Aeolian Geomorphology in the Era of Deep Space Exploration

The exploration of "Deep Sea, Deep Earth and Deep Space" provides opportunities and challenges for the development of geoscience, and geographical science begins to meet the climax of deep space exploration represented by Mars. In China, Martian exploration will be launched in 2020, which will carry out global and comprehensive surrounding exploration of Mars, patrol detection in some local areas, researchers need to be well prepared for the study of planetary geosciences including aeolian geomorphology based on these coming data. Aeolian geomorphology is divided into three stages based on the development history and trend: classical research focusing on single dune observation, modern research with earth system ideology and future research mainly on extra-terrestrial planets. The characteristics of each developing stage were summarized, and we believe that the planetary aeolian research will come naturally. Then, the development and achievement of planetary aeolian research are summarized, the existing problems and future developing trend were also discussed here. Study shows that there are many types of aeolian landforms on Mars, Venus and Titan, and the aeolian process is the most active modern surface process. Aeolian geomorphology in different planets has good similarity, but the difference is also obvious, which means that they have similar formation mechanism, but different formation and evolution conditions, therefore, the theory of aeolian geomorphology will be improved and enriched gradually through the comparative study on different planets. There are obvious advantages in revealing the formation laws and mechanism of aeolian geomorphology in extraterrestrial planets because of the simple formation conditions, and the research of aeolian geomorphology in the era of deep space exploration is in the ascendant.     

小行星深空探测的科学意义和展望

太阳系深空探测活动方兴未艾,小行星探测已成为主要发展方向。通过回顾近年来几个主要的国际小行星空间探测计划以及取得的研究成果,总结了小行星深空探测从早期的近距离飞越到小行星低空绕轨勘探,到目前的表面软着陆和采集样品返回的发展进程。同时深空探测也给行星科学研究者提出了新的挑战,鉴于目前行星科学的研究热点,详细叙述了小行星深空探测急需解决的重大科学问题及其科学意义,随后简单介绍了未来小行星深空探测计划的科学目标,为小行星深空探测的具体任务提供了科学目标选择方向。最后呼吁我国及时介入小行星深空探测,提升航天能力,开拓深空领域。     

我国的地球系统科学研究向何处去

近15年来,全球变化与地球系统科学研究在中国广泛开展,我国科学家越来越积极地参加各项国际计划。当前,一些重大的国际计划正在进入其新阶段（如IGBP-II,IODP）,恰好我国也正在制定科技发展中长期规划,迫切需要回顾我国地球系统科学的现状并探讨其今后方向。尽管中国作者的国际论文数量在增长,我国地球系统科学落后于国际的差距仍有拉大的趋势：国际前沿的许多热点问题,在中国尚未提上日程;中国学者在国际计划中早期多有贡献,但在项目总结中却很少有份。为此,提出 3点建议：（1）中国地球科学家应当扩大视野、立足本国、面向全球;（2）应当注意国际前沿动向,促进地学与生命科学在分子水平上的结合;（3）中国的地球科学,应当从以描述为主向探索理的方向发展。我们不应当满足于向国际学术界输出"原料",而要积极参加地球系统科学中关键问题的理论探讨。     

The cryosphere and glacial permafrost as its integral component

Since Earth sciences have undertaken studies of other celestial bodies, its various fields have moved beyond the scope of study assigned to them by name. Interest in space makes it necessary to abandon research geocentrism and reverse relations when comparing the structure of the Earth with other celestial bodies. As an exceptional place in the universe, it should not be the Earth which constitutes a reference point, especially in cryospheric research, but rather the other celestial bodies of our planetary system. This approach, referred to as ??Spatial Uniformitarianism,?? is the basis for determining the place of ice in the environment and for assigning it to the lithosphere. Ice can be penetrated by frost just as other minerals and rocks, so the occurrence of permafrost may yet be attributed to glaciers and ice-caps. In the article, the occurrence of glacial permafrost has been worked out on the basis of a thermal classification of glaciers with a thorough understanding of the phenomenon. This allows us to specify permafrost??s presence beneath glaciers and ice-caps, a concept which had been needlessly vague. Further, by considering rock glaciers as a mixture of two types of rocks, and by understanding the importance of movement in their evolution, we are now closer to fruitfully determining their role in the environment, their geomorphological significance.     

行星构造:寻求地球演化的踪迹

地质构造是记录地球内、外动力地质作用过程的标志。和地球相似,太阳系其他天体上也发育丰富的地质构造。以研究天体表面的地质构造及其动力学机制为目的的"行星构造学"是建立在构造地质学、遥感地质学和地球物理学等学科基础上的一门新兴前沿学科。由于天体的大小、组分和轨道位置不同,表面构造特征及其形成机制各异。对比研究地球和其他天体上的构造特征,是完善地球动力学的重要途径。水星和月球的热演化轨迹大致相同,内部持续冷却造成全球收缩,表面形成大量的挤压构造,而伸展构造仅局部发育。火星的岩石圈主要通过热传导散热,表面发育大量的挤压构造,且其形成时间可能呈单峰式分布。同时,火星表面的伸展和挤压构造和大火山群紧密相关,表明深部动力过程影响了火星上的区域构造。金星和地球的大小相似,但金星表面的最大年龄远小于地球大陆地壳的平均年龄,~80%的早期地质记录完全被后期的岩浆-构造活动抹去,表面发育大量的火山-深大裂谷系,说明"幔柱"活动对金星的构造演化至关重要,因此热传导可能也是当前金星岩石圈的主要散热方式。以上天体的岩石圈形变均以垂直运动为主。在外太阳系,一些卫星的表壳主要由冰水和其他挥发分组成,有些卫星存在下伏的液态水圈,潮汐作用可能是驱动其构造演化的主要动力。在特殊的应力来源和物质特性的共同作用下,在这些卫星上发育大量的走滑断层和疑似俯冲消减带。行星地质构造从能量和物质属性的角度探究构造运动的物理和化学过程,与地球动力学研究相辅相成,对揭示地球早期动力学过程的关键科学问题具有重要的指示意义。     

On the evolution of terrestrial planets:Bi-stability,stochastic effects,and the non-uniqueness of tectonic states

The Earth is the only body in the solar system for which significant observational constraints are accessible to such a degree that they can be used to discriminate between competing models of Earth's tectonic evolution.It is a natural tendency to use observations of the Earth to inform more general models of planetary evolution.However,our understating of Earth's evolution is far from complete.In recent years,there has been growing geodynamic and geochemical evidence that suggests that plate tectonics may not have operated on the early Earth,with both the timing of its onset and the length of its activity far from certain.Recently,the potential of tectonic bi-stability(multiple stable,energetically allowed solutions)has been shown to be dynamically viable,both from analytical analysis and through numeric experiments in two and three dimensions.This indicates that multiple tectonic modes may operate on a single planetary body at different times within its temporal evolution.It also allows for the potential that feedback mechanisms between the internal dynamics and surface processes(e.g.,surface temperature changes driven by long term climate evolution),acting at different thermal evolution times,can cause terrestrial worlds to alternate between multiple tectonic states over giga-year timescales.The implication within this framework is that terrestrial planets have the potential to migrate through tectonic regimes at similar‘thermal evolution times'(e.g.,points were they have a similar bulk mantle temperature and energies),but at very different'temporal times'(time since planetary formation).It can be further shown that identical planets at similar stages of their evolution may exhibit different tectonic regimes due to random variations.Here,we will discuss constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Earth and present a novel framework of planetary evolution that moves toward probabilistic arguments based on general physical principals,as opposed to particular rheologies,and incorporates the potential of tectonic regime transitions and multiple tectonics states being viable at equivalent physical and chemical conditions.     

古地磁场研究:挑战与机遇

地磁场源于地核流体的运动,至少已有约35亿年历史。地磁场的起源及演化一直是地球科学研究的前沿领域之一,这是因为它既是地球宜居环境的重要保障,也是探究地球系统各圈层联系的重要途径。本文重点围绕保留在岩石中的"深时"古地磁场记录,分析在地球内部磁场的形成与维持、地磁场极性倒转、以及地磁场强度变化等古地磁场研究三个方面的主要进展及面临的挑战。同时,结合古地磁测试技术的革新,磁发电机实验和超算模拟的应用,生物磁学的发展,阐述古地磁与地质学多学科交叉研究有望在揭示古地磁场变化及其对生物演化方面的贡献。对古地磁场变化的研究不仅有助于理解地磁场的起源与演化规律,也对认识地球的早期演化,甚至其它行星的演化有重要意义。     

Impact cratering — fundamental process in geoscience and planetary science

Impact cratering is a geological process characterized by ultra-fast strain rates, which generates extreme shock pressure and shock temperature conditions on and just below planetary surfaces. Despite initial skepticism, this catastrophic process has now been widely accepted by geoscientists with respect to its importance in terrestrial — indeed, in planetary — evolution. About 170 impact structures have been discovered on Earth so far, and some more structures are considered to be of possible impact origin. One major extinction event, at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, has been firmly linked with catastrophic impact, but whether other important extinction events in Earth history, including the so-called “Mother of All Mass Extinctions” at the Permian-Triassic boundary, were triggered by huge impact catastrophes is still hotly debated and a subject of ongoing research. There is a beneficial side to impact events as well, as some impact structures worldwide have been shown to contain significant (in some cases, world class) ore deposits, including the gold-uranium province of the Witwatersrand basin in South Africa, the enormous Ni and PGE deposits of the Sudbury structure in Canada, as well as important hydrocarbon resources, especially in North America. Impact cratering is not a process of the past, and it is mandatory to improve knowledge of the past-impact record on Earth to better constrain the probability of such events in the future. In addition, further improvement of our understanding of the physico-chemical and geological processes fundamental to the impact cratering process is required for reliable numerical modeling of the process, and also for the correlation of impact magnitude and environmental effects. Over the last few decades, impact cratering has steadily grown into an integrated discipline comprising most disciplines of the geosciences as well as planetary science, which has created positive spin-offs including the study of paleo-environments and paleo-climatology, or the important issue of life in extreme environments. And yet, in many parts of the world, the impact process is not yet part of the geoscience curriculum, and for this reason, it deserves to be actively promoted not only as a geoscientific discipline in its own right, but also as an important life-science discipline.     

NASA地球科学事业（ESE）计划中的科学问题

作为NASA地球科学事业（ESE）分计划之一的ESE研究战略，在未来10年中，将主要关注以下 5个科学问题：①全球地球系统是怎样变化的？②地球系统的主要驱动力是什么？③地球系统如何响应自然和人为引起的变化？④地球系统的变化对人类文明造成的后果是什么？⑤如何更好地预测地球系统未来的变化？这 5个问题都是大范围的跨学科问题，涉及到地球系统科学的各个方面。在这 5个大的科学问题之下，又具体细化为23个二级问题，并对这些问题 进行了极其详尽的讨论。     

盐类科学研究的扩展——盐体系研究的思考(代序)

传统的地球科学对于盐类研究主要集中于盐湖和古代盐类沉积,对于其他盐类聚集体,如泻湖、港湾、盐沼泽、泉水等研究较少,更未涉及其他行星的盐类聚集体。成盐元素约25种,由于其作用的广泛性和重要性以及近代科学技术的进步,对于盐类聚集体的研究已冲破单学科领域,不但在地球科学包括盐类资源科技领域日益扩大和深入,而且在生物学、医学、保健和环境生态学等也有了引人入胜的新发现,航天行星科学也开始涉及盐类研究领域,在宏观上已进入全球以至行星研究时期,在微观上已达到分子和基因层次;盐类及盐碱土开发已达到综合利用、整体开发的初始阶段。盐类科学研究已进入多学科交叉、在广度和深度上大为扩展的崭新时代,概称为"盐体系"研究和综合开发与保护管理阶段。     

Provenance of the terrestrial planets

Earlier work on the simultaneous accumulation of the asteroid belt and the terrestrial planets is extended to investigate the relative contribution to the final planets made by material from different heliocentric distances. As before, stochastic variations intrinsic to the accumulation processes lead to a variety of final planetary configurations, but include systems having a number of features similar to our solar system. Fifty-nine new simulations are presented, from which thirteen are selected as more similar to our solar system than the others. It is found that the concept of "local feeding zones" for each final terrestrial planet has no validity for this model. Instead, the final terrestrial planets receive major contributions from bodies ranging from 0.5 to at least 2.5 AU, and often to greater distances. Nevertheless, there is a correlation between the final heliocentric distance of a planet and its average provenance. Together with the effect of stochastic fluctuations, this permits variation in the composition of the terrestrial planets, such as the difference in the decompressed density of Earth and Mars. Biologically important light elements, derived from the asteroidal region, are likely to have been significant constituents of the Earth during its formation.     

对地球系统科学的几点认识

地球系统科学将是２１世纪地球科学的主旋律,它被定义为：“将地球作为一个整体来伯全部知识;对地球的气圈、水圈、生物圈和岩石中的各种作用及各层圈间相互作用时间进行的研究”。此种学术思想可追溯到１００多年前,见於文字也有近二十年。它对当代地学的发展起了重要的推动作用,有四个特点：地球现象的远距离相互联系、影响;内动力和外动力研究一体化;地质作用和生物作用研究一体化;一类活动作为地球系统的一部分。当前地球系统科学的发展也提出了一些新问题,主要的是：在学术思路上对与岩石圈有关的地质作用有所忽视;观察研究系统不全面;还未深人到资源形成和小环境的研究中。近年来的观测试验表明,发生在岩石圈的各种地质作用正积极参与垒球各圈层间的物质能量交换。对它们的忽视,可能正是目前一些生物地球化学循环模型无法平衡的原因。     

Observation of the Earth's radiation budget from space

The planet's radiation budget includes practically all energy exchange between the Sun, the Earth, and space, and so is a fundamental factor of climate. The terms of this budget, observable only from space, are determined from sampled direct measurements of the solar and terrestrial radiation fields. On the contrary, however, it should be remembered that energy exchange between the Earth's surface and its atmosphere involves not only radiative but also non-radiative energy fluxes. Nevertheless, only observations from space can provide satisfactory global coverage of the different energy fluxes that determine climate at the Earth's surface, by way of indirect retrievals of radiative fluxes at the surface and at different heights in the atmosphere. We describe the methods, applied to measurements made with a variety of instruments on board different artificial satellites, that have led to our present knowledge of the Earth's radiation budget (ERB) at the “top of the atmosphere”: global annual mean values of the ERB terms, its annual cycle, its geographical structure, and its variations. We know that solar irradiance, averaged over the globe and the year, varies by only 0.1% with the solar activity cycle; we also know that planetary (Bond) albedo is close to 0.3, that the global annual mean emission of thermal infrared radiation to space is close to 240 Wm^?2, and that these terms exhibit a weak but well determined annual cycle. We also know that cloud cover plays a major role in the radiation budget, both in the “shortwave” domain (global SW “cloud radiative forcing” –50 Wm^?2) and in the “longwave” domain (+20 Wm^?2), thus a net forcing of –30 Wm^?2. Successive satellite missions give consistent results for the shape, the phase, and the amplitude of the annual cycle of the planetary radiation balance. However, the different estimates of its annual mean absolute value remain uncertain, not differing significantly from zero, although generally excessively positive. We also rapidly review the methods used to determine the surface radiation budget as well as that of the atmosphere. For the planetary (TOA) radiation budget, we examine to what extent interannual variations and interdecadal trends have been or could be detected. We conclude with a review of projects under way. We also discuss priorities for future efforts, considering in particular, on the one hand (Ringer, 1997), the need to better quantify the factors that govern climate sensitivity to modifications of the atmosphere's radiative properties, on the other hand, the importance of monitoring the evolution of the present disequilibrium situation.     

Symmetry statistics of mineral species and the evolutionary dissymmetrization of mineral matter

A comprehensive statistical analysis of the symmetry of mineral species leads to a definite conclusion that rare minerals possess lower symmetry than abundant ones, so that the most stable minerals are characterized by higher symmetry. Since all recently discovered new minerals belong to rare and very rare species, their percentage is increasing and the mean symmetry index is decreasing with time. In other words, the average symmetry is gradually decreasing with the growing diversity of mineral species. In general, the irreversible process of rare mineral formation obeys the principle of minimum dissymmetrization. At the same time, the reduced symmetry indices strongly decrease on passing from cosmic materials (meteorites, lunar rocks) to the Earth’s solid substances and from the planetary interior (core, mantle) to the Earth’s crust. This trend of the planet’s evolution is related to the pronounced loss of entropy and increase in ordering of solid substances that compose the lithosphere. This is supplemented by the withdrawal of entropy from the solid to the upper liquid (oceans) and gaseous (atmosphere) shells of the Earth and farther to the surrounding space.     

Strategies towards robust interpretations of in situ zircon oxygen isotopes

Oxygen isotopes are a versatile tool to address a wide range of questions in the Earth sciences. Applications include geothermometry, paleoclimatology, tracing of geochemical reservoirs, fluid-rock interaction, magmatic petrogenesis, and identification of extra-terrestrial materials. Zircon arguably provides one of the most robust records of primary magmatic O isotope ratio due to low diffusion rates in crystalline grains. The ability to correlate zircon O isotopes with temporal and petrogenetic information (e.g. U-Pb geochronology, Lu-Hf isotopes, and trace elements) makes this mineral a key archive for understanding Earth’s crustal evolution. Consequently, zircon O isotope geochemistry has found widespread usage to address fundamental questions across the earth and planetary sciences. The general apparent ease of O isotopic acquisition through the advancement of rapid in situ techniques (i.e. secondary ion mass spectrometry; SIMS) and associated dedicated national laboratories has led to the generation of large O isotopic data sets of variable quality, highlighting the importance of a coherent workflow for data collection, reduction, and presentation. This paper presents a set of approaches for measurement, assessment, and reporting of zircon O isotope data. The focus in this contribution is on in situ analysis via secondary ion mass spectrometry using large geometry instruments, but other commonly used techniques are briefly reviewed for context. This work aims to provide an analytical framework necessary for geologically meaningful interpretation of O isotope data. In addition, we describe inherent geological (e.g. radiation-induced disturbance of the zircon O isotopic system) and analytical (e.g. fractionation due to sample topography effects) challenges and outline means to identify and avoid such issues as a prerequisite to the generation of robust primary O isotopic signatures for geological interpretation.     

Factors influencing the morphology of volcanic landforms: An earth-moon comparison

The products of volcanism on the Earth and Moon differ widely in terms of morphology, distribution, composition, and age. These differences result partly from the different thermal histories of the two bodies and partly through the different controls on volcanic eruption conditions. The controls of volcanism are here separated into three groups: (1) controls which remain constant on any one body but which differ from planet to planet: (2) parameters that are controlled by the rheology of the magma: and (3) controls which are intrinsic properties of individual eruptions and are themselves dependent upon the planetary and rheological variables. In terms of planetary variables it can be predicted that lunar volcanic morphologies are influenced by greater tephra range, hemispherical eruption clouds, lesser lithostatic pressures at corresponding depths, slower cooling, slower erosion, lesser horizontal stress differences, and no features typical of hydrosphere-magma interaction. In terms of rheology, the lunar eruptions had different rock and gas compositions, low yield strengths and viscosities, and high densities. Many lunar basalts appear to have been produced at high eruption rates, to have been derived from monogenetic volcanoes, and to have flowed in a turbulent manner.The weight of available data points to the vast majority of lunar craters being of impact origin though some dark halo craters, sinuous rille source craters, rimless pits, and craters atop domes and cones are undoubtedly of volcanic origin. Other impact craters appear to have been modified by volcanic events. Included within this latter group are the floor-fractured craters and the mare basins.Studies of volcanic morphologies on bodies other than the Earth may help isolate the effectiveness of those controls of volcanism which remain constant on any one body. Although volcanology has advanced substantially within the last few decades, much more detailed integrated scientific research is required before we are able to predict confidently the environmental hazards that result from volcanism and to understand the role of volcanism in planetary evolution.     

Subduction fluxes through geologic time

Much of the author’s research career has been spent working both on modern oceanic volcanic systems and at the same time looking at their Archaean counterparts. Many authors have attempted to make inferences on early Earth models based on modern processes which can be increasingly well constrained. In this short review it will be shown how we are beginning to understand and quantify inputs to modern subduction systems and some questions are posed as to how these processes may have affected Earth’s evolution in its distant past.     

行星矿产及行星资源地质学初论

了解并利用行星矿产资源、可持续永久开发太空成为行星科学与深空探测的一项重要研究任务。而行星矿产资源的开发利用,需要运用行星科学与地质学特别是矿床学的基础理论,利用行星观测、探测及开发技术方法,研究行星矿产资源形成演化规律,查明行星矿产资源的类型、特征、储量和分布规律;进行行星矿产资源的地质调查、岩石-矿石成分、结构与性能、元素赋存状态、开发利用条件评价与预测,为行星矿产资源开发与太空的可持续永久开发建设提供基础理论与关键技术方法。因此,行星矿产资源学是研究行星矿产资源的品种、类型与分布规律、行星矿产资源成因演化与比较行星成矿学、行星矿产资源勘查评价技术与开采利用工程学的交叉学科。笔者从行星资源地质学的视角,从地球与月球的层圈结构、演化历史、岩石组成与表生环境,研判月球可能产出的矿产资源类型。认为与月海玄武岩、月幔(柱)和陨石撞击成因的层状岩体与镁铁-超镁铁质小岩体有关的铬铁矿-铜镍钴硫化物-铂族元素-钒钛磁铁矿-金刚石矿产,KREEP岩以及月幔柱熔融上覆岩石圈所产生碱性岩相伴的铌-钽-铍-铀等稀有-稀土矿产,具有形成条件与产出可能,从而拓展可能的矿产类型、品种,从更宽广的视角研究月球矿产并规划月球基地建设资源供给。火星上由于水(以及可能存在的板块构造)的存在,除岩浆矿床之外,火星可能具备发育与化学风化沉积、次生富集作用以及变质作用有关矿产的形成条件,具有形成金属与非金属资源的禀赋,可与地球矿产相媲美。未来行星资源地质学应加强地质学、行星化学、行星地质学、行星物理学、矿业工程、冶金工程和材料学的交叉融合及理论应用,发展行星地质勘探方法与智能机器人工程技术,发展高/低温、高/低压、高辐照、低/微重力环境条件下样品采集、加工、多尺度测试分析理论与方法,培养行星资源地质资源与开发工程学科人才。     

新一代对地观测系统的发展

对地观测系统(EOS，Earth Observation System)是获取空间对地信息、促进地球系统科学和空间信息科学等学科发展的支柱。长期以来，人们就期望着对自己居住的地球有一个全面深刻的了解，研究这种从几十年到几百年时间尺度的全球变化，依赖于观测系统和观测技术的发展。因此有必要建立一个对地球整体的观测系统，利用空间优势，获取有关地球体系及其各个组成部分的详细数据或信息。 近50年来，世界对地观测技术得到了迅猛的发展。NASA针对全球变化研究对建立长期的数据采集系统的实际需求，于20世纪80年代初开始规划地球观测系统（EOS）计划，并于90年代初实施。它包括一系列卫星、自然科学知识组成和一个数据系统，支持一系列极地轨道和低倾角卫星对地球的陆地表面、生物圈、大气和海洋进行长期观测。地球观测卫星系列是EOS计划的最基本和最重要的环节。EOS卫星系列计划在今后的10年内陆续发射一系列的太阳轨道环境遥感卫星，构成连续15年的数据采集系统，其规模在地球观测卫星发展史上是空前的。在EOS计划的基础上NASA规划了ESE战略计划，将继续发展国际新一代对地观测系统。迄今为止，Terra、Aqua和Arua卫星已经发射成功，引起地球遥感科学界的瞩目，为地球科学研究提供重要的数据资源。     

Core formation in the Earth and Moon: new experimental constraints from V, Cr, and Mn

The mantles of the Earth and Moon are similarly depleted in V, Cr, and Mn relative to the concentrations of these elements in chondritic meteorites. The similar depletions have been used as evidence that the Moon inherited its mantle from the Earth after a giant impact event. We have conducted liquid metal-liquid silicate partitioning experiments for V, Cr, and Mn from 3 to 14 GPa and 1723 to 2573 K to understand the behavior of these elements during planetary core formation. Our experiments have included systematic studies of the effects of temperature, silicate composition, metallic S-content, metallic C-content, and pressure. Temperature has a significant effect on the partitioning of V, Cr, Mn, with all three elements increasing their partitioning into the metallic liquid with increasing temperature. In contrast, pressure is not observed to affect the partitioning behavior. The experimental results show the partitioning of Cr and Mn are hardly dependent on the silicate composition, whereas V partitions more strongly into depolymerized silicate melts. The addition of either S or C to the metallic liquid causes increased metal-silicate partition coefficients for all three elements. Parameterizing and applying the experimental data, we find that the Earth’s mantle depletions of V, Cr, and possibly Mn can be explained by core formation in a high-temperature magma ocean under oxygen fugacity conditions about two log units below the iron-wüstite buffer, though the depletion of Mn may be due entirely to its volatility. However, more oxidizing conditions proposed in recent core formation models for the Earth cannot account for any of the depletions. Additionally, because we observe no pressure effect on the partitioning behavior, the data do not require the mantle of the Moon to be derived from the Earth’s mantle, although this is not ruled out. All that is required to create depletions of V, Cr, and Mn in a mantle is a planetary body that is hot enough and reducing enough during its core formation. Such conditions could have existed on the Moon-forming impactor.