New Natural Very Dense Polymorph Of Silica From The Martian Meteorite Shergotty: Implications For The Possible Heterogeneity Of Earth's Lower Mantle
Researchers found a novel natural, very dense polymorph of silica in the Shergotty meteorite, which challenges the accepted composition of Earth's lower mantle. The discovery suggests that free dense silica polymorphs could exist in the Earth's deep interior.