Thermophysical properties of lunar material returned by Apollo missions

Data on thermophysical properties measured on lunar material returned by Apollo missions are reviewed. In particular, the effects of temperature and interstitial gaseous pressure on thermal conductivity and diffusivity have been studied. For crystalline rocks, breccias and fines, the thermal conductivity and diffusivity decrease as the interstitial gaseous pressure decreases from 1 atm to 10^–4T. Below 10^–4T, these properties become insensitive to the pressure. At a pressure of 10^–4T or below, the thermal conductivity of fines is more temperature dependent than that of crystalline rocks and breccias. The bulk density also affects the thermal conductivity of the fines. An empirical relationship between thermal conductivity, bulk density and temperature derived from the study of terrestrial material is shown to be consistent with the data on lunar samples. Measurement of specific heat shows that, regardless of the differences in mineral composition, crystalline rocks and fines have almost identical specific heat in the temperature range between 100 and 340K. The thermal parameter calculated from thermal conductivity, density and specific heat shows that the thermal properties estimated by earth-based observations are those characteristic only of lunar fines and not of crystalline rocks and breccias. The rate of radioactive heat generation calculated from the content of K, Th and U in lunar samples indicates that the surface layer of the lunar highland is more heat-producing than the lunar maria. This may suggest fundamental differences between the two regions.Now at Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York, U.S.A.     

The significance of the magnetism observed in lunar rocks

Partial thermal remanence experiments on lunar igneous rocks indicate that the magnetization of lunar rocks is not a normal single component thermoremanent magnetization. The magnetization therefore may not have been acquired at the time of initial cooling of the rock and thus should be used cautiously in making estimates of the intensity of the ancient lunar magnetic field.Contribution No. 201, Geosciences Division, The University of Texas at Dallas.     

Thermal history of the enstatite chondrites from silica polymorphs

Abstract— Here we report the results of our petrologic and mineralogical study of enstatite (E) chondrites in order to explore their thermal histories. We studied silica phases in 20 E chondrites by laser micro Raman spectroscopy to determine the silica polymorphs they contain. Silica phases are commonly present in E chondrites and their polymorphs reflect the physical conditions of formation. The samples studied here include EH3–5, EL3–6, E chondrite melt rocks, and an anomalous E chondrite. We identified quartz, tridymite, cristobalite, and silica glass in the samples studied. EH4–5 and EH melt rocks are divided into high and low temperature classes based on niningerite‐alabandite solid solutions. EH3, EL3, and some EH melt rocks of the high temperature class contain tridymite and cristobalite. We suggest that tridymite and cristobalite crystallized in chondrules and E chondrite melts, followed by rapid cooling, leading to the survival of these silica polymorphs. EH4 and EL4 chondrites also contain tridymite and cristobalite in their chondrules, indicating that these silica polymorphs survived low temperature metamorphism (as estimated from opaque mineral geothermometers) because of the sluggishness of the transition to a more stable polymorph. Tridymite and cristobalite in EL6 chondrites reflect the high temperature processes experienced by these meteorites. On the other hand, some EH5 chondrites and EH melt rocks of the low temperature class contain quartz, which may be a product of the transition from tridymite or cristobalite during a long period of low temperature metamorphism. Although the thermal history of E chondrites have been previously estimated from opaque minerals, such compositions mainly reflect low temperature processes. However, we can reconstruct the primordial thermal processes and subsequent cooling histories of E chondrites from their silica polymorphs. The E chondrites have complicated thermal histories, which produced the observed variations among them.     

Physical properties of rocks from the upper part of the Yaxcopoil‐1 drill hole,Chicxulub crater

Abstract— Physical properties were determined in a first step on post‐impact tertiary limestones from the depth interval of 404–666 m of the Yaxcopoil‐1 (Yax‐1) scientific well, drilled in the Chicxulub impact crater (Mexico). Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, density, and porosity were measured on 120 dry and water‐saturated rocks with a core sampling interval of 2–2.5 m. Nondestructive, non‐contact optical scanning technology was used for thermal property measurements including thermal anisotropy and inhomogeneity. Supplementary petrophysical properties (acoustic velocities, formation resisitivity factor, internal surface, and hydraulic permeability) were determined on a selected subgroup of representative samples to derive correlations with the densely measured parameters, establishing estimated depth logs to provide calibration values for the interpretation of geophysical data. Significant short‐ and long‐scale variations of porosity (1–37%) turned out to be the dominant factor influencing thermal, acoustic, and hydraulic properties of this post impact limestone formation. Correspondingly, large variations of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, acoustic velocities, and hydraulic permeability were found. These variations of physical properties allow us to subdivide the formation into several zones. A combination of experimental data on thermal conductivity for dry and water‐saturated rocks and a theoretical model of effective thermal conductivity for heterogeneous media have been used to calculate thermal conductivity of mineral skeleton and pore aspect ratio for every core under study. The results on thermal parameters are the necessary basis for the determination of heat flow density, demonstrating the necessity of dense sampling in the case of inhomogeneous rock formations.     

Assessing global trends in Mars magma compositions using ground truth

Global magmatic trends inferred from gamma-ray, visible/near-infrared, and thermal infrared spectrometers on Mars-orbiting spacecraft have been used to constrain planetary petrogenetic processes and global thermal evolution models. Inferred magmatic trends include temporal variations in the relative proportions of low-Ca and high-Ca pyroxenes, and in the abundances of potassium (and total alkalis), silica, FeO* (total iron expressed as FeO), and thorium. These patterns are evaluated for consistency with the compositions of surface igneous rocks of different ages analyzed by Mars rovers and of martian meteorites. Trends of decreasing low-Ca pyroxene/total pyroxene ratios and of decreasing potassium (and total alkalis), with time are generally supported by surface rock analyses. However, significant differences in the GRS-measured silica in Amazonian volcanoes and in martian meteorites of equivalent age result from contamination by silica-rich dust and are problematic for a silica trend. Comparison of FeO* in Noachian and Amazonian surface data shows no decrease. An inferred temporal trend in thorium is in conflict with the complex enrichment and depletion patterns of incompatible trace elements in martian meteorites of various ages. A dearth of analyses of Hesperian-age surface rocks precludes a firm evaluation of inferred Noachian-Hesperian trends and Hesperian-Amazonian trends, but abundant Noachian rocks and a few Hesperian rocks at rover sites, and Amazonian martian meteorites, collectively representing at least 16 surface locations, afford useful comparisons with orbital remote-sensing data.     

The granulitic impactite suite: Impact melts and metamorphic breccias of the early lunar crust

Abstract— An important and poorly understood group of rocks found in the ancient lunar highlands is called “feldspathic granulitic impactites.” Rocks of the granulite suite occur at most of the Apollo highlands sites as hand samples, rake samples, clasts in breccias, and soil fragments. Most lunar granulites contain 70–80% modal plagioclase, but they can range from anorthosite to troctolite and norite. Previous studies have led to different interpretations for the thermal history of these rocks, including formation as igneous plutons, long-duration metamorphism at high temperatures, and short-duration metamorphism at low temperatures. This paper reports on a study of 24 polished thin sections of lunar granulites from the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions. We identify three different textural types of granulitic breccias: poikilitic, granoblastic, and poikilitic-granoblastic breccias. These breccias have similar equilibration temperatures (1100 ± 50 °C), as well as common compositions. Crystal size distributions in two granoblastic breccias reveal that Ostwald ripening took place during metamorphism. Solid-state grain growth and diffusion calculations indicate relatively rapid cooling during metamorphism (0.5 to 50 °C/year), and thermal modeling shows that they cooled at relatively shallow depths (<200 m). In contrast, we conclude that the poikilitic rocks formed by impact melting, whereas the poikilitic-granoblastic rocks were metamorphosed and may have partially melted. These results indicate formation of lunar granulites in relatively small craters (30–90 km in diameter), physically associated with the impact-melt breccia pile, and possibly from fine-grained fragmental precursor lithologies.     

Ice table depth variability near small rocks at the Phoenix landing site, Mars: A pre-landing assessment

We combine thermal simulations of ground ice stability near small rocks with extrapolations of the abundance of rocks at the Phoenix landing site based on HiRISE rock counts to estimate the degree of ice table depth variability within the 3.8 m² workspace that can be excavated during the mission. Detailed predictions of this kind are important both to test current ground-ice theory and to optimize soil investigations after landing. We find that Phoenix will very likely have access to at least one rock in the diameter range 5 cm to 1 m. Our simulations, which assume the ice to be in diffusive equilibrium with atmospheric water vapor, indicate that all rocks in this size range are associated with an annulus of deep ice-free soil. Ice table depth variability of 1-5 cm is very likely at the landing site due to the presence of small rocks. Further, there are scenarios in which Phoenix might exploit the presence of individual large rocks and/or the arrangement of small rocks to sample soils at depths >10 cm below the average depth predicted from orbit (∼4 cm). Scale analysis to constrain uncertainties in simulation results indicates that estimates of maximum depths may be somewhat conservative and that ice table depressions associated with individual rocks could be deeper and laterally more extended than indicated by formal predictions by mm to cm.     

A comparison of the thermal and radar characteristics of Mars

There is a correlation between Martian thermal inertia and radar cross section data centered on +22° latitude. The correlation is strongest with 70-cm radar, except between longitudes 10 and 90° where there is a slight anticorrelation, and gets progressively weaker at 12.5- and 3.8-cm wavelengths, respectively. A correlation is expected because of the dependence of both properties on density, but an increase in the average particle size of the surface with increasing dielectric constant is also required in order to explain the data. This may take the form of an increased number of small rocks. The anticorrelation may result from either the effects of atmospheric dust on the surface temperature or from the effects on radar of local variations in large-scale roughness or scattering by rocks. The relative behavior between the wavelengths can be understood in terms of appropriately sized rocks which act as radar scatterers. The trend of the correlation agrees with the dichotomy of the planet into two types of terrain, as noted in other remote-sensing data, and is consistent with an erosional versus depositional surface nature. Variations in the surface dielectric constant, inferred from the 3.8-cm radar data, can explain discrepancies between 2.8-cm radio emission observations and a simple model based on the global distribution of thermal inertia and albedo.     

Thermo‐mechanical interaction of a large impact melt sheet with adjacent target rock,Sudbury impact structure,Canada

The 1.85 Ga Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) and its thermal aureole are unique on Earth with regard to unraveling the effects of a large impact melt sheet on adjacent target rocks. Notably, the formation of Footwall Breccia, lining the basal SIC, remains controversial and has been attributed to impact, cratering, and postcratering processes. Based on detailed field mapping and microstructural analysis of thermal aureole rocks, we identified three distinct zones characterized by static recrystallization, incipient melting, and crystallization textures. The temperature gradient in the thermal aureole increases toward the SIC and culminates in a zone of partial melting, which correlates spatially with the Footwall Breccia. We therefore conclude that assimilation of target rock into initially superheated impact melt and simultaneous deformation after cratering strongly contributed to breccia formation. Estimated melt fractions of the Footwall Breccia amount to 80 vol% and attest to an extreme loss in mechanical strength and, thus, high mobility of the Breccia during assimilation. Transport of highly mobile Footwall Breccia material into the overlying Sublayer Norite of the SIC and vice versa can be attributed to Raleigh–Taylor instability of both units, long‐term crater modification caused by viscous relaxation of crust underlying the Sudbury impact structure, or both.     

Strontium and neodymium isotope systematics of target rocks and impactites from the El'gygytgyn impact structure: Linking impactites and target rocks

The 3.6 Ma El'gygytgyn structure, located in northeastern Russia on the Chukotka Peninsula, is an 18 km diameter complex impact structure. The bedrock is formed by mostly high‐silica volcanic rocks of the ~87 Ma old Okhotsk‐Chukotka Volcanic Belt (OCVB). Volcanic target rocks and impact glasses collected on the surface, as well as drill core samples of bedrock and impact breccias have been investigated by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) to obtain new insights into the relationships between these lithologies in terms of Nd and Sr isotope systematics. Major and trace element data for impact glasses are added to compare with the composition of target rocks and drill core samples. Sr isotope data are useful tracers of alteration processes and Nd isotopes reveal characteristics of the magmatic sources of the target rocks, impact breccias, and impact glasses. There are three types of target rocks mapped on the surface: mafic volcanics, dacitic tuff and lava of the Koekvun’ Formation, and dacitic to rhyolitic ignimbrite of the Pykarvaam Formation. The latter represents the main contributor to the impact rocks. The drill core is divided into a suevite and a bedrock section by the Sr isotope data, for which different postimpact alteration regimes have been detected. Impact glasses from the present‐day surface did not suffer postimpact hydrothermal alteration and their data indicate a coherent alteration trend in terms of Sr isotopes with the target rocks from the surface. Surprisingly, the target rocks do not show isotopic coherence with the Central Chukotka segment of the OCVB or with the Berlozhya magmatic assemblage (BMA), a late Jurassic felsic volcanic suite that crops out in the eastern part of the central Chukotka segment of the OCVB. However, concordance for these rocks exists with the Okhotsk segment of the OCVB. This finding argues for variable source magmas having contributed to the build‐up of the OCVB.     

Heating of the Lithosphere during Meteorite Cratering

The formation of thermal anomalies around the impact sites of large cosmic bodies on the Earth is studied. The parameters of thermal anomalies are compared for the impacts of bodies of various scales—from one to several hundred kilometers in diameter. The cooling time of the rocks under impact craters of various scales is estimated. The estimates obtained are used to model the input of heat by the impacts of small (less than 500 km in diameter) planetesimals late in the accretion of the Earth. The boundary conditions for calculating the thermal evolution of the early Earth are refined by simultaneously analyzing the sizes of impact thermal anomalies and the model size distributions of projectiles (the mass spectrum of planetesimals).     

NATURAL THERMOLUMINESCENCE OF CALCAREOUS ROCKS FROM THE CHARLEVOIX (MALBAIE) STRUCTURE

The natural thermoluminescence of samples of limestone from within and near the Charlevoix meteorite impact structure indicates that the effect of impact, strain due to faulting, low grade thermal metamorphism, and recrystallization can often be distinguished on the basis of the shape and either the total emission or amplitude of the peaks of the thermoluminescence curves. Impact causes a reduction of thermoluminescence which is detectable in the Charlevoix structure for about 10 Km outside the known limits of shatter cone development. It is inferred that thermoluminescence investigations should provide a useful means of investigating other impact structures. Impact effects on quartz rich rocks appear to be somewhat similar to the effects in calcareous rocks, but a fundamental difference in the electronic properties of shocked quartz and calcite demonstrate that identical effects should not be anticipated.     

Composition and thermal inertia of the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars from TES and THEMIS data

Clay mineral-bearing deposits previously discovered on Mars with near infrared (λ=0.3-5 μm) remote sensing data are of major significance for understanding the aqueous history, geological evolution, and past habitability of Mars. In this study, we analyzed the thermal infrared (λ=6-35 μm) surface properties of the most extensive phyllosilicate deposit on Mars: the Mawrth Vallis area. Clay mineral-bearing units, which in visible images appear to be relatively light-toned, layered bedrock, have thermal inertia values ranging from 150 to 460 J m⁻² K⁻¹ s^−1/2. This suggests the deposits are composed of a mixture of rock with sand and dust at 100-meter scales. Dark-toned materials that mantle the clay-bearing surfaces have thermal inertia values ranging from 150 to 800, indicating variable degrees of rockiness or induration of this younger sedimentary or pyroclastic unit. Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) spectra of the light-toned rocks were analyzed with a number of techniques, but none of the results shows a large phyllosilicate component as has been detected in the same surfaces with near-infrared data. Instead, TES spectra of light-toned surfaces are best modeled by a combination of plagioclase feldspar, high-silica materials (similar to impure opaline silica or felsic glass), and zeolites. We propose three hypotheses for why the clay minerals are not apparent in thermal infrared data, including effects due to surface roughness, sub-pixel mixing of multiple surface temperatures, and low absolute mineral abundances combined with differences in spatial sampling between instruments. Zeolites modeled in TES spectra could be a previously unrecognized component of the alteration assemblage in the phyllosilicate-bearing rocks of the Mawrth Vallis area. TES spectral index mapping suggests that (Fe/Mg)-clays detected with near infrared data correspond to trioctahedral (Fe²⁺) clay minerals rather than nontronite-like clays. The average mineralogy and geologic context of these complex, interbedded deposits suggests they are either aqueous sedimentary rocks, altered pyroclastic deposits, or a combination of both.     

AN EXAMPLE OF A THERMALLY METAMORPHOSED AGGLUTINATE

A single fragment from an Apollo 16 soil appears to be a soil agglutinate that has experienced thermal metamorphism. Its texture is similar to that observed in many of the samples of recrystallized polymict breccias collected in the lunar highlands. Debris blankets, consisting largely of mineral and lithic clasts and derived from highland bedrock by major impacts, are less likely than agglutinate-rich soil from the highland megaregolith to be the progenitor of this class of recrystallized rocks.     

Infrared Spectroscopy of Micro-Organisms near 3.4 μm in Relation to Geology and Astronomy

Microorganisms sealed in KBr discs have an absorption spectrum over the 2.5–15 μm waveband that shows thermal stability as they are heated in an inert atmosphere to temperatures of about400 ^°C. Microfossils tightly sealed within cavities in rocks could be endowed with similar properties of thermal stability. The observed absorption of interstellar material along the line of sight from the solar system to the galactic centre is remarkably similar to the spectrum of dry micro-organisms over the 3.15–3.7 μm waveband. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The thermal and deformational history of apollo 15418, A partly shock-melted lunar breccia

A thermal and mechanical history of lunar gabbroic anorthosite 15418 (1140g) has been deduced from petrographic examination of both exterior and interior thin sections and electron microprobe analysis and transmission electron microscopy of interior thin sections. We suggest that the rock underwent two major shock events - an early brecciation and annealing that produced a recrystallized breccia, followed by a second shock event that melted the surface of the rock, vitrified the interior plagioclase and heavily deformed the mafic phases. This latter shock even was also followed by annealing which crystallized the shock-produced glass and promoted recovery and recrystallization of the deformed crystalline phases. The complex mechanical and thermal history of 15418 compared with other ANT suite rocks at Spur Crater suggests that it had a different provenance.     

Multiple techniques for mineral identification on Mars:: a study of hydrothermal rocks as potential analogues for astrobiology sites on Mars

Spectroscopic studies of Mars analog materials combining multiple spectral ranges and techniques are necessary in order to obtain ground truth information for interpretation of rocks and soils on Mars. Two hydrothermal rocks from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, were characterized here because they contain minerals requiring water for formation and they provide a possible niche for some of the earliest organisms on Earth. If related rocks formed in hydrothermal sites on Mars, identification of these would be important for understanding the geology of the planet and potential habitability for life. XRD, thermal properties, VNIR, mid-IR, and Raman spectroscopy were employed to identify the mineralogy of the samples in this study. The rocks studied here include a travertine from Mammoth Formation that contains primarily calcite with some aragonite and gypsum and a siliceous sinter from Octopus Spring that contains a variety of poorly crystalline to amorphous silicate minerals. Calcite was detected readily in the travertine rock using any one of the techniques studied. The small amount of gypsum was uniquely identified using XRD, VNIR, and mid-IR, while the aragonite was uniquely identified using XRD and Raman. The siliceous sinter sample was more difficult to characterize using each of these techniques and a combination of all techniques was more useful than any single technique. Although XRD is the historical standard for mineral identification, it presents some challenges for remote investigations. Thermal properties are most useful for minerals with discrete thermal transitions. Raman spectroscopy is most effective for detecting polarized species such as CO₃, OH, and CH, and exhibits sharp bands for most highly crystalline minerals when abundant. Mid-IR spectroscopy is most useful in characterizing Si-O (and metal-O) bonds and also has the advantage that remote information about sample texture (e.g., particle size) can be determined. Mid-IR spectroscopy is also sensitive to structural OH, CO₃, and SO₄ bonds when abundant. VNIR spectroscopy is best for characterizing metal excitational bands and water, and is also a good technique for identification of structural OH, CO₃, SO₄, or CH bonds. Combining multiple techniques provides the most comprehensive information about mineralogy because of the different selection rules and particle size sensitivities, in addition to maximum coverage of excitational and vibrational bands at all wavelengths. This study of hydrothermal rocks from Yellowstone provides insights on how to combine information from multiple instruments to identify mineralogy and hence evidence of water on Mars.     

Electrical conductivity of lunar surface rocks and chondritic meteorites

The electrical conductivities of several samples from returned Apollo 11 and 12 lunar rocks and from chondritic meteorites were measured from 300 to 1100K. Collectively the lunar samples represent all three of the major NASA classifications of lunar surface rocks. Of general interest is the observation that the conductivities of the lunar samples are much larger than the values which have previously been used in theoretical discussions of lunar phenomena. It is also found that the conductivity at 300K, (300), is extremely sensitive to the thermal history of the sample for both lunar and meteoritic material. Magnetic measurements are presented to help characterize the changes which occur upon heating.Principal Investigator - Apollo Lunar Science Program, Geophysics Research Laboratory, University of Tokyo, Japan.     

Application of drone-captured thermal imagery in aiding in the recovery of meteorites within a snow-covered strewn field

The rapid recovery of meteorites mitigates the exposure of astromaterials to the terrestrial environment and subsequent contamination. Modern fireball observatories have enabled the more accurate triangulation of fireball trajectories, which has aided in the location of strewn fields, in the case of meteorite-producing events. Despite this advancement, most meteorite searches still use manual searching to locate any meteorite falls, which is often labor-intensive and has a slow coverage rate (km² day⁻¹). Recent work has begun exploring the application of drone technology to the recovery of meteorites; however, most of this work has focused on falls in arid environments. Our study examines the utilization of drones with thermal imaging technology to aid in the recovery of meteorites that have fallen on a snow-covered field. We created a simulated strewn field that included meteorite specimens as well as Earth rocks with similar properties (“meteowrongs”). Thermal imagery was utilized to determine whether the thermal contrast between meteorites and snow could aid in the identification of meteorites. We found that the thermal contrast was significant enough that meteorites were readily identifiable within thermal images; however, it was not significant enough to distinguish between the meteorites and the meteowrongs. The utilization of thermal imagery in conjunction with visible imagery has the potential to aid in the rapid recovery of meteorites in snow-covered landscapes.     

Differentiation and emplacement of the Worthington Offset Dike of the Sudbury impact structure,Ontario

Abstract— The Offset Dikes of the 1.85 Ga Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) constitute a key topic in understanding the chemical evolution of the impact melt, its mineralization, and the interplay between melt migration and impact‐induced deformation. The origin of the melt rocks in Offset Dikes as well as mode and timing of their emplacement are still a matter of debate. Like many other offset dikes, the Worthington is composed of an early emplaced texturally rather homogeneous quartz‐diorite (QD) phase at the dike margin, and an inclusion‐ and sulfide‐rich quartz‐diorite (IQD) phase emplaced later and mostly in the centre of the dike. The chemical heterogeneity within and between QD and IQD is mainly attributed to variable assimilation of host rocks at the base of the SIC, prior to emplacement of the melt into the dike. Petrological data suggest that the parental magma of the Worthington Dike mainly developed during the pre‐liquidus temperature interval of the thermal evolution of the impact melt sheet (>1200 °C). Based on thermal models of the cooling history of the SIC, the two‐stage emplacement of the Worthington Dike occurred likely thousands to about ten thousand years after impact. Structural analysis indicates that an alignment of minerals and host rock fragments within the Worthington Dike was caused by ductile deformation under greenschist‐facies metamorphic conditions rather than flow during melt emplacement. It is concluded that the Worthington Offset Dike resulted from crater floor fracturing, possibly driven by late‐stage isostatic readjustment of crust underlying the impact structure.