Professor LIN Yangting and his team research Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic analyses of the lherzolitic shergottite Grove Mountains (GRV) 99027. Shergottites are a common group of Martian meteorites (51 out of 63 samples), and they are classified into three petrographic types: basaltic, olivine-phyric, and lherzolitic (or peridotitic).

A remarkable feature of shergottites is their young mineral isochron ages (165–475 Ma) in comparison with other Martian meteorites (‡1300 Ma). The new data of GRV 99027 support the same age of approximately 180 Ma for most lherzolitic shergottites, and fill the small gap of ISr between Allan Hills A77005 and Lewis Cliff 88516. All available data are consistent with a single igneous source for the intermediate subgroup of lherzolitic shergottites.

Liu et al. Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic systematics of the lherzolitic shergottite GRV 99027. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 2011, 46(5): 681-689 （Download Here）

Fig.. Rb-Sr isochron for GRV 99027.(Image by LIU)