Late Aqueous Activity on Vesta

· by · in , , , ,

Tianjing Gao, Weibiao Hsu

JGR Planets, First Published: 27 December 2025

LINK

“Key Points

  • Apatite veins in a plagioclase-rich clast indicate fluid-assisted metasomatism on Vesta with a Pb-Pb age of 4,169 ± 85 Ma
  • Isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr and Δ17O) of the clast suggest fluids derived from primitive sources, likely carbonaceous chondrites
  • Veneneia crater on Vesta was probably excavated by carbonaceous impactors during the late heavy bombardment”

“Fluid-assisted metasomatism was prevalent on Vesta, but the timing and source(s) of aqueous activities remain elusive. Here, we report an absolute 207Pb/206Pb isochron age (4,169 ± 85 Ma) of apatites from a plagioclase-rich eucrite clast within the Jikharra 001 eucrite. Petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics demonstrate that apatite veins in the clast formed during fluid-assisted metasomatism on Vesta. The elevated 87Sr/86Sr ratios observed in the bulk clast and plagioclase grains suggest the incorporation of fluid from primitive sources, probably carbonaceous chondrites. The slightly negative oxygen isotopic composition (Δ17O = −0.275 ± 0.013‰) of the clast further indicates a largely carbonaceous chondrite source. Impacts from carbonaceous chondrites are the probable origin of Veneneia. Evidence from apatite veins in the Jikharra 001 is consistent with a carbonaceous fluid source and may constrain the age of Veneneia to the late heavy bombardment, approximately 4.1–4.2 Ga.”

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. Accessory mineral microstructure and chronology reveals no evidence for late heavy bombardment on the asteroid 4-VestaOPEN ACCESS 
  2. The water and fluorine content of 4 Vesta
  3. Differentiation and magmatic activity in Vesta evidenced by 26Al-26Mg dating in eucrites and diogenitesOPEN ACCESS 
  4. The late accretion and erosion of Vesta’s crust recorded by eucrites and diogenites as an astrochemical window into the formation of Jupiter and the early evolution of the Solar SystemOPEN ACCESS 
  5. The abundances of F, Cl, and H2O in eucrites: Implications for the origin of volatile depletion in the asteroid 4 Vesta
  6. Timing of the magmatic activity and upper crustal cooling of differentiated asteroid 4 Vesta
  7. Evidence against a Late Heavy Bombardment event on VestaOPEN ACCESS 
  8. Young asteroidal fluid activity revealed by absolute age from apatite in carbonaceous chondriteOPEN ACCESS 
  9. Prolonged magmatism on 4 Vesta inferred from Hf–W analyses of eucrite zircon
  10. Search for carbonaceous chondrites evidence on Vesta through the detection of carbonatesOPEN ACCESS 
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,