What is in news : Based on research over KATOL meteorite researchers have unravelled the composition expected to be present in the Earth’s lower mantle which is at about 660 km deep.

KATOL

• Striked Katol region of Nagpur in 2012
• Initial studies revealed that the host rock was mainly composed of olivine, an olive-green mineral. Olivine is the most abundant phase in our Earth’s upper mantle.
• Mineralogy was determined using a laser micro-Raman spectrometer.

About new Study

• Reports the first natural occurrence of a mineral called BRIDGMANITE. (named in 2014 after Prof. Percy W. Bridgman)
• 80% of the Earth’s lower mantle is made up of bridgmanite
• bridgmanite in the meteorite was found to be formed at pressures of about 23 to 25 gigapascals generated by the shock event. The high temperature and pressure in our Earth’s interior have changed over billions of years causing crystallisation, melting, remelting of the different minerals before they reached their current state.
• It is important to study these individual minerals to get a thorough idea of how and when the Earth’s layers formed.