Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd Isotopic Studies of Antarctic Nakhlite MIL 03346

Nakhlites are olivine-bearing clinopyroxenites with cumulate textures, and probably came from Mars [e.g., 1]. A total of seven nakhlites have been identified so far. Unlike other martian meteorites (e.g., shergottites), nakhlites have been only moderately shocked and their original igneous textures are still well-preserved. Also, these meteorites have similarly older crystallization ages of approx.1.3 Ga compared to shergottites with ages of approx.0.18-0.57 Ga [e.g., 2]. MIL 03346 is characterized by abundant (approx.20 vol %) glassy mesostasis, indicating that it cooled rapidly and probably formed near the top [3] or at the bottom [4] of the chilled margin of a thick intrusive body. The mesostasis quenched from the trapped intercumulus liquid may provide information on the parent magma compositions of the nakhlites. In this report, we present Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic data for MIL 03346, discuss correlation of its age with those of other nakhlites and the nature of their source regions in the Martian mantle.