A 15-ton meteorite from the year 2020 that was found in Somalia, the ninth largest meteorite ever found, was found to contain at least two new minerals that had never been observed before on Earth. According to researchers, the minerals might hold the solution to the solar system's mysteries.
Chris Herd, a professor in the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta, said that every time a new mineral is discovered, it indicates that the rock's chemistry and actual geological conditions were distinct from those of previously discovered minerals. This particular meteorite contains two officially described and undiscovered minerals, which is what makes it so intriguing. Herd oversees the University's meteorite collection as well.
Two Extraterrestrial Minerals: Elaliite and Elkinstantonite
The two minerals were discovered in a single 70-gram slice of the massive meteorite that was sent to the University of Alberta for classification, and it already seems that a third mineral may be in the works. There's a possibility that even more could be discovered if scientists were to collect more samples from the meteorite, according to Herd.
The names of the two recently found minerals are elaliite and elkinstantonite. The name of the first comes from the meteorite itself, which was given the name "El Ali" because it was discovered close to the town of El Ali in the Somalian region of Hiiraan. Herd gave the second mineral the name Lindy Elkins-Tanton in honor of the ASU Interplanetary Initiative vice president, professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, and lead scientist for NASA's upcoming Psyche mission, Live Science reports.
Herd explains that The iron-nickel cores are the most closely related thing to iron meteorites and were the subject of extensive research by Elkins-Tanton. So, according to Herd, it made sense to honor her scientific achievements by naming a mineral after her.
Herd identified the El Ali meteorite as one of over 350 "Iron, IAB complex" meteorites in collaboration with scientists at UCLA and the California Institute of Technology.
Naturally Occurring, Initially Synthetic
Herd noticed something while examining the meteorite to determine its classification. He enlisted the assistance of Andrew Locock, director of the University of Alberta's Electron Microprobe Laboratory, who has contributed to the descriptions of other new minerals, such as Heamanite- (Ce).
Herd said that Locock reported that there were two minerals at least in the slice on the first day Lacock conducted some analyses. This was incredible because typically, it takes much more effort to report the discovery of a new mineral.
Because the two minerals had previously been synthesized, Locock was able to quickly identify them and compare the chemical makeup of the newly discovered natural minerals to those of their man-made counterparts.
Read also: $300,000 Research Fund Allocated for Rare Critical Mineral Indium Found in Utah
Uses of the New Minerals
The minerals are still being examined by scientists to see what they can reveal about the meteorite's environment at the time of its formation.
Herd clarified that his area of expertise was to elucidate the geologic history and processes that shaped the asteroid that this rock once belonged to.
Herd adds that future mineral discoveries might lead to intriguing new applications.
According to Herd, material scientists are always interested in new materials because of their potential applications in a variety of societal contexts.
The meteorite's future is still unknown, but according to Herd, the researchers have learned that it was moved to China to find a buyer. The availability of additional samples for scientific research is still uncertain, the University of Alberta reports.
On November 21, Herd presented the results at the Space Exploration Symposium.
Related article: Large Concentration of Rare Earth Elements Worth Billions of Dollars Found in 450-Million-Year-Old Volcanic Rock in Northern Maine
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