Meteorites exposed to high pressures and temperatures during impact-induced shock often contain minerals whose occurrence and stability normally confine them to the deeper portions of Earth’s mantle. One exception has been MgSiO 3 in the perovskite structure, which is the most abundant solid phase in Earth. Here we report the discovery of this important phase as a mineral in the Tenham L6 chondrite and approved by the International Mineralogical Association (specimen IMA 2014-017). MgSiO 3 -perovskite is now called bridgmanite. The associated phase assemblage constrains peak shock conditions to ~ 24 gigapascals and 2300 kelvin. The discovery concludes a half century of efforts to find, identify, and characterize a natural specimen of this important mineral.

A mineral name for mantle perovskite

A rock from outer space finally puts a name to Earth's most abundant mineral, frequently referred to as perovskite. Mineral names are only bestowed on specimens that are found in nature and characterized. Tschauner et al. isolate a magnesium silicate in the perovskite structure, now called bridgmanite, in the Tenham L6 chondrite meteorite (see the Perspective by Sharp). Bridgmanite formed in this meteorite during a high-pressure and -temperature shock event. Other minerals associated with bridgmanite allow the pressure-temperature conditions to be narrowly bound, giving insight into the shock process. The long-sought-after specimen finally puts to rest a confusing nomenclature of this dense deep mantle silicate.

Science, this issue p. 1100; see also p. 1057