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Non-destructive characterisation of the Elephant Moraine 83227 meteorite using confocal Raman, micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and Raman-scanning electron microscope-energy-dispersive X-ray microscopies

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Abstract

The application of a non-destructive analytical procedure to characterise the mineral phases in meteorites is a key issue in order to preserve this type of scarce materials. In the present work, the Elephant Moraine 83227 meteorite, found in Antarctica in 1983 and originated from 4 Vesta asteroid, was analysed by micro-Raman spectroscopy, micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and the structural and chemical analyser (Raman spectroscopy coupled with scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy) working in both point-by-point and image modes. The combination of all these techniques allows the extraction of, at the same time, elemental, molecular and structural data of the studied microscopic area of the meteorite. The most relevant results of the Elephant Moraine 83227 were the finding of tridymite for the first time in a 4 Vesta meteorite, along with quartz, which means that the meteorite suffered high temperatures at a certain point. Moreover, both feldspar and pyroxene were found as the main mineral phases in the sample. Ilmenite, apatite, chromite and elemental sulphur were also detected as secondary minerals. Finally, calcite was found as a weathering product, which was probably formed in terrestrial weathering processes of the pyroxene present in the sample. Besides, Raman spectroscopy provided information about the conditions that the meteorite experienced; the displacements in some feldspar Raman bands were used to estimate the temperature and pressure conditions to which the Elephant Moraine 83227 was subjected, because we obtained both low and high formation temperature feldspar.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported through the project “Development of the Raman instrument for the ESA Mission Exomars2018: Science support, equipment testing and operation support” (ref. ESP2014-56138-C3-2-R) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER/UE). The thin section sample of the EET 83227 meteorite was kindly provided by the US Antarctic Meteorite Program. US Antarctic meteorite samples are recovered by the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) program, which has been funded by NSF and NASA, and characterised and curated by the Department of Mineral Sciences of the Smithsonian Institution and Astromaterials Curation Office at NASA Johnson Space Center. Authors thank Raman-LASPEA Laboratory from the SGIker (UPV/EHU, MICINN, GV/EJ, ERDF and ESF) of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) for their collaboration in the analyses [9].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940, Leioa, Basque Country, Spain

    Imanol Torre-Fdez, Julene Aramendia, Leticia Gomez-Nubla, Kepa Castro, Silvia Fdez-Ortiz de Vallejuelo, Gorka Arana & Juan M. Madariaga

  2. Spanish Science Team of the RLS instrument, Exomars 2020 Mission of ESA to Mars, Valladolid, Spain

    Imanol Torre-Fdez, Julene Aramendia, Leticia Gomez-Nubla, Kepa Castro, Maite Maguregui, Silvia Fdez-Ortiz de Vallejuelo, Gorka Arana & Juan M. Madariaga

  3. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), P.O. Box 450, 01080, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain

    Maite Maguregui

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  1. Imanol Torre-Fdez
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Correspondence to Imanol Torre-Fdez.

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Torre-Fdez, I., Aramendia, J., Gomez-Nubla, L. et al. Non-destructive characterisation of the Elephant Moraine 83227 meteorite using confocal Raman, micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and Raman-scanning electron microscope-energy-dispersive X-ray microscopies. Anal Bioanal Chem 410, 7477–7488 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-1363-5

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