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An experimental study on kinetically‐driven precipitation of calcium‐magnesium‐iron carbonates from solution: Implications for the low‐temperature formation of carbonates in martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001
Author(s) -
GOLDEN D. C.,
MING D. W.,
SCHWANDT C. S.,
MORRIS R. V.,
YANG S. V.,
LOFGREN G. E.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01428.x
Subject(s) - meteorite , martian , precipitation , magnesium , chemistry , supersaturation , carbonate , mineralogy , geology , mars exploration program , astrobiology , physics , meteorology , organic chemistry
— Spherical carbonate globules of similar composition, size, and radial Ca‐, Mg‐, and Fe‐zonation to those in martian meteorite Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 were precipitated from Mg‐rich, supersaturated solutions of Ca‐Mg‐Fe‐CO 2 ‐H 2 O at 150 °C. The supersaturated solutions (pH ≅ 6–7) were prepared at room temperature and contained in Teflon TM ‐lined stainless steel vessels, which were sealed and heated to 150 °C for 24 h. Experiments were also conducted at 25 °C and no globules comparable to those of ALH 84001 were precipitated. Instead, amorphous Fe‐rich carbonates were formed after 24 h and Mg‐Fe calcites formed after 96 h. These experiments suggest a possible low‐temperature inorganic origin for the carbonates in martian meteorite ALH 84001.