The Age of the Carbonates in Martian Meteorite ALH84001

Lars E. Borg; James N. Connelly; Larry E. Nyquist; Chi-Y. Shih; Henry Wiesmann; Young Reese

doi:10.1126/science.286.5437.90

The Age of the Carbonates in Martian Meteorite ALH84001

Lars E. Borg^*, James N. Connelly, Larry E. Nyquist, Chi-Y. Shih, Henry Wiesmann, Young Reese

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

148 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The age of secondary carbonate mineralization in the martian meteorite ALH84001 was determined to be 3.90 ± 0.04 billion years by rubidium- strontium (Rb-Sr) dating and 4.04 ± 0.10 billion years by lead-lead (Pb-Pb) dating. The Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb isochrons are defined by leachates of a mixture of high-graded carbonate (visually estimated as ~5 percent), whitlockite (trace), and orthopyroxene (~95 percent). The carbonate formation age is contemporaneous with a period in martian history when the surface is thought to have had flowing water, but also was undergoing heavy bombardment by meteorites. Therefore, this age does not distinguish between aqueous and impact origins for the carbonates.

Original language	English
Journal	Science
Volume	286
Issue number	5437
Pages (from-to)	90-94
Number of pages	5
ISSN	0036-8075
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.286.5437.90
Publication status	Published - 1999
Externally published	Yes

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10.1126/science.286.5437.90

Cite this

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title = "The Age of the Carbonates in Martian Meteorite ALH84001",

abstract = "The age of secondary carbonate mineralization in the martian meteorite ALH84001 was determined to be 3.90 ± 0.04 billion years by rubidium- strontium (Rb-Sr) dating and 4.04 ± 0.10 billion years by lead-lead (Pb-Pb) dating. The Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb isochrons are defined by leachates of a mixture of high-graded carbonate (visually estimated as ~5 percent), whitlockite (trace), and orthopyroxene (~95 percent). The carbonate formation age is contemporaneous with a period in martian history when the surface is thought to have had flowing water, but also was undergoing heavy bombardment by meteorites. Therefore, this age does not distinguish between aqueous and impact origins for the carbonates.",

author = "Borg, {Lars E.} and Connelly, {James N.} and Nyquist, {Larry E.} and Chi-Y. Shih and Henry Wiesmann and Young Reese",

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T1 - The Age of the Carbonates in Martian Meteorite ALH84001

AU - Borg, Lars E.

AU - Connelly, James N.

AU - Nyquist, Larry E.

AU - Shih, Chi-Y.

AU - Wiesmann, Henry

AU - Reese, Young

PY - 1999

Y1 - 1999

N2 - The age of secondary carbonate mineralization in the martian meteorite ALH84001 was determined to be 3.90 ± 0.04 billion years by rubidium- strontium (Rb-Sr) dating and 4.04 ± 0.10 billion years by lead-lead (Pb-Pb) dating. The Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb isochrons are defined by leachates of a mixture of high-graded carbonate (visually estimated as ~5 percent), whitlockite (trace), and orthopyroxene (~95 percent). The carbonate formation age is contemporaneous with a period in martian history when the surface is thought to have had flowing water, but also was undergoing heavy bombardment by meteorites. Therefore, this age does not distinguish between aqueous and impact origins for the carbonates.

AB - The age of secondary carbonate mineralization in the martian meteorite ALH84001 was determined to be 3.90 ± 0.04 billion years by rubidium- strontium (Rb-Sr) dating and 4.04 ± 0.10 billion years by lead-lead (Pb-Pb) dating. The Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb isochrons are defined by leachates of a mixture of high-graded carbonate (visually estimated as ~5 percent), whitlockite (trace), and orthopyroxene (~95 percent). The carbonate formation age is contemporaneous with a period in martian history when the surface is thought to have had flowing water, but also was undergoing heavy bombardment by meteorites. Therefore, this age does not distinguish between aqueous and impact origins for the carbonates.

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DO - 10.1126/science.286.5437.90

M3 - Journal article

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AN - SCOPUS:0033213911

VL - 286

SP - 90

EP - 94

JO - Science

JF - Science

SN - 0036-8075

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