Somalia meteorite turns out to contain two minerals that are not found on Earth

[Judi Lynn]

Story by Sean Cate • Yesterday 3:46 PM

In 2020, a meteorite was discovered in Somalia. The 4.5 billion-year-old space rock is the ninth largest ever to be found on Earth, and scientists have discovered two minerals that do not naturally occur on Earth1. The discovery could provide valuable insights into the formation of asteroids and the early solar system, part of a larger project NASA is tackling – the Psyche mission.

The Discovery
The 16.5-ton meteorite was discovered in the deserts of central Somalia. In 2022, pieces of the space rock were sent to the University of Alberta for classification. Studies were conducted by an international team led by Dr. Christopher Herd, a professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University. The research used a combination of techniques from their Electron Microprobe Laboratory.

The Minerals Found
The two new minerals found in the meteorite are named after the place where it was found, El Ali, and the vice president of the ASU Interplanetary Initiative and principal investigator of NASA's upcoming Psyche mission, Lindy Elkins-Tanton2. The two minerals are subsequently named elaliite and elkinstantonite. These minerals do not naturally occur on Earth, but they have both been made synthetically before. According to Dr. Herd, discovering these minerals could provide valuable insights into the formation of asteroids.

Implications of the Discovery
The discovery could have practical applications. Herd noted, "Whenever there's a new material that's known, material scientists are interested too because of the potential uses in a wide range of things in society." The rock is currently in China waiting on a potential buyer, but there may be more samples taken to confirm findings later on.

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/somalia-meteorite-turns-out-to-contain-two-minerals-that-are-not-found-on-earth/ar-AA19z3cU

[Tetrachloride]

1. wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ali_meteorite