U-Pb and Pb-Pb apatite ages for Antarctic achondrite Graves Nunataks 06129

Abstract

The Antarctic achondrite Graves Nunataks 06128 (GRA 06128) and Graves Nunataks 06129 (GRA 06129) represent a unique high-temperature, nonbasaltic magmatism in the early solar system. These objects have been interpreted as products of low-degree partial melting of volatile-rich chondritic material, which may have been the asteroid parent bodies of brachinite. Previous studies have investigated their crystallization and metamorphic history with various isotope systematics. Here, we report the U-Pb intercept age of 4466 ± 29 Ma and the weighted-average 207Pb-206Pb age of 4460 ± 30 Ma for the Cl-apatite grains from GRA 06129. Our apatite ages are obviously younger than that of the 26Al-26Mg model age (4565.9 ± 0.3 Ma; Shearer et al.), but are the same as the 40Ar-39Ar age obtained via step-heating of the bulk rock (4460 ± 28 Ma; Fernandes and Shearer; Shearer et al.). Based on petrographic observations, merrillites are usually rimmed by apatite and exist as inclusions in apatite. Therefore, the apatite U-Pb age from GRA 06129 probably records a metamorphic event of replacing merrillite with apatite, caused by Cl-rich melts or fluids on their parent body. A collisional event has provided the impact heating for this metamorphic event. Increasing amounts of geochronologic evidence show that the giant impact of the Moon-forming event has affected the asteroid belt at 4450–4470 Ma (Bogard and Garrison; Popova et al.; Yin et al.; Zhang et al.). Considering the contemporary metamorphic events for GRA 06129 (4460 ± 30 Ma), it is likely that the asteroid parent body of GRA 06129 was also affected by the same giant impact as the Moon-forming event.