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Somalia Meteorite Unveils Two Rare Earthly Minerals: A Cosmic Revelation

In 2020, a massive 16.5-ton meteorite known as the El Ali meteorite plummeted to Earth in Somalia, and within its celestial bulk, scientists unearthed two previously unseen minerals. This extraordinary discovery holds the promise of unveiling valuable insights into the enigmatic formation processes of these space rocks.

Meteorite That Recently Fell In Somalia Turns Out To Contain Two New Minerals Never Before Seen on Earth

In 2020, a colossal meteorite made a rare arrival in Somalia and unveiled two never-before-seen minerals, as identified by researchers at the University of Alberta. This substantial space rock, weighing a remarkable 16.5 tons (15 tonnes), ranks as the ninth-largest meteorite ever discovered on Earth. While countless space objects enter the Earth’s atmosphere daily, only a select few survive their fiery descent, making this meteorite an extraordinary exception. These newfound minerals within the meteorite offer an intriguing glimpse into the mysteries of cosmic rock formation.

 

A remarkable discovery emerged when a 2.5-ounce (70-gram) sample of the meteorite reached the University of Alberta for analysis. Researchers at the university pinpointed two minerals that have never been documented on Earth. Chris Herd, a professor in the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences and curator of the University of Alberta’s Meteorite Collection, explained the significance of this find, stating, “Whenever you find a new mineral, it means that the actual geological conditions, the chemistry of the rock, was different than what’s been found before. That’s what makes this exciting: In this particular meteorite, you have two officially described minerals that are new to science.” Image credit: University of Alberta

Meteorite That Recently Fell In Somalia Turns Out To Contain Two New Minerals Never Before Seen on Earth
Verifying the presence of a new mineral typically involves extensive work, but in this instance, the two minerals in question had previously been synthesized. This fortunate circumstance allowed the team to swiftly compare their compositions, confirming the groundbreaking discovery. An initial analysis conducted by the Electron Microprobe Laboratory at the University of Alberta also affirmed the existence of these unique minerals in the meteorite. Image credit: University of Alberta

Meteorite That Recently Fell In Somalia Turns Out To Contain Two New Minerals Never Before Seen on Earth
The two previously unknown minerals have been designated as “elaliite” and “elkinstantonite.” The former takes its name from the meteorite, “El Ali,” while the latter was named in honor of Professor Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the principal investigator of NASA’s forthcoming Psyche mission. Professor Elkins-Tanton’s research focuses on the formation of planetary cores and iron-nickel cores, making her contributions to science highly relevant to the discovery. Image credit: University of Alberta

Meteorite That Recently Fell In Somalia Turns Out To Contain Two New Minerals Never Before Seen on Earth

 

Intriguingly, a third potential new mineral is currently under consideration, pending further analysis. The confirmation of its presence would require additional research. If researchers were to access more samples from the immense meteorite, the possibility of discovering more minerals remains open, as suggested by Herd. However, the meteorite’s current location in China, where it has reportedly been moved for sale, makes it uncertain whether further samples will be available for scientific investigation. Image credit: University of Alberta

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