Enigmatic cathodoluminescent objects in the Dhofar 025 lunar meteorite: Origin and sources

Dhofar 025 is a lunar highland breccia consisting mainly of anorthositic, with less common noritic, gabbronoritic, and troctolitic material. Rare fragments of low-Ti basalts are present as well, but no KREEP (component enriched in incompatible elements) was found in the meteorite. The cathodoluminescence study of this meteorite showed that its impact–melt matrix contains unusual cathodoluminescent (CL) objects of feldspathic composition, which frequently contain microlites of Fe-Mg spinel (pleonaste). They were presumably formed by impact mixing and melting of olivine and plagioclase with subsequent rapid quenching of the impact melts. Such mixing could happen either during assimilation of anorthosites by picritic/troctolitic magmas or during impact melting of troctolites. The enrichment of CL objects of Dhofar 025 in incompatible trace elements suggests that the mafic component of the impact mixture may be related to the high-magnesium suite rocks, which are frequently enriched in KREEP component. The depletion of CL objects in alkalis indicates their possible relation with residual glasses formed by evaporation. However, the presence of FeO in most objects points to the insignificant extent of evaporation. Thus, evaporation cannot explain the enrichment of the CL objects in Al₂O₃ and other refractory components, although this process definitely took place in their formation. Their similarity to the lunar pink spinel anorthosites, whose existence was predicted from orbital data, serves as an argument in support of the possible formation of the latters by impact mixing.     

Early crustal building processes on the moon: Models for the petrogenesis of the magnesian suite

The plutonic rocks of the magnesian suite (Mg-suite) represent the period of lunar basaltic magmatism and crustal growth (∼4.46 to 4.1 Ga) that immediately followed the initial differentiation of the Moon by magma ocean (LMO) formation and crystallization. The volume and distribution of the Mg-suite and its petrogenetic relationship to latter stages of lunar magmatism (mare basalts) remains obscure. These plutonic rocks exhibit a range of compositions and include ultramafics, troctolites, spinel troctolites, norites, and gabbronorites. A distinguishing characteristic of this suite is that they contain some of the most magnesium-rich phases (Fo_95-90) that had crystallized from lunar magmas, yet they also are significantly enriched in an incompatible element component referred to as KREEP (a late-stage product of LMO crystallization containing abundant potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE), phosphorous (P), uranium, and thorium). Ion microprobe analyses of individual mineral phases (olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase) from the Mg-suite have shown some very unexpected characteristics that have profound implications on the origin of these basaltic magmas. Although the Mg-suite lithologies are typified by silicates with relatively high Mg′, early liquidus phases such as olivine are fairly low in Ni, Co, and Cr relative to more iron-rich olivines in the younger mare basalts. The high Y and Ti/Y in early phases such as olivine and orthopyroxene indicate that the parental basaltic melts were high in incompatible elements and contained an “ilmenite fractionation” signature. However, the Y in olivine from many of the troctolites and ultramafic lithologies are only slightly greater than that of the olivine in the mare basalts whereas olivine in the norites, gabbronorites, and Apollo 14 troctolites are exceedingly high. The KREEP component may have been added to the Mg-suite parent magmas by assimilation or mixing into the mantle source. The volume of KREEP required to be added to the parental magmas of the Mg-suite tends to favor the latter mechanism for KREEP incorporation. The extremely high abundances of KREEP in the norites and gabbronorites are a product of substantial crystallization (40% to 70%) of KREEP-enriched Mg-suite parental magmas. Basaltic magmatism associated with KREEP extended for over 1.5 billion years and appears to have changed over time. The early stages of this style of lunar magmatism (Mg-suite) appear to represent melting of early LMO cumulates with low abundances of Ni, Co, Cr, and V. Later stages of KREEP-rich basaltic magmatism seemed to clearly involve melting of a variety of LMO cumulate assemblages with higher incompatible element enrichment. It appears that the heat derived from the KREEP component was instrumental in at least initiating melting of the lunar mantle over this period of time.     

Petrogenesis and chronology of lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 4472: A KREEPy regolith breccia from the Moon

Northwest Africa (NWA) 4472 is a polymict lunar regolith meteorite. The sample is KREEP-rich (high concentrations of potassium, rare earth elements and phosphorus) and comprises a heterogeneous array of lithic and mineral fragments. These clasts and mineral fragments were sourced from a range of lunar rock types including the lunar High Magnesian Suite, the High Alkali Suite, KREEP basalts, mare basalts and a variety of impact crater environments. The KREEP-rich nature of NWA 4472 indicates that the sample was ejected from regolith on the nearside of the Moon in the Procellarum KREEP Terrane and we have used Lunar Prospector gamma-ray remote sensing data to show that the meteorite is most similar to (and most likely sourced from) regoliths adjacent to the Imbrium impact basin.U-Pb and Pb-Pb age dates of NWA 4472 phosphate phases reveal that the breccia has sampled Pre-Nectarian (4.35 Ga) rocks related to early episodes of KREEP driven magmatism. Some younger phosphate U-Pb and Pb-Pb age dates are likely indicative of impact resetting events at 3.9-4 Ga, consistent with the suggested timing of basin formation on the Moon. Our study also shows that NWA 4472 has sampled impact melts and glass with an alkali-depleted, incompatible trace element-rich (high Sc, low Rb/Th ratios, low K) compositional signature not related to typical Apollo high-K KREEP, or that sampled by KREEPy lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 169. This provides evidence that there are numerous sources of KREEP-rich protoliths on the Moon.     

Lunar geochemistry as told by lunar meteorites

About 36 lunar meteorites have been found in cold and hot deserts since the first one was found in 1979 in Antarctica. All are random samples ejected from unknown locations on the Moon by meteoroid impacts. Lithologically and compositionally there are three extreme types: (1) brecciated anorthosites with high Al₂O₃ (26–31%), low FeO (3–6%), and low incompatible elements (e.g., <1 μg/g Th), (2) basalts and brecciated basalts with high FeO (18–22%), moderately low Al₂O₃ (8–10%) and incompatible elements (0.4–2.1 μg/g Th), and (3) an impact-melt breccia of noritic composition (16% Al₂O₃, 11% FeO) with very high concentrations of incompatible elements (33 μg/g Th), a lithology that is identified as KREEP on the basis of its similarity to Apollo samples of that designation. Several meteorites are polymict breccias of intermediate composition because they contain both anorthosite and basalt. Despite the large range in compositions, a variety of compositional parameters together distinguish lunar meteorites from terrestrial materials. Compositional and petrographic data for lunar meteorites, when combined with mineralogical and compositional data obtained from orbiting spacecraft in the 1990s, suggest that Apollo samples identified with the magnesian (Mg-rich) suite of nonmare rocks (norite, troctolite, dunite, alkali anorthosite, and KREEP) are all products of a small, geochemically anomalous (noritic, high Th) region of crust known as the Procellarum KREEP Terrane and are not, as generally assumed, indigenous to the vast expanse of typical feldspathic crust known as the Feldspathic Highlands Terrane. Magnesian-suite rocks such as those of the Apollo collection do not occur as clasts in the feldspathic lunar meteorites. The misconception is a consequence of four historical factors: (1) the Moon has long been viewed as simply bimodal in geology, mare or highlands, (2) one of the last, large basin-forming bolides impacted in the Procellarum KREEP Terrane, dispersing Th-rich material, (3) although it was not known at the time, the Apollo missions all landed in or near the anomalous Procellarum KREEP Terrane and collected many Th-rich samples formed therein, and (4) the Apollo samples were interpreted and models for lunar crust formation developed without recognition of the anomaly because global data provided by orbiting missions and lunar meteorites were obtained only years later.     

Rock 14318: A polymict lunar breccia with chondritic texture

Rock 14318 is a complex microbreccia consisting of lithic fragments, chondrules, glass spherules, and glass and mineral fragments that are embedded into a fine-grained, partly glassy matrix. Rock fragmenta, chondrules, and glasses are tightly welded to the matrix and partly recrystallized, indicating a relatively high-temperature agglomeration history. Few lithic fragments have igneous textures; most are miorobreccias that have suffered various degrees of recrystallization before they were embedded into rock 14318. Compositions of lithic fragments, glasses and chondrules, in terms of compositional rock and rock suite equivalents, represent members of the ANT (anorthositic-noritic-troctolite) suite; the alkalic high-alumina basalt (KREEP) group; high-alkali quartz basalt; basalt; and dunite. The polymict nature of many lithic fragments suggests that rook 14318 require at least two, and probably more, impact episodes for its formation. Final agglomeration took place while part of the material was hot, as is indicated by the welded texture, suggesting that the final impact event was a large one, producing a fiery cloud similar to a nuée ardente. The close similarity in texture of lunar rock 14318 to certain polymict-brecciated meteorites such as Siena suggests that meteorites of this type were also formed by complex and successive impact events on the surface of the meteorite parent body, rather than during agglomeration of the parent body.     

Apollo 12 revisited

We present compositional data for 358 lithic fragments (2-4-mm size range) and 15 soils (<1-mm fines) from regolith samples collected at the Apollo 12 site. The regolith is dominated by mare basalt, KREEP impact-melt breccias (crystalline and glassy), and regolith breccias. Minor components include alkali anorthosite, alkali norite, granite, quartz monzogabbro, and anorthositic rocks from the feldspathic highlands. The typical KREEP impact-melt breccia of Apollo 12 (mean Th: 16 μg/g) is similar to that of the Apollo 14 site (16 μg/g), 180 km away. Both contain a minor component (0.3% at Apollo 12, 0.6% at Apollo 14) of FeNi metal that is dissimilar to metal in ordinary chondrites but is similar to metal found in Apollo 16 impact-melt breccias. The Apollo 12 regolith contains another variety of KREEP impact-melt breccia that differs from any type of breccia described from the Apollo sites in being substantially richer in Th (30 μg/g) but with only moderate concentrations of K. It is, however, similar in composition to the melt breccia lithology in lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 169. The average composition of typical mature soil corresponds to a mixture of 65% mare basalt, 20% typical KREEP impact-melt breccia, 7% high-Th impact-melt breccia, 6% feldspathic material, 2.6% alkali noritic anorthosite, and 0.9% CM chondrite. Thus, although the site was resurfaced by basaltic volcanism 3.1-3.3 Ga ago, a third of the material in the present regolith is of nonmare origin, mainly in the form of KREEP impact-melt breccias and glass. These materials occur in the Apollo 12 regolith mainly as a result of moderate-sized impacts into surrounding Fra Mauro and Alpes Formations that formed craters Copernicus (93 km diameter, 406 km distance), Reinhold (48 km diameter, 196 km distance), and possibly Lansberg (39 km diameter, 108 km distance), aided by excavation of basalt interlayers and mixing of regolith by small, local impacts. Anomalous immature soil samples 12024, 12032, and 12033 contain a lesser proportion of mare basalt and a correspondingly greater proportion of KREEP lithologies. These samples consist mainly of fossil or paleoregolith, likely ejecta from Copernicus, that was buried beneath the mixing zone of micrometeorite gardening, and then brought to the near surface by local craters such as Head, Bench, and Sharp Craters.     

Ar/Ar dating of Apollo 12 regolith: Implications for the age of Copernicus and the source of nonmare materials

Twenty-one 2–4 mm rock samples from the Apollo 12 regolith were analyzed by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronological technique in order to further constrain the age and source of nonmare materials at the Apollo 12 site. Among the samples analyzed are: 2 felsites, 11 KREEP breccias, 4 mare-basalt-bearing KREEP breccias, 2 alkali anorthosites, 1 olivine-bearing impact-melt breccia, and 1 high-Th mare basalt. Most samples show some degree of degassing at 700–800 Ma, with minimum formation ages that range from 1.0 to 3.1 Ga. We estimate that this degassing event occurred at 782 ± 21 Ma and may have been caused by the Copernicus impact event, either by providing degassed material or by causing heating at the Apollo 12 site. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of two alkali anorthosite clasts yielded ages of 3.256 ± 0.022 Ga and 3.107 ± 0.058 Ga. We interpret these ages as the crystallization age of the rock and they represent the youngest age so far determined for a lunar anorthosite. The origin of these alkali anorthosite fragments is probably related to differentiation of shallow intrusives. Later impacts could have dispersed this material by lateral mixing or vertical mixing.     

U-Pb zircon dating of the lunar meteorite Dhofar 1442

Dhofar 1442 is one of the few lunar KREEP-rich meteorites, which contains KREEP norites and KREEP gabbronorite as well as low-Ti basalts and highly evolved granophyres. Zircon is a typical accessory mineral of KREEP rocks. U-Th-Pb dates of 12 zircon grains (four of them were in two lithic clasts, and the others were fragments in the meteorite matrix) indicate that the zircons belong to at least two groups of different age: “ancient” (～4.31 Ga) and “young” (～3.95 Ga), which correspond to two major pulses of KREEP magmatism in the source region of the Dhofar 1442 meteorite. The zircon of the “young” group was most probably related to the crater ejecta of the Mare Imbrium Basin. The rock fragments dated at approximately 3.95 Ga have the composition of KREEP gabbronorite. The parental rocks of the zircon of the “ancient” group in the Dhofar 1442 meteorite are uncertain and could be highly evolved granophyres. This hypothesis is supported by the high Th (100–300 ppm) and U (150–400 ppm) contents. These zircon fragments of the “ancient” group, higher than in the “young” group (<50 ppm Th and <70 ppm U) and are typical of zircon from lunar granitic rocks. The composition of the products of KREEP magmatism in the source region of the Dhofar 1442 meteorite could vary from predominantly granitic to KREEP gabbronoritic at 4.3–3.9 Ga.     

Pre-Imbrian craters and basins: ages,compositions and excavation depths of Apollo 16 breccias

Breccia fragments have been analyzed from the 2–4 mm sieve fraction of three Apollo 16 soils collected in the vicinity of North Ray Crater (63503,17 at Station 13; 67603,1 and 67703,14 at Station 11). Ar³⁹-Ar⁴⁰ ages, Ar³⁷-Ar³⁸ exposure ages, abundances of major and certain trace elements, and petrographie data relevant to thermal history have been obtained for up to 48 individual fragments.Among the samples. 30 gave Ar³⁹-Ar⁴⁰ release patterns that allowed the assignment of a high- or intermediate-temperature plateau age and the recognition of three age groups. Group I (10 fragments) are 4.12-4.21 AE, Group 2 (13 fragments) are 3.89-4.02 AE, and Group 3 (6 fragments) are <2.5 AE in age. Only one fragment (3.60 AE) falls outside this grouping and possibly represents Theophilus ejecta. The probability that the gap between 4.12 and 4.02 AE is a statistical fluctuation is only ～2%. The exposure ages cluster strongly around 50 × 10⁶y. the age of North Ray Crater.The oldest, Group 1 fragments are all anorthositic metamorphosed breccias of light-matrix type. The younger. Group 2 fragments are noritic anorthosite and anorthositic norite breccias with textures indicative of greater annealing (melted matrix), one totally melted sample being of KREEP-basalt texture. The very young. Group 3 fragments are chiefly of glass or devitrified glass. There is a marked distinction between Groups 1 and 2 in compositional as well as textural properties. The Group 2 breccias are generally enriched in Mg, K and REE relative to the aluminous Group I breccias (eg. K ≤ 400 ppm in Group 1 and mostly ≥ 600 ppm in Group 2). This difference is attributed to the introduction of KREEP and mafic ANT components during the formation of the Group 2 breccias.The results are interpreted as reflecting two magnitudes of cratering. The older craters (>4.1 AE) were of medium size (diameters up to a few hundred kilometers), large enough to reset the ages but not capable of excavating deeper than predominantly feldspathic (anorthositic) layers of the crust. The younger craters (～3.9-4.0 AE) were, in contrast, those ascribed to major basin-forming events and were therefore capable of excavating a deeper and wider spectrum of crustal lithologies. The latter resulted in admixture of KREEP and mafic ANT components with the feldspathic ANT, cover layer. KREEP was thus only excavated in abundance during the basin-forming events, from a sub-crustal layer formed initially at ～4.4 AE but incorporated in the breccias at ～4 AE.The KREEP-contaminated. Group 2 breccias have—except two fragments—ages between 3.95 and 4.02 AE. This group includes a crystallized melt (3.97 ± 0.04 AE), close in composition and texture to 14310 (3.87 ± 0.04 AE) which is generally attributed to the Imbrian basin-forming event (～3.88 AE). The pre-Imbrian. Group 2 breccias of Apollo 16 can best be attributed to the Nectaris basin-forming event, which according to the clustered ages probably occurred at ～3.98 AE. Our results support a multi-impact lunar cataclysm with the formation of Nectaris (3.98 AE). Humorum. South Serenitatis, Crisium and Imbrium (3.88 AE) within a 0.1 AE time interval.     

The geochemistry and provenance of Apollo 16 mafic glasses

The regolith of the Apollo 16 lunar landing site is composed mainly of feldspathic lithologies but mafic lithologies are also present. A large proportion of the mafic material occurs as glass. We determined the major element composition of 280 mafic glasses (>10 wt% FeO) from six different Apollo 16 soil samples. A small proportion (5%) of the glasses are of volcanic origin with picritic compositions. Most, however, are of impact origin. Approximately half of the mafic impact glasses are of basaltic composition and half are of noritic composition with high concentrations of incompatible elements. A small fraction have compositions consistent with impact mixtures of mare material and material of the feldspathic highlands. On the basis of major-element chemistry, we identified six mafic glass groups: VLT picritic glass, low-Ti basaltic glass, high-Ti basaltic glass, high-Al basaltic glass, KREEPy glass, and basaltic-andesite glass. These glass groups encompass 60% of the total mafic glasses studied. Trace-element analyses by secondary ion mass spectroscopy for representative examples of each glass group (31 total analyses) support the major-element classifications and groupings. The lack of basaltic glass in Apollo 16 ancient regolith breccias, which provide snapshots of the Apollo 16 soil just after the infall of Imbrium ejecta, leads us to infer that most (if not all) of the basaltic glass was emplaced as ejecta from small- or moderate-sized impacts into the maria surrounding the Apollo 16 site after the Imbrium impact. The high-Ti basaltic glasses likely represent a new type of basalt from Mare Tranquillitatis, whereas the low-Ti and high-Al basaltic glasses possibly represent the composition of the basalts in Mare Nectaris. Both the low-Ti and high-Al basaltic glasses are enriched in light-REEs, which hints at the presence of a KREEP-bearing source region beneath Mare Nectaris. The basaltic andesite glasses have compositions that are siliceous, ferroan, alkali-rich, and moderately titaniferous; they are unlike any previously recognized lunar lithology or glass group. Their likely provenance is within the Procellarum KREEP Terrane, but they are not found within the Apollo 16 ancient regolith breccias and therefore were likely deposited at the Apollo 16 site post-Imbrium. The basaltic-andesite glasses are the most ferroan variety of KREEP yet discovered.     

U-Th-Pb measurements of Luna 20 soil

The concentrations of uranium, thorium and lead and the lead isotopic composition of Luna 20 soil were determined. The data indicate that the Luna 20 soil is mainly a mixture of highland anorthosites and low-K basalt, but little KREEP basalt. The U-Th-Pb systematics are discussed in comparison with other lunar soils, especially with Apollo 16 soils which were collected from a ‘typical’ highland region. The data fit well in the Apollo 16 soil array on a U-Pb evolution diagram, and they exhibit excess lead relative to uranium. This relationship appears to be a characteristic of highland localities. Considering the previous observations of lunar samples, we infer that lead enrichment in the soil relative to uranium occurred between 3.2 and 3.9 b.y. ago and that the soil was disturbed by ‘third events’ about 2.0 b.y. ago. A lunar evolution model is discussed.     

The Luna 20 lithic fragments,and the composition and origin of the lunar highlands

Luna 20 soil 22003,1 (250–500 μ) is similar to Apollo 16 soil 61501,47 (250–500 μ) in terms of the percentage of different types of particles. However, among the lithic fragments, the Apollo 16 sample contains a greater percentage of fragments with more than 70 wt. % modal plagioclase and a significantly greater proportion of KREEP-rich particles. Modal analyses of non-mare lithic fragments in Luna 20 and Apollo 11, 14, 15 and 16 indicate that the KREEP-poor highland regions (the bulk of the lunar terrae), though relatively feldspathic, are compositionally inhomogeneous, ranging in plagioclase content from approximately 35 to 100 wt. %. The average plagioclase content lies in the range 45–70 wt.%. Luna 20 pyroxene analyses cluster in two groups, one more magnesian than the other. The groups persist when pyroxene analyses from KREEP-poor noritic, troctolitic and anorthositic lithic fragments from Apollo 11, 14, 15 and 16 and Luna 20 are included. Olivine compositions mimic these pyroxene groups.Within each pyroxene group Cr₂O₃ and TiO₂ decrease as $\text{Fe}\text{(Fe + Mg)}$ increases, suggesting a relationship by fractional crystallization. The two groups suggest that at least two magma compositions were involved. To account for these observations we envisage a Moon-wide magma system in which initial accretionary heterogeneities were imperfectly erased by diffusion and convection. During the cooling of this magma system fractional crystallization was effected by the flotation of plagioclase and sinking of pyroxene, olivine and perhaps ilmenite. The endproduct was an upper layer enriched in plagioclase and a lower layer enriched in mafic silicates. KREEP-rich rocks, which are predominantly noritic in major element composition, may be mechanical mixtures of KREEP-poor norite and material residual after fractional crystallization of the surface magma system.     

Anorthosite formation by plagioclase flotation in ferrobasalt and implications for the lunar crust

The Sept Iles layered intrusion (Quebec, Canada) is dominated by a basal Layered Series made up of troctolites and gabbros, and by anorthosites occurring (1) at the roof of the magma chamber (100-500 m-thick) and (2) as cm- to m-size blocks in gabbros of the Layered Series. Anorthosite rocks are made up of plagioclase, with minor clinopyroxene, olivine and Fe-Ti oxide minerals. Plagioclase displays a very restricted range of compositions for major elements (An₆₈-An₆₀), trace elements (Sr: 1023-1071 ppm; Ba: 132-172 ppm) and Sr isotopic ratios (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i: 0.70356-0.70379). This compositional range is identical to that observed in troctolites, the most primitive cumulates of the Layered Series, whereas plagioclase in layered gabbros is more evolved (An₆₀-An₃₈). The origin of Sept Iles anorthosites has been investigated by calculating the density of plagioclase and that of the evolving melts. The density of the FeO-rich tholeiitic basalt parent magma first increased from 2.70 to 2.75 g/cm³ during early fractionation of troctolites and then decreased continuously to 2.16 g/cm³ with fractionation of Fe-Ti oxide-bearing gabbros. Plagioclase (An₆₉-An₆₀) was initially positively buoyant and partly accumulated at the top of the magma chamber to form the roof anorthosite. With further differentiation, plagioclase (<An₆₀) became negatively buoyant and anorthosite stopped forming. Blocks of anorthosite (autoliths) even fell downward to the basal cumulate pile. The presence of positively buoyant plagioclase in basal troctolites is explained by the low efficiency of plagioclase flotation due to crystallization at the floor and/or minor plagioclase nucleation within the main magma body. Dense mafic minerals of the roof anorthosite are shown to have crystallized from the interstitial liquid.The processes related to floating and sinking of plagioclase in a large and shallow layered intrusion serve as a proxy to refine the crystallization model of the lunar magma ocean and explain the vertically stratified structure of the lunar crust, with (gabbro-)noritic rocks at the base and anorthositic rocks at the top. We propose that the lunar crust mainly crystallized bottom-up. This basal crystallization formed a mafic lower crust that might have a geochemical signature similar to the magnesian-suite without KREEP contamination, while flotation of some plagioclase grains produced ferroan anorthosites in the upper crust.     

On the origin of impact glass in the Apollo 16 regolith

This study addresses the issue of what fraction of the impact glass in the regolith of a lunar landing site derives from local impacts (those within a few kilometers of the site) as opposed to distant impacts (10 or more kilometers away). Among 10,323 fragments from the 64-210-μm grain-size fraction of three Apollo 16 regolith samples, 14% are impact glasses, that is, fragments consisting wholly or largely of glass produced in a crater-forming impact. Another 16% are agglutinates formed by impacts of micrometeorites into regolith. We analyzed the glass in 1559 fragments for major- and minor-element concentrations by electron probe microanalysis and a subset of 112 of the fragments that are homogeneous impact glasses for trace elements by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Of the impact glasses, 75% are substantially different in composition from either the Apollo 16 regolith or any mixture of rocks of which the regolith is mainly composed. About 40% of the impact glasses are richer in Fe, Mg, and Ti, as well as K, P, and Sm, than are common rocks of the feldspathic highlands. These glasses must originate from craters in maria or the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. Of the feldspathic impact glasses, some are substantially more magnesian (greater MgO/FeO) or have substantially lower concentrations of incompatible elements than the regolith of the Apollo 16 site. Many of these, however, are in the range of feldspathic lunar meteorites, most of which derive from points in the feldspathic highlands distant from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. These observations indicate that a significant proportion of the impact glass in the Apollo 16 regolith is from craters occurring 100 km or more from the landing site. In contrast, the composition of glass in agglutinates, on average, is similar to the composition of the Apollo 16 regolith, consistent with local origin.     

The primitive lavas of Roccamonfina volcano,Roman region,Italy: new constraints on melting processes and source mineralogy

Within a large collection of lavas from the Roccamonfina volcano are rocks which represent the most mafic samples yet recorded from Roccamonfina and which are amongst the least differentiated lavas found in the Roman co-magmatic region as a whole. These rocks extend both high-K and low-K series to more primitive values. However, petrographic and geochemical considerations rule out a primary origin, and even these mafic samples appear to record the effects of repeated episodes of fractional crystallization and hybridization. Relatively potassic samples from the low-K series are apparently transitional between low-K and high-K series, as previously delineated. However, these intermediate-K samples are not transitional in their Sr isotopic composition, suggesting that there is no continuum between low-K and high-K magma source regions. Rather, the compositional range within the low-K series appears predominantly to reflect variation in the degree of melting of a common mantle source. Analysis of the low-K series data, using an inverse method suggests a source containing amphibole and garnet, and indicates that these phases were consumed during the melting processes responsible for the low-K series magmas. The role of amphibole is further indicated by the association of low K₂O with elevated Rb concentration and, for example, higher Ce/Yb. Such variations are taken to reflect the consumption of high K/Rb amphibole during the initial phase of partial melting.     

Mineralogy,petrology and chemistry of lithic fragments from Luna 20 fines: origin of the cumulate ANT suite and its relationship to high-alumina and mare basalts

Bulk analyses of 157 lithic fragments of igneous origin and analyses of their constituent minerals (plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, Mg-Al spinel, chromite, ilmenite, armalcolite, baddeleyite, zirkelite, K-feldspar, interstitial glass high in SiO₂ and K₂O) have been used to characterize the lunar highland rock suites at the Luna 20 site. The predominant suite is composed of ANT (anorthositic-noritic-troctolitic) rocks, as found at previous Apollo and Luna sites. This suite consists of an early cumulate member, spinel troctolite, and later cumulate rocks which are gradational from anorthosite to noritic and troctolitic anorthosite to anorthositic norite and troctolite; anorthositic norite is the most abundant rock type and its composition is close to the average composition for the highland rocks at this site. Spinel troctolite is a distinctive member of this suite and is characterized by the presence of Mg-Al spinel, magnesian olivine (average, Fo₈₃), and plagioclase. High-alumina basalt with low alkali content is another important rock type and melt of this composition may be parental to the cumulate ANT suite. Alkalic high-alumina basalt (KREEP) was not found in our sample, but may be genetically related to the ANT suite in that it may have formed by partial melting of rocks similar to those of the ANT suite. Fractional crystallization of low alkali, high-alumina basalt probably cannot produce alkalic high-alumina basalt because the enrichment in KREEP component is many times greater than the simultaneous change in major element components. Formation of alkalic high-alumina basalt by mechanical mixing of ANT rocks with very KREEP-rich components is not likely because the high-alumina basalt suite falls on a cotectic in the anorthiteolivine-silica system. Mare basalts may also be genetically related in that they may have been derived by remelting of rocks formed from residual liquids of fractional crystallization of parental low-alkali, high-alumina basalt, plus mafic cumulate crystals; the resultant melt would have a negative Eu anomaly and high $\text{Fe}\text{Mg}$ and $\text{pyroxene}\text{plagioclase}$ ratios.     

KREEP Rocks

KREEP rocks with high contents of K, REE and P were first recognized in Apollo-12 samples, and it was confirmed later that there were KREEP rock fragments in all of the Apollo samples, particularly in Apollo-12 and -14 samples. The KREEP rocks distributed on the lunar surface are the very important objects of study on the evolution of the moon, as well as to evaluate the utilization prospect of REE in KREEP rocks. Based on previous studies and lunar exploration data, the authors analyzed the chemical and mineral characteristics of KREEP rocks, the abundance of Th on the lunar surface materials, the correlation between Th and REE of KREEP rocks in abundance, studied the distribution regions of KREEP rocks on the lunar surface, and further evaluated the utilization prospect of REE in KREEP rocks.     

SIMS U-Pb study of zircon from Apollo 14 and 17 breccias: Implications for the evolution of lunar KREEP

We report the results of a SIMS U-Pb study of 112 zircons from breccia samples from the Apollo 14 and 17 landing sites. Zircon occurs in the breccia matrices as rounded, irregular shaped, broken and rarely euhedral grains and as constituent minerals in a variety of lithic clasts ranging in composition from ultra-mafic and mafic rocks to highly evolved granophyres. Crystallisation of zircon in magmatic rocks is governed by the zirconium saturation in the melt. As a consequence, the presence of zircon in mafic rocks on the Moon implies enrichment of their parent melts in the KREEP component. Our SIMS results show that the ages of zircons from mafic to ultramafic clasts range from ca. 4.35 Ga to ca. 4.00 Ga demonstrating multiple generations of KREEPy mafic and ultramafic magmas over this time period. Individual zircon clasts in breccia matrices have a similar age range to zircons in igneous clasts and all represent zircons that have been incorporated into the breccia from older parents. The age distributions of zircons from breccias from both the Apollo 14 and Apollo 17 landing sites are essentially identical in the range 4.35-4.20 Ga. However, whereas Apollo 14 zircons additionally show ages from 4.20 to 3.90 Ga, no zircons from Apollo 17 samples have primary ages less than ca. 4.20 Ga. Also, in contrast to previous suggestions that the magmatism in the lunar crust is continuous our results show that the zircon age distribution is uneven, with distinct peaks of magmatic activity at ca. 4.35 Ga, ca. 4.20 Ga in Apollo 14 and 17 and a possible third peak in zircons from Apollo 14 at ca. 4.00 Ga. To explain the differences in the zircon age distributions between the Apollo 14 and 17 landing sites we propose that episodes of KREEP magmatism were generated from a primary reservoir, and that this reservoir contracted over time towards the centre of Procellarum KREEP terrane. We attribute the peaks in KREEP magmatism to impact induced emplacement of KREEP magma from a primary mantle source or to a progressive thermal build-up in the mantle source until the temperature exceeds the threshold for generation of KREEP magma, which is transported into the crust by an unspecified possibly plume-like process.     

The Ronda high temperature peridotite: Geochemistry and petrogenesis

The Ronda peridotite in southern Spain is a large (~300 km²) exposure of upper mantle which provides direct information about mantle processes on a scale much larger than that provided by mantle xenoliths in basalt. Ronda peridotites range from harzburgite to lherzolite, and vary considerably in major element content, e.g., Al₂O₃ from 0.9 to 4.8%, and trace element abundances, e.g., Sr, Zr and La abundances vary by factors of 20 to 40. These compositional variations are systematic and correlate with (pyroxene + garnet)/olivine ratios and olivine compositions. The data are consistent with formation of residual peridotites by variable degrees of melting (~0 to 30%) of a compositionally homogeneous peridotite. None of the peridotites have geochemical characteristics of residues formed by extensive (?5%) fractional melting and the data can be explained by equilibrium (batch) melting, possibly with incomplete melt segregation in some samples. Based on compositional differences between Ronda peridotites, the segregated melts were picritic (12–22% MgO) with relative rare earth element abundances similar to mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). Prior to the melting event the Ronda peridotite body was a suitable source for MORB. The compositional characteristics of Ronda peridotites are consistent with diapiric rise of a fertile mantle peridotite with relatively small degrees of melting near the diapir-wall rock interface yielding residues of garnet iherzolite, and larger degrees of melting in the diapir interior yielding residues of garnet-free peridotite. Subsequently these residual rocks were recrystallized at sub-solidus conditions (Obata, 1980), and emplaced in the crust by thrusting (Lundeen, 1978).     

Platinum potential of mafic–ultramafic massifs in the western part of the Dambuka ore district (Upper Amur Region,Russia)

New data on the Pt potential of mafic–ultramafic massifs of the Khani–Maya, Uldegit, and Dzhalta complexes in the western part of the Dambuka ore district are discussed. The Khani–Maya Complex is represented by metamorphosed gabbro, gabbronorites, gabbro anorthosites, subordinate pyroxenites, hornblendites, and peridotites. The Uldegit Complex is composed of pyroxenites, hornblendites, gabbro, gabbronorites, norites, troctolites, peridotites, dunites, actinolite–tremolites, serpentinites, anthophyllites, and tremolite–plagioclase rocks. The Dzhalta Complex is formed of peridotites, gabbro, eclogitized gabbro, hornblendites, cortlandites, and pyroxenites. All these complexes differ from each other by the concentrations of Ni, Cu, Co, Au, and platinoids depending on the composition of the constituting rocks and the presence of sulfide minerals.