The EC 002 meteorite is the oldest-known volcanic rock ever found.
An ancient volcanic space rock found in the Algerian Sahara Desert may provide scientists with insights into the building blocks of planets. Dubbed Erg Chech 002, or EC 002, the meteorite is believed to be a remnant of a protoplanet dating back 4.6 billion years, about the time when our solar system was being formed.
The coarse-grained, brown space rock is studded with green, yellow-green, and yellow-brown crystals. Unlike previously found meteorites, which comprise a kind of volcanic rock called basalt, Erg Chech 002 is composed of Andesite which is rarely seen in meteorites.
The researchers, who published their findings in the journal PNAS on March 16, 2021, believe the fragment was probably part of the crust of an ancient protoplanet, a large, rocky body in the process of developing into a planet.
They speculate that the baby planet got destroyed, or was devoured, by a bigger planet during our solar system’s formation.