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The age of the representative Martian meteorite NWA 5298 is determined using spatially correlated electron-beam nanostructural and uranium–lead isotopic measurements of microminerals, resolving a paradox of different age interpretations for the evolution of Martian crust. Martian meteorite age mismatch resolved A few of the many meteorites that fall to Earth are of Martian origin. The true age of these rare samples of the Martian surface has been the subject of a decades-long debate, with interpreted ages differing by up to 4 billion years. Desmond Moser and colleagues resolve this problem using a new approach to dating meteorite launch events through nanoscale investigation of crystal growth zoning and structures. Their analysis of the resistant micromineral baddeleyite and host igneous minerals in the highly shocked Martian meteorite Northwest Africa 5298 reveals it as a crystallization product of Martian volcanism of the past 400 million years. Previous estimates of a 4-billion-year age of formation have actually dated a remnant signature of the ancient mantle melting event from which the magma was derived. These findings confirm the presence of an ancient, non-convecting mantle beneath a relatively young volcanic Martian crust. Invaluable records of planetary dynamics and evolution can be recovered from the geochemical systematics of single meteorites 1 . However, the interpreted ages of the ejected igneous crust of Mars differ by up to four billion years 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , a conundrum 7 due in part to the difficulty of using geochemistry alone to distinguish between the ages of formation and the ages of the impact events that launched debris towards Earth. Here we solve the conundrum by combining in situ electron-beam nanostructural analyses and U–Pb (uranium–lead) isotopic measurements of the resistant micromineral baddeleyite (ZrO 2 ) and host igneous minerals in the highly shock-metamorphosed shergottite Northwest Africa 5298 (ref. 8 ), which is a basaltic Martian meteorite. We establish that the micro-baddeleyite grains pre-date the launch event because they are shocked, cogenetic with host igneous minerals, and preserve primary igneous growth zoning. The grains least affected by shock disturbance, and which are rich in radiogenic Pb, date the basalt crystallization near the Martian surface to 187 ± 33 million years before present. Primitive, non-radiogenic Pb isotope compositions of the host minerals, common to most shergottites 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , do not help us to date the meteorite, instead indicating a magma source region that was fractionated more than four billion years ago 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 to form a persistent reservoir so far unique to Mars 1 , 9 . Local impact melting during ejection from Mars less than 22 ± 2 million years ago caused the growth of unshocked, launch-generated zircon and the partial disturbance of baddeleyite dates. We can thus confirm the presence of ancient, non-convecting mantle beneath young volcanic Mars, place an upper bound on the interplanetary travel time of the ejected Martian crust, and validate a new approach to the geochronology of the inner Solar System.

The timing of the wane in heavy meteorite bombardment of the inner planets is debated. Its timing determines the onset of crustal conditions consistently below the thermal and shock pressure limits for microbiota survival, and so bounds the occurrence of conditions that allow planets to be habitable. Here we determine this timing for Mars by examining the metamorphic histories of the oldest known Martian minerals, 4.476–4.429-Gyr-old zircon and baddeleyite grains in meteorites derived from the southern highlands. We use electron microscopy and atom probe tomography to show that none of these grains were exposed to the life-limiting shock pressure of 78 GPa. 97% of the grains exhibit weak-to-no shock metamorphic features and no thermal overprints from shock-induced melting. By contrast, about 80% of the studied grains from bombarded crust on Earth and the Moon show such features. The giant impact proposed to have created Mars’ hemispheric dichotomy must, therefore, have taken place more than 4.48 Gyr ago, with no later cataclysmic bombardments. Considering thermal habitability models, we conclude that portions of Mars’ crust reached habitable pressures and temperatures by 4.2 Gyr ago, the onset of the Martian ‘wet’ period, about 0.5 Gyr earlier than the earliest known record of life on Earth. Early abiogenesis by 4.2 Gyr ago, is now tenable for both planets.

The feldspar minerals occur in a wide variety of lithologies throughout the Solar System, often containing a variety of chemical and structural features indicative of the crystallization conditions, cooling history and deformational state of the crystal. Such phenomena are often poorly resolved in micrometre-scale analyses. Here, atom probe tomography (APT) is conducted on Ca-rich (bytownite) and Na-rich (albite) plagioclase reference materials, experimentally exsolved K-feldspar (sanidine), shock-induced plagioclase glass (labradorite-composition), and shocked and recrystallized plagioclase to directly test the application of APT to feldspar and yield new insights into crystallographic features such as amorphisation and exsolution. Undeformed plagioclase reference materials (Amelia albite and Stillwater bytownite) appear chemically homogenous, and yield compositions largely within uncertainty of published data. Within microstructurally complex materials, APT can resolve chemical variations across a ~ 20 nm wide exsolution lamella and define major element (Na, K) diffusion profiles across the lamella boundaries, which appear gradational over a ~ 10 nm length scale in experimentally exsolved K-feldspar NNPP-04b. The plagioclase glass within the Zagami shergottite shows no heterogeneity in the distribution of major elements, although the enrichment of Fe, Mg and Sr in the bulk microtip points to at least minor incorporation of surrounding phases (pyroxene), and with that supports a shock-melt origin for the glass (maskelynite). The recrystallization of feldspar during post-shock annealing, such as in poikilitic shergottite NWA 6342, appears to induce a range of chemical nanostructures that locally effect the composition of the material. These findings demonstrate the ability of APT to yield new insights into nanoscale composition and chemical structures of alumniosilicate phases, highlighting an exciting new avenue with which to analyse these key rock-forming minerals.

Evaporation or freezing of water-rich fluids with dilute concentrations of dissolved salts can produce brines, as observed in closed basins on Earth 1 and detected by remote sensing on icy bodies in the outer Solar System 2 , 3 . The mineralogical evolution of these brines is well understood in regard to terrestrial environments 4 , but poorly constrained for extraterrestrial systems owing to a lack of direct sampling. Here we report the occurrence of salt minerals in samples of the asteroid (101955) Bennu returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission 5 . These include sodium-bearing phosphates and sodium-rich carbonates, sulfates, chlorides and fluorides formed during evaporation of a late-stage brine that existed early in the history of Bennu’s parent body. Discovery of diverse salts would not be possible without mission sample return and careful curation and storage, because these decompose with prolonged exposure to Earth’s atmosphere. Similar brines probably still occur in the interior of icy bodies Ceres and Enceladus, as indicated by spectra or measurement of sodium carbonate on the surface or in plumes 2 , 3 . Samples from the asteroid (101955) Bennu, returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission, include sodium-bearing phosphates and sodium-rich carbonates, sulfates, chlorides and fluorides formed during evaporation of a late-stage brine.

Accurately constraining the formation and evolution of the lunar magnesian suite is key to understanding the earliest periods of magmatic crustal building that followed accretion and primordial differentiation of the Moon. However, the origin and evolution of these unique rocks is highly debated. Here, we report on the microstructural characterization of a large (~250-μm) baddeleyite (monoclinic-ZrO 2 ) grain in Apollo troctolite 76535 that preserves quantifiable crystallographic relationships indicative of reversion from a precursor cubic-ZrO 2 phase. This observation places important constraints on the formation temperature of the grain (>2,300 °C), which endogenic processes alone fail to reconcile. We conclude that the troctolite crystallized directly from a large, differentiated impact melt sheet 4,328 ± 8 Myr ago. These results suggest that impact bombardment would have played a critical role in the evolution of the earliest planetary crusts. A zirconium-based crystal (baddeleyite) found embedded in a sample brought to Earth by Apollo 17 provides evidence of large-scale impact bombardment of the Moon about 4.33 Gyr ago, when the baddeleyite grain was formed. This result points to the importance of impacts in the early evolution of planetary crusts.

Baddeleyite is a powerful chronometer of mafic magmatic and meteorite impact processes. Precise and accurate U–Pb ages can be determined from single grains by isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS), but this requires disaggregation of the host rock for grain isolation and dissolution. As a result, the technique is rarely applied to precious samples with limited availability (such as lunar, Martian, and asteroidal meteorites and returned samples) or samples containing small baddeleyite grains that cannot readily be isolated by conventional mineral separation techniques. Here, we use focused ion beam (FIB) techniques, utilizing both Xe+ plasma and Ga+ ion sources, to liberate baddeleyite subdomains directly, allowing their extraction for ID-TIMS dating. We have analysed the U–Pb isotope systematics of domains ranging between 200 and 10 µm in length and from 5 to ≤0.1 µg in mass. In total, six domains of Phalaborwa baddeleyite extracted using a Xe+ plasma FIB (pFIB) yield a weighted mean 207Pb∕206Pb age of 2060.1±2.5 Ma (0.12 %; all uncertainties 2σ), within uncertainty of reference values. The smallest extracted domain (ca. 10×15×10 µm) yields an internal 207Pb∕206Pb age uncertainty of ±0.37 %. Comparable control on cutting is achieved using a Ga+-source FIB instrument, though the slower speed of cutting limits potential application to larger grains. While the U–Pb data are between 0.5 % and 13.6 % discordant, the extent of discordance does not correlate with the ratio of material to ion-milled surface area, and results generate an accurate upper-intercept age in U–Pb concordia space of 2060.20±0.91 Ma (0.044 %). Thus, we confirm the natural U–Pb variation and discordance within the Phalaborwa baddeleyite population observed with other geochronological techniques. Our results demonstrate the FIB-TIMS technique to be a powerful tool for highly accurate in situ 207Pb∕206Pb (and potentially U–Pb in concordant materials) age analysis, allowing dating of a wide variety of targets and processes newly accessible to geochronology.

The perseverance rover is collecting and caching samples of Mars as part of the Mars 2020 mission, which represents the first leg of a multi-mission Mars Sample Return Campaign. The MSR Campaign is an international partnership that will result in delivery of the first martian samples to Earth that were not delivered through meteoritic infall. All meteorites, regardless of how they were handled from recovery to curation, have experienced uncontrolled entry and exposure to the terrestrial environment. Whilst meteorite deliveries are serendipitous, they are also unplanned events that require reactionary responses for recovery and curation. However, with the direct return of pristine astromaterials from another body, we are afforded the ability to design a facility in advance of sample delivery to keep those samples in a pristine (i.e., as returned) state for an indefinite period of time. \\u0009Given that the curation and processing infrastructure needs to be made out of something, it is important to choose materials for the pristine curation environment that will optimize between the need to effectively process samples and the need to minimize contamination of the samples. The Johnson Space Center (JSC) has an optimized list of materials that have been used in previous sample return missions that includes 304/316 Stainless Steel, Teflon, and T6061 Aluminum (1). This set of materials are compatible with inorganic, organic, and biological cleanliness requirements and protocols. Furthermore, only these materials are permitted to come in contact with pristine samples. We note that JSC uses Neoprene and Hypalon for the gloves on their gloveboxes, but the glove material never comes in direct contact with the samples, only the approved materials. The MSR sample tubes will be made of Ti, so Ti may be an acceptable material for making tools, but the minor and trace element abundances of 304 and 316 stainless steel are well known and do not inhibit scientific investigations of metals, including HSE (2). More work is needed to determine whether the same is true for Ti alloys. In addition to defining the materials in the pristine environment, one must also choose whether the pristine environment will be under vacuum or under a specific atmospheric composition and pressure. Although JAXA has successfully implemented pristine curation vacuum chambers for their Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 samples (3), a vacuum environment is not appropriate for martian samples because it may drive deliquescence of mineral phases in the samples that are sensitive to pressure and relative humidity (4). Consequently, the pristine environment for the martian samples should be under an inert gas. It will be crucial to minimize the number of gases that come into direct contact with samples and these gases will need to be high purity and consistent throughout the pristine isolators. Samples at JSC are stored under high purity gaseous nitrogen (1). Dry N2 gas has not been a problem for N isotope studies for high-T release phases, but an additional inert atmosphere like Ar may be needed for samples where there is a particular concern about low-T release of N from bulk sample analysis.

Senescent cells drive age-related tissue dysfunction partially through the induction of a chronic senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) 1 . Mitochondria are major regulators of the SASP; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated 2 . Mitochondria are often essential for apoptosis, a cell fate distinct from cellular senescence. During apoptosis, widespread mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) commits a cell to die 3 . Here we find that MOMP occurring in a subset of mitochondria is a feature of cellular senescence. This process, called minority MOMP (miMOMP), requires BAX and BAK macropores enabling the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the cytosol. Cytosolic mtDNA in turn activates the cGAS–STING pathway, a major regulator of the SASP. We find that inhibition of MOMP in vivo decreases inflammatory markers and improves healthspan in aged mice. Our results reveal that apoptosis and senescence are regulated by similar mitochondria-dependent mechanisms and that sublethal mitochondrial apoptotic stress is a major driver of the SASP. We provide proof-of-concept that inhibition of miMOMP-induced inflammation may be a therapeutic route to improve healthspan. During senescence, minority mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization leads to the release of mtDNA into the cytosol through BAX and BAK macropores, in turn activating the cGAS–STING pathway, a major regulator of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype.

Small inclusions in diamonds brought up from the mantle provide valuable clues to the mineralogy and chemistry of parts of Earth that we cannot otherwise sample. Tschauner et al. found inclusions of the high-pressure form of water called ice-VII in diamonds sourced from between 410 and 660 km depth, the part of the mantle known as the transition zone. The transition zone is a region where the stable minerals have high water storage capacity. The inclusions suggest that local aqueous pockets form at the transition zone boundary owing to the release of chemically bound water as rock cycles in and out of this region. Science , this issue p. 1136 The presence of ice-VII in diamond inclusions requires regions of the mantle with a free aqueous phase. Water-rich regions in Earth’s deeper mantle are suspected to play a key role in the global water budget and the mobility of heat-generating elements. We show that ice-VII occurs as inclusions in natural diamond and serves as an indicator for such water-rich regions. Ice-VII, the residue of aqueous fluid present during growth of diamond, crystallizes upon ascent of the host diamonds but remains at pressures as high as 24 gigapascals; it is now recognized as a mineral by the International Mineralogical Association. In particular, ice-VII in diamonds points toward fluid-rich locations in the upper transition zone and around the 660-kilometer boundary.