A dual origin for water in carbonaceous asteroids revealed by CM chondrites

TL;DR

This study reveals that CM chondrites contain a dominant deuterium-poor water component, suggesting a widespread inner Solar System water reservoir, with some preserved deuterium-rich signatures indicating early ice transfer from outer regions.

Contribution

It provides in situ micrometer-scale hydrogen isotope measurements in CM chondrites, uncovering dual water sources and their implications for Solar System water delivery.

Findings

Dominant deuterium-poor water in CM chondrites

Presence of deuterium-rich water in the least altered Paris chondrite

Evidence for early transfer of outer Solar System ice

Abstract

Carbonaceous asteroids represent the principal source of water in the inner Solar System and might correspond to the main contributors for the delivery of water to Earth. Hydrogen isotopes in water-bearing primitive meteorites, e.g. carbonaceous chondrites, constitute a unique tool for deciphering the sources of water reservoirs at the time of asteroid formation. However, fine-scale isotopic measurements are required to unravel the effects of parent body processes on the pre-accretion isotopic distributions. Here we report in situ micrometer-scale analyses of hydrogen isotopes in six CM-type carbonaceous chondrites revealing a dominant deuterium-poor water component ({\delta}D = -350 +/- 40 permil) mixed with deuterium-rich organic matter. We suggest that this D-poor water corresponds to a ubiquitous water reservoir in the inner protoplanetary disk. A deuterium-rich water signature has been preserved in the least altered part of the Paris chondrite ({\delta}DParis > -69 +/- 163 permil) in hydrated phases possibly present in the CM rock before alteration. The presence of the D-enriched water signature in Paris might indicate that transfers of ice from the outer to the inner Solar System have been significant within the first million years of the Solar System history.