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Geologists have uncovered mineral forms never before seen on Earth at the site of a 60 million-year-old meteorite strike on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
When probing a thick layer of ancient lava flow on the small, picturesque island, Simon Drake and colleague Andy Beard from Birkbeck, University of London, were surprised to find a bizarre-looking rock.
“When we looked at the rock to start off with, it was very, very strange indeed,” Drake tells Newsweek. “It looked completely out of place.… We were staggered.”
Geology published the results of the research, of which Drake is lead author.
Alien Mineral Forms
Upon further analysis with electron microprobes, the team found minerals that led them to believe the rock was of extra-terrestrial origin.
“The most compelling evidence really is the presence of vanadium-rich and niobium-rich osbornite. Neither of these have ever been found on Earth before. We have these mineral totally enclosed in native iron, which itself is not of this planet,” Drake says.
...
Volcanic Activity May Have Alien Origins
The Isle of Skye is of particular interest to geologists because it was created during a period of extreme volcanic activity. The island was formed when magma rose from deep inside the Earth and broke through the crust. The same event is believed to be responsible for modern-day Iceland.
But of particular interest is what caused this event in the first place, Drake says.
“Whilst we can’t say that the volcanological evolution of Skye was started by a meteorite, we think it was definitely a driver for that impact,” Drake told Newsweek.
http://www.newsweek.com/skye-meteorites-alien-mineral-749103
When probing a thick layer of ancient lava flow on the small, picturesque island, Simon Drake and colleague Andy Beard from Birkbeck, University of London, were surprised to find a bizarre-looking rock.
“When we looked at the rock to start off with, it was very, very strange indeed,” Drake tells Newsweek. “It looked completely out of place.… We were staggered.”
Geology published the results of the research, of which Drake is lead author.
Alien Mineral Forms
Upon further analysis with electron microprobes, the team found minerals that led them to believe the rock was of extra-terrestrial origin.
“The most compelling evidence really is the presence of vanadium-rich and niobium-rich osbornite. Neither of these have ever been found on Earth before. We have these mineral totally enclosed in native iron, which itself is not of this planet,” Drake says.
...
Volcanic Activity May Have Alien Origins
The Isle of Skye is of particular interest to geologists because it was created during a period of extreme volcanic activity. The island was formed when magma rose from deep inside the Earth and broke through the crust. The same event is believed to be responsible for modern-day Iceland.
But of particular interest is what caused this event in the first place, Drake says.
“Whilst we can’t say that the volcanological evolution of Skye was started by a meteorite, we think it was definitely a driver for that impact,” Drake told Newsweek.
http://www.newsweek.com/skye-meteorites-alien-mineral-749103
