Shock-transformation of whitlockite to merrillite and the implications for meteoritic phosphate

C. T. Adcock (), O. Tschauner, E. M. Hausrath, A. Udry, S. N. Luo, Y. Cai, M. Ren, A. Lanzirotti, M. Newville, M. Kunz and C. Lin
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C. T. Adcock: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
O. Tschauner: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
E. M. Hausrath: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
A. Udry: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
S. N. Luo: Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, Southwest Jiaotong University
Y. Cai: The Peac Institute of Multiscale Sciences
M. Ren: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
A. Lanzirotti: GeoScienceEnviro Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, University of Chicago, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory
M. Newville: GeoScienceEnviro Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, University of Chicago, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory
M. Kunz: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Advanced Light Source, University of California, Berkeley
C. Lin: High Pressure Collaborative Access Team (HPCAT), Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Meteorites represent the only samples available for study on Earth of a number of planetary bodies. The minerals within meteorites therefore hold the key to addressing numerous questions about our solar system. Of particular interest is the Ca-phosphate mineral merrillite, the anhydrous end-member of the merrillite–whitlockite solid solution series. For example, the anhydrous nature of merrillite in Martian meteorites has been interpreted as evidence of water-limited late-stage Martian melts. However, recent research on apatite in the same meteorites suggests higher water content in melts. One complication of using meteorites rather than direct samples is the shock compression all meteorites have experienced, which can alter meteorite mineralogy. Here we show whitlockite transformation into merrillite by shock-compression levels relevant to meteorites, including Martian meteorites. The results open the possibility that at least part of meteoritic merrillite may have originally been H+-bearing whitlockite with implications for interpreting meteorites and the need for future sample return.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14667

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