12 Sep 2011
A new study in the journal Nature provides evidence that a late addition of chondritic meteorite material influenced the composition of the Earth’s mantle. This late addition, popularly known as the “late veneer”, is believed to have been added to Earth ~4 billion years ago. The results of the study suggest that the late veneer enhanced the concentration of siderophile (or iron-loving) elements like gold and platinum in some portions of the mantle. The material delivered in the late veneer might also have influenced the budget of Earth’s volatile and organic compounds. Read more here and here!
