Ancient Lunar Crust: Origin, Composition, and Implications
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Evolution of Lunar Mantle Properties During Magma Ocean Crystallization and Mantle Overturn
EPSC Abstracts Vol. 13, EPSC-DPS2019-1703-1, 2019 EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 c Author(s) 2019. CC Attribution 4.0 license. Evolution of Lunar Mantle Properties during Magma Ocean Crystallization and Mantle Overturn Sabrina Schwinger (1) and Doris Breuer (1) (1) German Aerospace Center (DLR) Berlin, Germany ([email protected]) Abstract 2.2 Mantle Mixing and Overturn We apply petrological models to investigate the As a consequence of the higher compatibility of evolution of lunar mantle mineralogy, considering lighter Mg compared to denser Fe in the LMO lunar magma ocean (LMO) crystallization and cumulate minerals, the density of the cumulate overturn of cumulate reservoirs. The results are used increases with progressing LMO solidification. This to test the consistency of different LMO results in a gravitationally unstable cumulate compositions and mantle overturn scenarios with the stratification that facilitates convective overturn. The physical properties of the bulk Moon. changes in pressure and temperature a cumulate layer experiences during overturn as well as mixing and chemical equilibration of different layers can affect 1. Introduction the mineralogy and physical properties of the lunar The mineralogy of the lunar mantle has been shaped mantle. To investigate these changes, we calculated by a sequence of several processes since the equilibrium mineral parageneses of different formation of the Moon, including lunar magma ocean cumulate layers using Perple_X [7]. For simplicity crystallization, cumulate overturn and partial -
Volcanic History of the Imbrium Basin: a Close-Up View from the Lunar Rover Yutu
Volcanic history of the Imbrium basin: A close-up view from the lunar rover Yutu Jinhai Zhanga, Wei Yanga, Sen Hua, Yangting Lina,1, Guangyou Fangb, Chunlai Lic, Wenxi Pengd, Sanyuan Zhue, Zhiping Hef, Bin Zhoub, Hongyu Ling, Jianfeng Yangh, Enhai Liui, Yuchen Xua, Jianyu Wangf, Zhenxing Yaoa, Yongliao Zouc, Jun Yanc, and Ziyuan Ouyangj aKey Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; bInstitute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; cNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; dInstitute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; eKey Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; fKey Laboratory of Space Active Opto-Electronics Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200083, China; gThe Fifth Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Space Mechanics & Electricity, Beijing 100076, China; hXi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710119, China; iInstitute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610209, China; and jInstitute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guiyang 550002, China Edited by Mark H. Thiemens, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, and approved March 24, 2015 (received for review February 13, 2015) We report the surface exploration by the lunar rover Yutu that flows in Mare Imbrium was obtained only by remote sensing from landed on the young lava flow in the northeastern part of the orbit. On December 14, 2013, Chang’e-3 successfully landed on the Mare Imbrium, which is the largest basin on the nearside of the young and high-Ti lava flow in the northeastern Mare Imbrium, Moon and is filled with several basalt units estimated to date from about 10 km south from the old low-Ti basalt unit (Fig. -
Swri IR&D Program 2016
Internal Research and Development 2016 The SwRI IR&D Program exists to broaden the Institute's technology base and to encourage staff professional growth. Internal funding of research enables the Institute to advance knowledge, increase its technical capabilities, and expand its reputation as a leader in science and technology. The program also allows Institute engineers and scientists to continually grow in their technical fields by providing freedom to explore innovative and unproven concepts without contractual restrictions and expectations. Space Science Materials Research & Structural Mechanics Intelligent Systems, Advanced Computer & Electronic Technology, & Automation Engines, Fuels, Lubricants, & Vehicle Systems Geology & Nuclear Waste Management Fluid & Machinery Dynamics Electronic Systems & Instrumentation Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Copyright© 2017 by Southwest Research Institute. All rights reserved under U.S. Copyright Law and International Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Communications Department, Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510, [email protected], fax (210) 522-3547. 2016 IR&D | IR&D Home SwRI IR&D 2016 – Space Science Capability Development and Demonstration for Next-Generation Suborbital Research, 15-R8115 Scaling Kinetic Inductance Detectors, 15-R8311 Capability Development of -
The Evolution of a Heterogeneous Martian Mantle: Clues from K, P, Ti, Cr, and Ni Variations in Gusev Basalts and Shergottite Meteorites
Earth and Planetary Science Letters 296 (2010) 67–77 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Earth and Planetary Science Letters journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/epsl The evolution of a heterogeneous Martian mantle: Clues from K, P, Ti, Cr, and Ni variations in Gusev basalts and shergottite meteorites Mariek E. Schmidt a,⁎, Timothy J. McCoy b a Dept. of Earth Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1 b Dept. of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0119, USA article info abstract Article history: Martian basalts represent samples of the interior of the planet, and their composition reflects their source at Received 10 December 2009 the time of extraction as well as later igneous processes that affected them. To better understand the Received in revised form 16 April 2010 composition and evolution of Mars, we compare whole rock compositions of basaltic shergottitic meteorites Accepted 21 April 2010 and basaltic lavas examined by the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover in Gusev Crater. Concentrations range from Available online 2 June 2010 K-poor (as low as 0.02 wt.% K2O) in the shergottites to K-rich (up to 1.2 wt.% K2O) in basalts from the Editor: R.W. Carlson Columbia Hills (CH) of Gusev Crater; the Adirondack basalts from the Gusev Plains have more intermediate concentrations of K2O (0.16 wt.% to below detection limit). The compositional dataset for the Gusev basalts is Keywords: more limited than for the shergottites, but it includes the minor elements K, P, Ti, Cr, and Ni, whose behavior Mars igneous processes during mantle melting varies from very incompatible (prefers melt) to very compatible (remains in the shergottites residuum). -
Glossary Glossary
Glossary Glossary Albedo A measure of an object’s reflectivity. A pure white reflecting surface has an albedo of 1.0 (100%). A pitch-black, nonreflecting surface has an albedo of 0.0. The Moon is a fairly dark object with a combined albedo of 0.07 (reflecting 7% of the sunlight that falls upon it). The albedo range of the lunar maria is between 0.05 and 0.08. The brighter highlands have an albedo range from 0.09 to 0.15. Anorthosite Rocks rich in the mineral feldspar, making up much of the Moon’s bright highland regions. Aperture The diameter of a telescope’s objective lens or primary mirror. Apogee The point in the Moon’s orbit where it is furthest from the Earth. At apogee, the Moon can reach a maximum distance of 406,700 km from the Earth. Apollo The manned lunar program of the United States. Between July 1969 and December 1972, six Apollo missions landed on the Moon, allowing a total of 12 astronauts to explore its surface. Asteroid A minor planet. A large solid body of rock in orbit around the Sun. Banded crater A crater that displays dusky linear tracts on its inner walls and/or floor. 250 Basalt A dark, fine-grained volcanic rock, low in silicon, with a low viscosity. Basaltic material fills many of the Moon’s major basins, especially on the near side. Glossary Basin A very large circular impact structure (usually comprising multiple concentric rings) that usually displays some degree of flooding with lava. The largest and most conspicuous lava- flooded basins on the Moon are found on the near side, and most are filled to their outer edges with mare basalts. -
Warren and Taylor-2014-In Tog-The Moon-'Author's Personal Copy'.Pdf
This article was originally published in Treatise on Geochemistry, Second Edition published by Elsevier, and the attached copy is provided by Elsevier for the author's benefit and for the benefit of the author's institution, for non- commercial research and educational use including without limitation use in instruction at your institution, sending it to specific colleagues who you know, and providing a copy to your institution’s administrator. All other uses, reproduction and distribution, including without limitation commercial reprints, selling or licensing copies or access, or posting on open internet sites, your personal or institution’s website or repository, are prohibited. For exceptions, permission may be sought for such use through Elsevier's permissions site at: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissionusematerial Warren P.H., and Taylor G.J. (2014) The Moon. In: Holland H.D. and Turekian K.K. (eds.) Treatise on Geochemistry, Second Edition, vol. 2, pp. 213-250. Oxford: Elsevier. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Author's personal copy 2.9 The Moon PH Warren, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA GJ Taylor, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, HI, USA ã 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This article is a revision of the previous edition article by P. H. Warren, volume 1, pp. 559–599, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd. 2.9.1 Introduction: The Lunar Context 213 2.9.2 The Lunar Geochemical Database 214 2.9.2.1 Artificially Acquired Samples 214 2.9.2.2 Lunar Meteorites 214 2.9.2.3 Remote-Sensing Data 215 2.9.3 Mare Volcanism -
Rare Earth Elements in Planetary Crusts: Insights from Chemically Evolved Igneous Suites on Earth and the Moon
minerals Article Rare Earth Elements in Planetary Crusts: Insights from Chemically Evolved Igneous Suites on Earth and the Moon Claire L. McLeod 1,* and Barry J. Shaulis 2 1 Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Sciences, 203 Shideler Hall, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA 2 Department of Geosciences, Trace Element and Radiogenic Isotope Lab (TRaIL), University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-513-529-9662 Received: 5 July 2018; Accepted: 8 October 2018; Published: 16 October 2018 Abstract: The abundance of the rare earth elements (REEs) in Earth’s crust has become the intense focus of study in recent years due to the increasing societal demand for REEs, their increasing utilization in modern-day technology, and the geopolitics associated with their global distribution. Within the context of chemically evolved igneous suites, 122 REE deposits have been identified as being associated with intrusive dike, granitic pegmatites, carbonatites, and alkaline igneous rocks, including A-type granites and undersaturated rocks. These REE resource minerals are not unlimited and with a 5–10% growth in global demand for REEs per annum, consideration of other potential REE sources and their geological and chemical associations is warranted. The Earth’s moon is a planetary object that underwent silicate-metal differentiation early during its history. Following ~99% solidification of a primordial lunar magma ocean, residual liquids were enriched in potassium, REE, and phosphorus (KREEP). While this reservoir has not been directly sampled, its chemical signature has been identified in several lunar lithologies and the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) on the lunar nearside has an estimated volume of KREEP-rich lithologies at depth of 2.2 × 108 km3. -
Thermal and Crustal Evolution of Mars Steven A
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 107, NO. E7, 10.1029/2001JE001801, 2002 Thermal and crustal evolution of Mars Steven A. Hauck II1 and Roger J. Phillips McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Received 11 October 2001; revised 4 February 2002; accepted 11 February 2002; published 16 July 2002. [1] We present a coupled thermal-magmatic model for the evolution of Mars’ mantle and crust that may be consistent with estimates of the average crustal thickness and crustal growth rate. By coupling a simple parameterized model of mantle convection to a batch- melting model for peridotite, we can investigate potential conditions and evolutionary paths of the crust and mantle in a coupled thermal-magmatic system. On the basis of recent geophysical and geochemical studies, we constrain our models to have average crustal thicknesses between 50 and 100 km that were mostly formed by 4 Ga. Our nominal model is an attempt to satisfy these constraints with a relatively simple set of conditions. Key elements of this model are the inclusion of the energetics of melting, a wet (weak) mantle rheology, self-consistent fractionation of heat-producing elements to the crust, and a near- chondritic abundance of those elements. The latent heat of melting mantle material is a small (percent level) contributor to the total planetary energy budget over 4.5 Gyr but is crucial for constraining the thermal and magmatic history of Mars. Our nominal model predicts an average crustal thickness of 62 km that was 73% emplaced by 4 Ga. -
The Effect of Ilmenite Viscosity on the Dynamics and Evolution Of
PUBLICATIONS Geophysical Research Letters RESEARCH LETTER The effect of ilmenite viscosity on the dynamics 10.1002/2017GL073702 and evolution of an overturned lunar Key Points: cumulate mantle • We apply the latest experimental result of ilmenite to the lunar mantle Nan Zhang1,2,3 , Nick Dygert1,4,5 , Yan Liang1 , and E. M. Parmentier1 dynamics • The weak ilmenite rheology leads to a 1Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, 2Key viscosity reduction of ilmenite-bearing cumulates Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Institution of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 3 4 • A 1 order magnitude of viscosity China, Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australian, Australia, Jackson School of reduction in the cumulate mantle Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 5Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of causes the upwelling dynamics to a Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA dramatic change Supporting Information: Abstract Lunar cumulate mantle overturn and the subsequent upwelling of overturned mantle cumulates • Supporting Information S1 provide a potential framework for understanding the first-order thermochemical evolution of the Moon. Upwelling of ilmenite-bearing cumulates (IBCs) after the overturn has a dominant influence on the dynamics Correspondence to: N. Zhang, and long-term thermal evolution of the lunar mantle. An important parameter determining the stability and [email protected] convective behavior of the IBC is its viscosity, which was recently constrained through rock deformation experiments. To examine the effect of IBC viscosity on the upwelling of overturned lunar cumulate mantle, Citation: here we conduct three-dimensional mantle convection models with an evolving core superposed by an Zhang, N., N. -
Glossary of Lunar Terminology
Glossary of Lunar Terminology albedo A measure of the reflectivity of the Moon's gabbro A coarse crystalline rock, often found in the visible surface. The Moon's albedo averages 0.07, which lunar highlands, containing plagioclase and pyroxene. means that its surface reflects, on average, 7% of the Anorthositic gabbros contain 65-78% calcium feldspar. light falling on it. gardening The process by which the Moon's surface is anorthosite A coarse-grained rock, largely composed of mixed with deeper layers, mainly as a result of meteor calcium feldspar, common on the Moon. itic bombardment. basalt A type of fine-grained volcanic rock containing ghost crater (ruined crater) The faint outline that remains the minerals pyroxene and plagioclase (calcium of a lunar crater that has been largely erased by some feldspar). Mare basalts are rich in iron and titanium, later action, usually lava flooding. while highland basalts are high in aluminum. glacis A gently sloping bank; an old term for the outer breccia A rock composed of a matrix oflarger, angular slope of a crater's walls. stony fragments and a finer, binding component. graben A sunken area between faults. caldera A type of volcanic crater formed primarily by a highlands The Moon's lighter-colored regions, which sinking of its floor rather than by the ejection of lava. are higher than their surroundings and thus not central peak A mountainous landform at or near the covered by dark lavas. Most highland features are the center of certain lunar craters, possibly formed by an rims or central peaks of impact sites. -
The Early Geological History of the Moon Inferred from Ancient Lunar Meteorite Miller Range 13317
Meteoritics & Planetary Science 54, Nr 7, 1401–1430 (2019) doi: 10.1111/maps.13295 The early geological history of the Moon inferred from ancient lunar meteorite Miller Range 13317 N. M. CURRAN 1,2,*, K. H. JOY1, J. F. SNAPE3, J. F. PERNET-FISHER1, J. D. GILMOUR 1, A. A. NEMCHIN4, M. J. WHITEHOUSE3, and R. BURGESS1 1School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK 2NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA 3Department of Geosciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden 4Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia 6845, Australia *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] (Received 17 October 2018; revision accepted 14 March 2019) Abstract–Miller Range (MIL) 13317 is a heterogeneous basalt-bearing lunar regolith breccia that provides insights into the early magmatic history of the Moon. MIL 13317 is formed from a mixture of material with clasts having an affinity to Apollo ferroan anorthosites and basaltic volcanic rocks. Noble gas data indicate that MIL 13317 was consolidated into a breccia between 2610 Æ 780 Ma and 1570 Æ 470 Ma where it experienced a complex near- surface irradiation history for ~835 Æ 84 Myr, at an average depth of ~30 cm. The fusion crust has an intermediate composition (Al2O3 15.9 wt%; FeO 12.3 wt%) with an added incompatible trace element (Th 5.4 ppm) chemical component. Taking the fusion crust to be indicative of the bulk sample composition, this implies that MIL 13317 originated from a regolith that is associated with a mare-highland boundary that is KREEP-rich (i.e., K, rare earth elements, and P). -
INTERIOR of the EARTH / an El/EMEI^TARY Xdescrrpntion
N \ N I 1i/ / ' /' \ \ 1/ / / s v N N I ' / ' f , / X GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 532 / N X \ i INTERIOR OF THE EARTH / AN El/EMEI^TARY xDESCRrPNTION The Interior of the Earth An Elementary Description By Eugene C. Robertson GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 532 Washington 1966 United States Department of the Interior CECIL D. ANDRUS, Secretary Geological Survey H. William Menard, Director First printing 1966 Second printing 1967 Third printing 1969 Fourth printing 1970 Fifth printing 1972 Sixth printing 1976 Seventh printing 1980 Free on application to Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey 1200 South Eads Street, Arlington, VA 22202 CONTENTS Page Abstract ......................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................... 1 Surface observations .............................................. 1 Openings underground in various rocks .......................... 2 Diamond pipes and salt domes .................................. 3 The crust ............................................... f ........ 4 Earthquakes and the earth's crust ............................... 4 Oceanic and continental crust .................................. 5 The mantle ...................................................... 7 The core ......................................................... 8 Earth and moon .................................................. 9 Questions and answers ............................................. 9 Suggested reading ................................................ 10 ILLUSTRATIONS