The oldest rocks main content.

The oldest rocks

Part of Hall of Meteorites.

B.3.2 The oldest rocks hero.jpg

Crystals containing calcium and aluminum date to the beginning of the solar system.

In This Section

Exhibit Allende (AMNH 4880) This fragment of Allende contains two kinds of calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAIs): round and irregularly shaped. Round CAIs melted... Exhibit Leoville Not every primitive meteorite contains calcium-aluminum inclusions; some meteorites, like Leoville, have abundant CAIs, whereas others,... Exhibit Clovis (No. 2) Not every primitive meteorite contains calcium-aluminum inclusions; some meteorites, like Leoville, have abundant CAIs, whereas others,... Exhibit Murchison (AMNH 4378) The tiny white calcium-aluminum inclusions, or CAIs, in Murchison are exceptionally small—much smaller than the CAIs found in meteorites... Exhibit Coolidge The CAIs in Coolidge are no longer visible. Exhibit Axtell