Abstract
The Kodaikanal iron meteorite contains evidence of intensive chemical activity which, according to Rb–Sr studies1, occurred ∼800 Myr after the formation of the Solar System. Here we report the results of U–Pb isotope analyses on a silicate inclusion from Kodaikanal. Leaching experiments on the two major phases, clinopyroxene (CPX) and alkali-rich glass, indicate a contamination by terrestrial Pb attributable to previous curatorial cutting of this iron meteorite. The leached minerals define concordant U–Pb ages that validate the precise Pb–Pb age of 3,676±3 Myr. These data are consistant with Rb–Sr age determinations1. The absence of initial Pb indicates a fast cooling of the silicate material. This has already been established for the metal phase, and a collisional origin for Kodaikanal is favoured.
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Göpel, C., Manhès, G. & Allègre, C. Concordant 3,676 Myr U–Pb formation age for the Kodaikanal iron meteorite. Nature 317, 341–344 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/317341a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/317341a0
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