∼IW to IW+1.0, i.e., several orders of magnitude more oxidizing than the conditions estimated for the chromite-free ureilites. In terms of Fo and Cr valence properties, ureilites appear to form two groups rather than a single “Cr-valence (or fO2) vs. Fo” trend. The chromite-bearing ureilites show little variation in Fo (∼74–76) but significant variation in Cr valence, while the non-chromite-bearing ureilites show significant variation in Fo (∼77–95) and little variation in Cr valence. These groups are unrelated to petrologic type (i.e., olivine–pigeonite, olivine–orthopyroxene, or augite-bearing). The chromite-bearing ureilites also have lower contents of Cr in olivine than most non-chromite-bearing ureilites, consistent with predictions based on Cr olivine/melt partitioning in spinel saturated vs. non-spinel-saturated systems.Under the assumption that at magmatic temperatures graphite–gas equilibria controlled fO2 at all depths on the ureilite parent body, we conclude: (1) that ureilite precursor materials having the Fo and Cr valence properties now observed in ureilites are unlikely to have been preserved during planetary processing; and (2) that the Fo and Cr valence properties now observed in ureilites are consistent with having been established by high-temperature carbon redox control over a range of depths on a plausible-sized ureilite parent body. The apparent limit on ureilite Fo values around 74–76 suggests that the precursor material(s) had bulk mg# ⩾ that of LL chondrites.

Comment on “Parent body depth‐pressure‐temperature relationships and the style of the ureilite anatexis” by P. H. Warren (MAPS 47:209–227)

AbstractUreilites are carbon‐rich ultramafic (olivine + dominantly low‐Ca pyroxene) achondrites with poorly understood petrogenesis. One major problem concerns the origin of extensive variation in FeO content (olivine core Fo values ranging from approximately 75 to 95) among the individual ureilites. The two main competing hypotheses to explain this variation are: (1) equilibrium smelting, in which ureilite Fo values were established by pressure‐dependent (depth‐linked) carbon redox reactions on the ureilite parent body during partial melting; or (2) nebular inheritance, in which the variation in FeO contents was derived from ureilite precursors and was preserved during partial melting. The paper “Parent body depth‐pressure‐temperature relationships and the style of the ureilite anatexis” by Warren (2012) discusses a series of topics related to ureilite petrogenesis. In each case, an argument is presented within the context of smelting versus nonsmelting models. Collectively, these arguments create the impression that there are many valid arguments against smelting. The purpose of this comment is to point out flaws in some of these arguments, and/or to show that the issues they address are independent of smelting versus nonsmelting models. Both equilibrium smelting and nebular inheritance (simple anatexis) models face challenges in explaining all the properties of ureilites, but both remain viable.

On the origin of the Almahata Sitta meteorite and 2008 TC3 asteroid

Asteroid 2008TC3 was a Near Earth Asteroid that impacted the Earth on 2008 October 7. Meteorites were produced by the break-up of 2008TC3 in the high atmosphere and at present, about 600 meteorites - called Almahata Sitta - coming from 2008TC3 have been recovered. A mineralogical study of Almahata Sitta fragments shows that the asteroid 2008TC3 was made of meteorites of different types (ureilites, H, L, and E chondrites). Understanding the origin of this body and how it was put together remain a challenge. Here we perform a detailed spectroscopical and dynamical investigation to show that the most likely source region of 2008TC3 is in the inner Main Belt at low inclination (i<8 degrees). We show that asteroids with spectroscopic classes that can be associated with the different meteorite types of Almahata Sitta are present in the region of the Main Belt that includes the Nysa-Polana family and objects of the Background at low inclination. Searching for a possible scenario of formation for 2008TC3, we show that there is little chance that 2008TC3 was formed by low velocity collisions between asteroids of different mineralogies, in the current asteroid belt. It seems more likely that the heterogeneous composition of 2008TC3 was a inherited from a time when the asteroid belt was in a different dynamical state, most likely in the very early Solar System. Because ureilites are fragments of a large, thermally metamorphosed asteroid, this suggests that the phases of collisional erosion (the break-up of the ureilite parent-body) and collisional accretion (the formation of the parent body of 2008TC3) overlapped for some time in the primordial asteroid belt.