Kaersutite
A titanium-rich amphibole found in tiny melt pockets in Martian meteorites.
Key facts
- Formula
- NaCa2(Mg4Ti)Si6Al2O23(OH)
- Family
- Silicates
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
What it is
Kaersutite is an amphibole, a double-chain silicate containing hydroxyl, rich in titanium. Amphiboles need some water to form, so their presence in a rock records water in the magma.
Where it is found
It occurs in melt inclusions trapped inside olivine and pyroxene crystals in Martian meteorites, including shergottites, nakhlites and Chassigny. Its water content helps estimate how much water was dissolved in Martian magmas.
How it is recognised
It is brown in thin section and found inside melt inclusions with an electron microprobe.
Did you know?
Did you know?
Hydrogen isotopes in kaersutite from Martian meteorites carry the signature of water from the Martian atmosphere.
Did you know?
Kaersutite is named after Kaersut in Greenland.