Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com – When examining two ancient meteorite impact craters, scientists discovered a mysterious new mineral, but we may never see it properly, only its “ghost”.
Using a high-powered electron microscope, a science team examined tiny rock fragments from impact craters in Germany and Canada. This led to a curious discovery of a new mineral, but it’s annoying because we can’t observe it properly.
Monazite under a microscope showing the former presence of a new mineral. Credit: Curtin University
“We found microscopic evidence that monazite, a rare earth element phosphate, transformed to another crystal structure under high pressure from a shockwave, similar to how graphite can turn into diamond under pressure,” Associate Professor Nick Timms, from Curtin’s Space Science and Technology Centre said in a press statement.
“However, the mineral reverted to its original crystal structure instead of maintaining this new structural form, and while the new mineral only existed for fractions of a second as the shockwave passed through the Earth close to ground zero, it left unique crystallographic clues to its existence.
“We are on the verge of discovering a new mineral, but there is a hitch because the mineral is not stable at the Earth’s surface and readily transforms back to monazite again. Therefore, we have really only seen, and will probably only ever see, its ‘ghost’.”
Google Earth image of the Haughton impact crater, Devon Island. Credit: Public Domain
The evidence for the new mineral was found at two ancient meteorite impact craters – the Ries Crater in Germany and the Haughton impact structure in arctic Canada – but until the elusive mineral is found preserved in rocks, scientists cannot give it a proper name.
Written by Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com Staff Writer