schreibersite

[ shrahy-ber-sahyt, -zahyt ]

noun

1. a mineral, iron-nickel phosphide, (Fe, Ni) 3 P, found only in meteorites.

Word History and Origins

Origin of schreibersite¹

1840–50; < German Schreibersit, named after Carl von Schreibers, Viennese official; -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Phosphorus in the mineral schreibersite is highly reduced, which means it’s not tightly bound to oxygen in the mineral.

From Science News

From there it was just a matter of calculating how much schreibersite could have been produced by lightning billions of years ago, around the time the first life emerged on Earth.

From MIT Technology Review

It’s not completely clear there was enough rock exposed to the air—where it could be hit by lightning and lead to schreibersite production—to make phosphorus available.

From MIT Technology Review

The planet needed a lot of phosphorus-containing schreibersite to sustain life.

From MIT Technology Review

One potential source of phosphorus on the early Earth is the unusual mineral schreibersite, which is found in small amounts in meteorites.

From Singularity Hub