Martian Meteorites Shed Light on Solar System’s Early Dynamics

Chemical compositions of rocks from Mars indicate that the earliest orbits of Jupiter and Saturn were more circular than they are today.

Áine O'Brien Chair, RAS Early Career Network

The former physics teacher, now studying martian meteorites at Glasgow, explains why early-career scientists need support now more than ever. Interview by Paul Johnson.

Constraints on Martian Chronology from Meteorites

Martian meteorites provide the only direct constraints on the timing of Martian accretion, core formation, magmatic differentiation, and ongoing volcanism. While many radiogenic isotope chronometers have been applied to a wide variety of Martian samples, few, if any, techniques are immune to secondary effects from alteration and terrestrial weathering. This short review focuses on the most robust geochronometers that have been used to date Martian meteorites and geochemically model the differentiation of the planet, including 147Sm/143Nd, 146Sm/142Nd, 176Lu/176Hf, 182Hf/182W, and U-Th-Pb systematics.