BOONE, N.C. — A new study in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta has dated a rare Martian meteorite to 1.27 billion years old, identifying it as an unusual shergottite from a previously unsampled, pristine source on Mars. Anthony Love, research operations and laboratories manager in Appalachian State University’s Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, is a co‑author on the publication, contributing resources and conceptualization to the study.
The meteorite’s age and chondritic initial isotope composition provide new boundaries on early solar system processes and help fill a 1.8‑billion‑year gap in scientists’ understanding of Mars’ geologic history.
Read the full Universities Space Research Association press release
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About the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
Located in Western North Carolina, Appalachian State University provides the perfect setting to study geological and environmental sciences. The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences provides students with a solid foundation on which to prepare for graduate school or build successful careers as scientists, consultants, and secondary education teachers. The department offers six degree options in geology and two degree options in environmental science. Learn more about the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
Smiling man in a striped polo holds two rock samples in a geology lab, with mineral specimens, charts, and equipment behind him.
Anthony Love is the research operations and laboratories manager in Appalachian State University’s Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences.