An evaporite sequence from ancient brine recorded in Bennu samples

T. J. McCoy (), S. S. Russell, T. J. Zega, K. L. Thomas-Keprta, S. A. Singerling, F. E. Brenker, N. E. Timms, W. D. A. Rickard, J. J. Barnes, G. Libourel, S. Ray, C. M. Corrigan, P. Haenecour, Z. Gainsforth, G. Dominguez, A. J. King, L. P. Keller, M. S. Thompson, S. A. Sandford, R. H. Jones, H. Yurimoto, K. Righter, S. A. Eckley, P. A. Bland, M. A. Marcus, D. N. DellaGiustina, T. R. Ireland, N. V. Almeida, C. S. Harrison, H. C. Bates, P. F. Schofield, L. B. Seifert, N. Sakamoto, N. Kawasaki, F. Jourdan, S. M. Reddy, D. W. Saxey, I. J. Ong, B. S. Prince, K. Ishimaru, L. R. Smith, M. C. Benner, N. A. Kerrison, M. Portail, V. Guigoz, P.-M. Zanetta, L. R. Wardell, T. Gooding, T. R. Rose, T. Salge, L. Le, V. M. Tu, Z. Zeszut, C. Mayers, X. Sun, D. H. Hill, N. G. Lunning, V. E. Hamilton, D. P. Glavin, J. P. Dworkin, H. H. Kaplan, I. A. Franchi, K. T. Tait, S. Tachibana, H. C. Connolly and D. S. Lauretta
Additional contact information
T. J. McCoy: Smithsonian Institution
S. S. Russell: Natural History Museum
T. J. Zega: University of Arizona
K. L. Thomas-Keprta: NASA Johnson Space Center
S. A. Singerling: Goethe University
F. E. Brenker: Goethe University
N. E. Timms: Curtin University
W. D. A. Rickard: Curtin University
J. J. Barnes: University of Arizona
G. Libourel: Laboratoire Lagrange
S. Ray: Smithsonian Institution
C. M. Corrigan: Smithsonian Institution
P. Haenecour: University of Arizona
Z. Gainsforth: University of California
G. Dominguez: California State University
A. J. King: Natural History Museum
L. P. Keller: NASA Johnson Space Center
M. S. Thompson: Purdue University
S. A. Sandford: NASA Ames Research Center
R. H. Jones: The University of Manchester
H. Yurimoto: Hokkaido University
K. Righter: NASA Johnson Space Center
S. A. Eckley: NASA Johnson Space Center
P. A. Bland: Curtin University
M. A. Marcus: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
D. N. DellaGiustina: University of Arizona
T. R. Ireland: University of Queensland
N. V. Almeida: Natural History Museum
C. S. Harrison: Natural History Museum
H. C. Bates: Natural History Museum
P. F. Schofield: Natural History Museum
L. B. Seifert: NASA Johnson Space Center
N. Sakamoto: Hokkaido University
N. Kawasaki: Hokkaido University
F. Jourdan: Curtin University
S. M. Reddy: Curtin University
D. W. Saxey: Curtin University
I. J. Ong: University of Arizona
B. S. Prince: University of Arizona
K. Ishimaru: University of Arizona
L. R. Smith: University of Arizona
M. C. Benner: University of Arizona
N. A. Kerrison: University of Arizona
M. Portail: CRHEA
V. Guigoz: CRHEA
P.-M. Zanetta: Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne
L. R. Wardell: Smithsonian Institution
T. Gooding: Smithsonian Institution
T. R. Rose: Smithsonian Institution
T. Salge: Natural History Museum
L. Le: NASA Johnson Space Center
V. M. Tu: NASA Johnson Space Center
Z. Zeszut: University of Arizona
C. Mayers: Curtin University
X. Sun: Curtin University
D. H. Hill: University of Arizona
N. G. Lunning: NASA Johnson Space Center
V. E. Hamilton: Southwest Research Institute
D. P. Glavin: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
J. P. Dworkin: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
H. H. Kaplan: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
I. A. Franchi: Open University
K. T. Tait: Royal Ontario Museum
S. Tachibana: University of Tokyo
H. C. Connolly: University of Arizona
D. S. Lauretta: University of Arizona

Nature, 2025, vol. 637, issue 8048, 1072-1077

Abstract: Abstract Evaporation or freezing of water-rich fluids with dilute concentrations of dissolved salts can produce brines, as observed in closed basins on Earth1 and detected by remote sensing on icy bodies in the outer Solar System2,3. The mineralogical evolution of these brines is well understood in regard to terrestrial environments4, but poorly constrained for extraterrestrial systems owing to a lack of direct sampling. Here we report the occurrence of salt minerals in samples of the asteroid (101955) Bennu returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission5. These include sodium-bearing phosphates and sodium-rich carbonates, sulfates, chlorides and fluorides formed during evaporation of a late-stage brine that existed early in the history of Bennu’s parent body. Discovery of diverse salts would not be possible without mission sample return and careful curation and storage, because these decompose with prolonged exposure to Earth’s atmosphere. Similar brines probably still occur in the interior of icy bodies Ceres and Enceladus, as indicated by spectra or measurement of sodium carbonate on the surface or in plumes2,3.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08495-6

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