Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history

H. H. Kaplan; D. S. Lauretta; A. A. Simon; V. E. Hamilton; D. N. Dellagiustina; D. R. Golish; D. C. Reuter; C. A. Bennett; K. N. Burke; H. Campins; H. C. Connolly; J. P. Dworkin; J. P. Emery; D. P. Glavin; T. D. Glotch; R. Hanna; K. Ishimaru; E. R. Jawin; T. J. McCoy; N. Porter; S. A. Sandford; S. Ferrone; B. E. Clark; J. Y. Li; X. D. Zou; M. G. Daly; O. S. Barnouin; J. A. Seabrook; H. L. Enos

doi:10.1126/science.abc3557

Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history

H. H. Kaplan
, D. S. Lauretta
, A. A. Simon
, V. E. Hamilton
, D. N. Dellagiustina
, D. R. Golish
, D. C. Reuter
, C. A. Bennett
, K. N. Burke
, H. Campins
, H. C. Connolly
, J. P. Dworkin
, J. P. Emery
, D. P. Glavin
, T. D. Glotch
, R. Hanna
, K. Ishimaru
, E. R. Jawin
, T. J. McCoy
, N. Porter

S. A. Sandford, S. Ferrone, B. E. Clark, J. Y. Li, X. D. Zou, M. G. Daly, O. S. Barnouin, J. A. Seabrook, H. L. Enos

Geosciences

Stony Brook University

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Southwest Research Institute
University of Arizona
University of Central Florida
Rowan University
Northern Arizona University
University of Texas at Austin
Smithsonian Institution
NASA Ames Research Center
Ithaca College
12Planetary Science Institute
York University Toronto
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

118 Scopus citations

Abstract

The composition of asteroids and their connection to meteorites provide insight into geologic processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We present spectra of the Nightingale crater region on near-Earth asteroid Bennu with a distinct infrared absorption around 3.4 micrometers. Corresponding images of boulders show centimeters-thick, roughly meter-long bright veins. We interpret the veins as being composed of carbonates, similar to those found in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. If the veins on Bennu are carbonates, fluid flow and hydrothermal deposition on Bennu's parent body would have occurred on kilometer scales for thousands to millions of years. This suggests large-scale, open-system hydrothermal alteration of carbonaceous asteroids in the early Solar System.

Original language	English
Article number	abc3557
Journal	Science
Volume	370
Issue number	6517
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc3557
State	Published - Nov 6 2020

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Kaplan, H. H., Lauretta, D. S., Simon, A. A., Hamilton, V. E., Dellagiustina, D. N., Golish, D. R., Reuter, D. C., Bennett, C. A., Burke, K. N., Campins, H., Connolly, H. C., Dworkin, J. P., Emery, J. P., Glavin, D. P., Glotch, T. D., Hanna, R., Ishimaru, K., Jawin, E. R., McCoy, T. J., ... Enos, H. L. (2020). Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history. Science, 370(6517), Article abc3557. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc3557

@article{b974e6bd563347e09e4200e963335058,

title = "Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history",

abstract = "The composition of asteroids and their connection to meteorites provide insight into geologic processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We present spectra of the Nightingale crater region on near-Earth asteroid Bennu with a distinct infrared absorption around 3.4 micrometers. Corresponding images of boulders show centimeters-thick, roughly meter-long bright veins. We interpret the veins as being composed of carbonates, similar to those found in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. If the veins on Bennu are carbonates, fluid flow and hydrothermal deposition on Bennu's parent body would have occurred on kilometer scales for thousands to millions of years. This suggests large-scale, open-system hydrothermal alteration of carbonaceous asteroids in the early Solar System.",

author = "Kaplan, \{H. H.\} and Lauretta, \{D. S.\} and Simon, \{A. A.\} and Hamilton, \{V. E.\} and Dellagiustina, \{D. N.\} and Golish, \{D. R.\} and Reuter, \{D. C.\} and Bennett, \{C. A.\} and Burke, \{K. N.\} and H. Campins and Connolly, \{H. C.\} and Dworkin, \{J. P.\} and Emery, \{J. P.\} and Glavin, \{D. P.\} and Glotch, \{T. D.\} and R. Hanna and K. Ishimaru and Jawin, \{E. R.\} and McCoy, \{T. J.\} and N. Porter and Sandford, \{S. A.\} and S. Ferrone and Clark, \{B. E.\} and Li, \{J. Y.\} and Zou, \{X. D.\} and Daly, \{M. G.\} and Barnouin, \{O. S.\} and Seabrook, \{J. A.\} and Enos, \{H. L.\}",

year = "2020",

month = nov,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1126/science.abc3557",

language = "English",

volume = "370",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

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}

Kaplan, HH, Lauretta, DS, Simon, AA, Hamilton, VE, Dellagiustina, DN, Golish, DR, Reuter, DC, Bennett, CA, Burke, KN, Campins, H, Connolly, HC, Dworkin, JP, Emery, JP, Glavin, DP, Glotch, TD, Hanna, R, Ishimaru, K, Jawin, ER, McCoy, TJ, Porter, N, Sandford, SA, Ferrone, S, Clark, BE, Li, JY, Zou, XD, Daly, MG, Barnouin, OS, Seabrook, JA & Enos, HL 2020, 'Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history', Science, vol. 370, no. 6517, abc3557. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc3557

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) bennu

T2 - Implications for aqueous alteration history

AU - Kaplan, H. H.

AU - Lauretta, D. S.

AU - Simon, A. A.

AU - Hamilton, V. E.

AU - Dellagiustina, D. N.

AU - Golish, D. R.

AU - Reuter, D. C.

AU - Bennett, C. A.

AU - Burke, K. N.

AU - Campins, H.

AU - Connolly, H. C.

AU - Dworkin, J. P.

AU - Emery, J. P.

AU - Glavin, D. P.

AU - Glotch, T. D.

AU - Hanna, R.

AU - Ishimaru, K.

AU - Jawin, E. R.

AU - McCoy, T. J.

AU - Porter, N.

AU - Sandford, S. A.

AU - Ferrone, S.

AU - Clark, B. E.

AU - Li, J. Y.

AU - Zou, X. D.

AU - Daly, M. G.

AU - Barnouin, O. S.

AU - Seabrook, J. A.

AU - Enos, H. L.

PY - 2020/11/6

Y1 - 2020/11/6

N2 - The composition of asteroids and their connection to meteorites provide insight into geologic processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We present spectra of the Nightingale crater region on near-Earth asteroid Bennu with a distinct infrared absorption around 3.4 micrometers. Corresponding images of boulders show centimeters-thick, roughly meter-long bright veins. We interpret the veins as being composed of carbonates, similar to those found in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. If the veins on Bennu are carbonates, fluid flow and hydrothermal deposition on Bennu's parent body would have occurred on kilometer scales for thousands to millions of years. This suggests large-scale, open-system hydrothermal alteration of carbonaceous asteroids in the early Solar System.

AB - The composition of asteroids and their connection to meteorites provide insight into geologic processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We present spectra of the Nightingale crater region on near-Earth asteroid Bennu with a distinct infrared absorption around 3.4 micrometers. Corresponding images of boulders show centimeters-thick, roughly meter-long bright veins. We interpret the veins as being composed of carbonates, similar to those found in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. If the veins on Bennu are carbonates, fluid flow and hydrothermal deposition on Bennu's parent body would have occurred on kilometer scales for thousands to millions of years. This suggests large-scale, open-system hydrothermal alteration of carbonaceous asteroids in the early Solar System.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85093935704

U2 - 10.1126/science.abc3557

DO - 10.1126/science.abc3557

M3 - Article

C2 - 33033155

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 370

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6517

M1 - abc3557

ER -

Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history

Abstract

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