The American network “CNN” reported that scientists have found in a meteorite, which was found in Somalia, two minerals that have no analogues on the planet.
A press release from the Canadian University of Alberta announcing the discovery stated that the meteorite that was found in 2020 is the ninth largest meteorite ever found, indicating it weighs around 15 tons. .
The meteorite was found near the city of Al-Ali in Somalia and was named “El-Ali”.
Chris Hurd, professor of geosciences and secretary at the University of Alberta, said the two minerals were not identified under the microscope and were later found to be two new minerals.
He emphasized that this case is “unusual”, since it usually takes a long time to achieve such a result.
One was named elalite and the other milkenstantonite, after scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator for NASA’s Psyche mission, which will travel to a mineral-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
“When you find a new mineral, it means that the actual geological conditions and rock chemistry were different from what was found before,” Hurd said.
“That’s what makes it so exciting… there are two minerals in this meteorite that are new to science,” he added.
According to Oliver Schuner, a mineralogist and professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Nevada, the two new minerals are iron phosphates.
He explained to CNN that the phosphates in meteorites are formed from the oxidation of phosphides, which are rare primary components of iron meteorites.
He added: “This means that the two metals came from oxidation processes that occurred in the material of the meteorite, and” it remains to be seen whether the oxidation occurred in space or on Earth after the fall.
And Schöner said that many meteorite phosphates are formed in space, and in both cases “it is likely that the water caused the oxidation.”
Source: CNN
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from Technology - Asume Tech https://asumetech.com/the-discovery-of-two-minerals-in-an-arab-country-unparalleled-on-earth-photo/
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