Trace element chemistry of Apollo 14 lunar soil from Fra Mauro

Analytical data are presented for Apollo 14 fines ( < 1 mm) sample 14163,136 for 31 trace elements. The heavy REE are enriched monotonically by factors of 105 ± 10 over chondrites. Eu shows a large depletion (30 × chondrites) and the light REE show a smooth progressive enrichment with a slight fall at La. Ba, Cs, Th, U, Nb, Zr and Hf are strongly enriched, relative to chondritic abundances. Thus the outer portions of the moon sampled by the Imbrium event, and now represented by the Fra Mauro Formation, possessed high concentrations (100–200 × chondrites) for many elements, prior to the excavation of the mare basins. A correlation may exist between Gd/Eu and Zr/Hf ratios in lunar materials.