Characterization of the lithological contact in the shergottite EETA79001—A record of igneous differentiation processes on Mars

Abstract— Elephant Moraine (EET) A79001 is the only Martian meteorite that consists of both an olivine‐phyric shergottite (lithology A) and a basaltic shergottite (lithology B). The presence of these lithologies in one rock has previously been ascribed to mixing processes (either magmatic or impact‐induced). Here we present data regarding phase changes across the contact between the lithologies. These data show that the contact is gradational and suggest that it is a primary igneous feature consistent with crystallization of a single cooling magma. We present a model to establish a petrogenetic connection between an olivine‐phyric and a basaltic shergottite through differentiation. The model involves the shallow or surface emplacement of a magma that contained pre‐eruptive solids (phenocrysts and minor xenocrysts). Subsequent differentiation via crystal settling and in situ crystallization (Langmuir 1989) resulted in a layered sequence of lithology A overlain by lithology B, with gradations in modal abundance of maskelynite (increasing from A to B) and pigeonite/maskelynite (decreasing from A to B), and a gradational change in pattern of pyroxene zonation (zones of magnesian augite separating magnesian and ferroan pigeonite appear and thicken into B) across the contact. A pigeonite phenocryst‐bearing zone near the contact in lithology B appears to be intermediate between lithology A and the bulk of lithology B (which resembles basaltic shergottite Queen Alexandra Range [QUE] 94201). Re‐examination of Sr isotopic compositions in lithology A and across the contact is required to test and constrain the model.     

Complex origins of silicate veinlets in HED meteorites: A case study of Northwest Africa 1109

We report on the petrography and mineralogy of three types of silicate veinlets in the brecciated eucrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 1109. These include Fe‐rich olivine, Mg‐rich olivine, and pyroxene veinlets. The Fe‐rich olivine veinlets mainly infill fractures in pyroxene and also occur along grain boundaries between pyroxene and plagioclase crystals, in both nonequilibrated and equilibrated lithic clasts. The host pyroxene of Fe‐rich olivine veinlets shows large chemical variations between and within grains. The Fe‐rich olivine veinlets also contain fine‐grained Fe³⁺‐bearing chromite, highly calcic plagioclase, merrillite, apatite, and troilite. Based on texture and mineral chemistry, we argue that the formation of Fe‐rich olivine was related to fluid deposition at relatively high temperatures. However, the source of Fe‐rich olivine in the veinlets remains unclear. Magnesium‐rich olivine veinlets were found in three diogenitic lithic clasts. In one of these, the Mg‐rich olivine veinlets only occur in one of the fine‐grained interstitial regions and extend into fractures within surrounding coarse‐grained orthopyroxene. Based on the texture of the interstitial materials, we suggest that the Mg‐rich olivine veinlets formed by shock‐induced localized melting and recrystallization. Pyroxene veinlets were only observed in one clast where they infill fractures within large plagioclase grains and are associated with fine‐grained pyroxene surrounding coarse‐grained pyroxene. The large chemical variations in pyroxene and the fracture‐filling texture indicate that the pyroxene veinlets might also have formed by shock‐induced localized melting and rapid crystallization. Our study demonstrates that silicate veinlets formed by a range of different surface processes on the surface of Vesta.     

An experimental and petrographic investigation of Elephant Moraine 79001 lithology A: Implications for its petrogenesis and the partitioning of chromium and vanadium in a martian basalt

Abstract— A composition approximating the lithology A groundmass of the Elephant Moraine (EET) 79001 martian basalt (Eg; McSween and Jarosewich, 1983) has been used to investigate the petrogenesis of the meteorite and the behavior of Cr and V at different oxygen fugacities. Crystallization experiments were carried out over a range of temperatures, and oxygen fugacities of either iron‐wüstite (IW) or IW + 2 (i.e., 1.5 log units below the quartz‐fayalite‐magnetite (QFM) buffer). Comparison of trace element concentrations (obtained by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis) in experimental silicates with those of natural silicates supports the Fe‐Ti oxide‐derived oxygen fugacity of QFM ?1.8 ± 0.3 for this basalt (Herd et al., 2001). Experimental distribution coefficients, in conjunction with SIMS analyses of rims from the olivine and pyroxene xenocrysts in lithology A, as well as analyses of lithology A groundmass pigeonite cores, are used to calculate coexisting liquid concentrations of V and Cr. Liquid compositions derived from pigeonite xenocryst rims and groundmass pigeonite cores are similar, suggesting that the rims of orthopyroxene xenocrysts are overgrowths, which have not previously been accounted for when reconstructing the groundmass composition. This implies that the Eg composition requires modification. A similar exercise for the ferroan rims on olivine xenocrysts yields very different liquid compositions, indicating that these rims are not overgrowths but are part of the xenocryst assemblage. These results are shown to be consistent with the petrography of lithology A xenocrysts.     

Petrology and geochemistry of Northwest Africa 5480 diogenite and evidence for a basin‐forming event on Vesta

We performed a petrological and geochemical study of an olivine diogenite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 5480. NWA 5480 is a crystalline stone, but shows a heterogeneous texture. Olivine aggregates and grains of olivine and chromite display resorption textures set in a crystalline pyroxene matrix. Large olivine aggregates are penetrated by pyroxene matrix. Flow textures are observed near olivine aggregates. Olivine, chromite, and pyroxene show minor chemical zoning, implying relatively rapid cooling. NWA 5480 contains a significant amount of platinum group elements with chondritic relative proportions. All this evidence supports that NWA 5480 is an impact‐melt breccia from a target composed of olivine and pyroxene‐rich lithologies. Such impact melt would have formed by melting crustal materials, possibly during one of the impacts that formed the South Pole basins on Vesta.     

Experimental petrology,crystallization history,and parental magma characteristics of olivine‐phyric shergottite NWA 1068: Implications for the petrogenesis of “enriched” olivine‐phyric shergottites

Abstract– Northwest Africa (NWA) 1068 is one of the few olivine‐phyric shergottites (e.g., NWA 1068, Larkman Nunatak [LAR] 06319, and Roberts Massif [RBT] 04262) that is not depleted in light rare earth elements (LREE). Its REE pattern is similar to that of the basaltic shergottite Shergotty, suggesting a possible connection between the olivine‐phyric and the basaltic shergottites. To test this possible link, we have investigated the high‐pressure near‐liquidus phase equilibria for the NWA 1068 meteorite bulk composition. Our results show that the NWA 1068 bulk composition does not represent an unmodified mantle‐derived melt; the olivine and pyroxene in our near‐liquidus experiments are more magnesian than in the rock itself, which suggests that NWA 1068 contains cumulate minerals (extra olivine). We have then used these experimental results combined with the pyroxene compositions in NWA 1068 to constrain the possible high‐pressure crystallization history of the parental magma. These results suggest that NWA 1068 had a complex polybaric history. Finally, we have calculated a model parental magma composition for the NWA 1068 meteorite. The calculated parental magma is an evolved basaltic composition which is too ferroan to be a primitive melt directly derived from the mantle. We suggest that it ponded and crystallized at approximately the base of the crust. This provided an opportunity for the magma to become contaminated by an “enriched” crustal component prior to crystallization. The results and modeling from these experiments are applicable not only to the NWA 1068 meteorite, but also to LAR 06319 and possibly any other enriched olivine‐phyric shergottite.     

In situ laser ablation ICP‐MS analyses of dimict diogenites: Further evidence for harzburgitic and orthopyroxenitic lithologies

Trace element concentrations in pyroxene, plagioclase, and olivine were measured in five diogenite breccias previously identified as containing distinct harzburgitic (ol+opx) and orthopyroxenitic (opx) lithologies (dimict). Three samples show two distinct populations of pyroxene trace element abundances, supporting their classification as dimict. These three meteorites show increases in Y, Yb, and HREE concentrations from harzburgitic to orthopyroxenitic pyroxenes, supporting the hypothesis that the lithologies are related through fractional crystallization whereby harzburgite olivine and pyroxene crystallized from the magma first followed by orthopyroxenite pyroxene. Depletions in LREE and Eu concentrations in the orthopyroxenitic lithology are most likely due to equilibration with LREE and Eu‐rich phases, likely plagioclase, which is found primarily in that lithology. Two samples do not show evidence supporting a dimict classification. Large pyroxene trace element variation in one sample indicates that it is polymict, while uniform trace element distribution in the other suggests that it may be a monomict breccia.     

Mineralogy and petrology of the Dar al Gani 476 martian meteorite: Implications for its cooling history and relationship to other shergottites

Abstract— Dar al Gani 476, the 13th martian meteorite, was recovered from the Sahara in 1998. It is a basaltic shergottitic rock composed of olivine megacrysts reaching 5 mm (24 vol%) set in a finegrained groundmass of pyroxene (59 vol%) and maskelynitized plagioclase (12 vol%) with minor amounts of accessory phases (spinel, merrillite, ilmenite). Dar al Gani 476 is similar to lithology A of Elephant Moraine A79001 (EETA79001) in petrography and mineralogy, but is distinct in several aspects. Low‐Ca pyroxenes in the Dar al Gani 476 groundmass are more magnesian (En₇₆Fs₂₁ Wo₃～En₅₈Fs₃₀Wo₁₂) than those in lithology A of EETA79001 (En₇₃Fs₂₂Wo₅～En₄₅Fs₄₃Wo₁₂), rather similar to pyroxenes in lherzolitic martian meteorites (En₇₆Fs₂₁ Wo₃～En₆₃Fs₂₂Wo₁₅). Dar al Gani 476 olivine is less magnesian and shows a narrower compositional range (Fo_76‐58) than EETA79001 olivine (Fo_81‐53), and is also similar to olivines in lherzolitic martian meteorites (Fo_74‐65). The orthopyroxene‐olivine‐chromite xenolith typical in the lithology A of EETA79001 is absent in Dar al Gani 476. It seems that Dar al Gani 476 crystallized from a slightly more primitive mafic magma than lithology A of EETA79001 and several phases (olivine, pyroxene, chromite, and ilmenite) in Dar al Gani 476 may have petrogenetic similarities to those of lherzolitic martian meteorites. Olivine megacrysts in Dar al Gani 476 are in disequilibrium with the bulk composition. The presence of fractured olivine grains in which the most Mg‐rich parts are in contact with the groundmass suggests that little diffusive modification of original olivine compositions occurred during cooling. This observation enabled us to estimate the cooling rates of Dar al Gani 476 and EETA79001 olivines, giving similar cooling rates of 0.03‐3 °C/h for Dar al Gani 476 and 0.05‐5 °C/h for EETA79001. This suggests that they were cooled near the surface (burial depth shallower than about 3 m at most), probably in lava flows during crystallization of groundmass. As is proposed for lithology A of EETA79001, it may be possible to consider that Dar al Gani 476 has an impact melt origin, a mixture of martian lherzolite and other martian rock (Queen Alexandra Range 94201, nakhlites?).     

Exploring the Moon's surface for remnants of the lunar mantle 1. Dunite xenoliths in mare basalts. A crustal or mantle origin?

Remotely sensed observations from recent missions (e.g., GRAIL, Kaguya, Chandrayaan‐1) have been interpreted as indicating that the deep crust and upper mantle are close to or at the lunar surface in many large impact basins (e.g., Crisium, Apollo, Moscoviense). If this is correct, the capability of either impact or volcanic processes to transport mantle lithologies to the lunar surface should be enhanced in these regions. Somewhat problematic to these observations and interpretations is that examples of mantle lithologies in the lunar sample collection (Apollo Program, Luna Program, lunar meteorites) are at best ambiguous. Dunite xenoliths in high‐Ti mare basalt 74275 are one of these ambiguous examples. In this high‐Ti mare basalt, olivine occurs in three generations: olivine associated with dunite xenoliths, olivine megacrysts, and olivine microphenocrysts. The dunite xenoliths are anhedral in shape and are generally greater than 800 μm in diameter. The interior of the xenoliths are fairly homogeneous with regard to many divalent cations. For example, the Mg# (Mg/Mg + Fe × 100) ranges from 82 to 83 in their interiors and decreases from 82 to 68 over the 10–30 μm wide outer rim. Titanium and phosphorus X‐ray maps of the xenolith illustrate that these slow diffusing elements preserve primary cumulate zoning textures. These textures indicate that the xenoliths consist of many individual olivine grains approximately 150–200 μm in diameter with low Ti, Al, and P cores. These highly incompatible elements are enriched in the outer Fe‐rich rims of the xenoliths and slightly enriched in the rims of the individual olivine grains. Highly compatible elements in olivine such as Ni exhibit a decrease in the rim surrounding the xenolith, an increase in the incompatible element depleted cores of the individual olivine grains, and a slight decrease in the “interior rims” of the individual olivine grains. Inferred melt composition, liquid lines of descent, and zoning profiles enable the reconstruction of the petrogenesis of the dunite xenoliths. Preservation of primary magmatic zoning (Ti, P, Al) and lack of textures similar to high‐pressure mineral assemblages exhibited by the Mg‐suite (Shearer et al. 2015) indicate that these xenoliths do not represent deep crustal or shallow mantle lithologies. Further, they are chemically and mineralogically distinct from Mg‐suite dunites identified from the Apollo 17 site. More likely, they represent olivine cumulates that crystallized from a low‐Ti mare basalt at intermediate to shallow crustal levels. The parent basalt to the dunite xenolith lithology was more primitive than low‐Ti basalts thus far returned from the Moon. Furthermore, this parental magma and its more evolved daughter magmas are not represented in the basalt sample suite returned from the Taurus‐Littrow Valley by the Apollo 17 mission. The dunite xenolith records several episodes of crystallization and re‐equilibration. During the last episode of re‐equilibration, the dunite cumulate was sampled by the 74275 high‐Ti basalt and transported over a period of 30–70 days to the lunar surface.     

Crystallization kinetics of olivine‐phyric shergottites

Crystal size distribution (CSD) and spatial distribution pattern (SDP) analyses are applied to the early crystallizing phases, olivine and pyroxene, in olivine‐phyric shergottites (Elephant moraine [EET] 79001A, Dar al Gani [DaG] 476, and dhofar [Dho] 019) from each sampling locality inferred from Mars ejection ages. Trace element zonation patterns (P and Cr) in olivine are also used to characterize the crystallization history of these Martian basalts. Previously reported 2‐D CSDs for these meteorites are re‐evaluated using a newer stereographically corrected methodology. Kinks in the olivine CSD plots suggest several populations that crystallized under different conditions. CSDs for pyroxene in DaG 476 and EET 79001A reveal single populations that grew under steady‐state conditions; pyroxenes in Dho 019 were too intergrown for CSD analysis. Magma chamber residence times of several days for small grains to several months for olivine megacrysts are calculated using the CSD slopes and growth rates inferred from previous experimental data. Phosphorus imaging in olivines in DaG 476 and Dho 019 indicate rapid growth of skeletal, sector‐zoned, or patchy cores, probably in response to delayed nucleation, followed by slow growth, and finally rapid dendritic growth with back‐filling to form oscillatory zoning in rims. SPD analyses indicate that olivine and pyroxene crystals grew or accumulated in clusters rather than as randomly distributed grains. These data reveal complex solidification histories for Martian basalts, and are generally consistent with the formation at depth of olivine megacryst cores, which were entrained in ascending magmas that crystallized pyroxenes, small olivines, and oscillatory rims on megacrysts.     

Petrography,relationships, and petrogenesis of the gabbroic lithologies in Northwest Africa 773 clan members Northwest Africa 773, 2727, 3160, 3170, 7007, and 10656

The Northwest Africa (NWA) 773 clan of lunar meteorite stones are coarse‐grained breccias that provide an opportunity to examine a lunar igneous system that includes inferred intrusive and extrusive lithologies, possibly related through a common liquid line of descent from a single source region. Such extensive sampling of a single very low‐Ti (VLT) magmatic system on the Moon is unprecedented among the lunar samples. This study focuses on the olivine gabbro (OG), anorthositic gabbro (AG), and ferroan gabbro (FG) lithologies variably contained in NWA 773, NWA 2727, NWA 3160, NWA 3170, NWA 7007, and NWA 10656. Mineral compositions in the three gabbros indicate the crystallization sequence OG → AG → FG. Petrologic modeling of these three lithologies, and an olivine phyric basalt that also occurs in the NWA 773 clan, however, suggests that the relationship among the lithologies is more complex. The OG and basalt can be modeled as originating from a VLT KREEP‐bearing parental melt similar to the Apollo 14 Green Glass b1 composition through mainly equilibrium crystallization. The AG and FG, however, do not fit this simple model and require either a more complex crystallization sequence involving fractional crystallization, magma chamber recharge, or perhaps heterogeneity in the source region.     

Magmatic inclusions and felsic clasts in the Dar al Gani 319 polymict ureilite

Abstract— Magmatic inclusions occur in type II ureilite clasts (olivine‐orthopyroxene‐augite assemblages with essentially no carbon) and in a large isolated plagioclase clast in the Dar al Gani (DaG) 319 polymict ureilite. Type I ureilite clasts (olivine‐pigeonite assemblages with carbon), as well as other lithic and mineral clasts in this meteorite, are described in Ikeda et al.(2000). The magmatic inclusions in the type II ureilite clasts consist mainly of magnesian augite and glass. They metastably crystallized euhedral pyroxenes, resulting in feldspar component‐enriched glass. On the other hand, the magmatic inclusions in the large plagioclase clast consist mainly of pyroxene and plagioclase, with a mesostasis. They crystallized with a composition along the cotectic line between the pyroxene and plagioclase liquidus fields. DaG 319 also contains felsic lithic clasts that represent various types of igneous lithologies. These are the rare components not found in the common monomict ureilites. Porphyritic felsic clasts, the main type, contain phenocrysts of plagioclase and pyroxene, and their groundmass consists mainly of plagioclase, pyroxene, and minor phosphate, ilmenite, chromite, and/or glass. Crystallization of these porphyritic clasts took place along the cotectic line between the pyroxene and plagioclase fields. Pilotaxitic felsic clasts crystallized plagioclase laths and minor interstitial pyroxene under metastable conditions, and the mesostasis is extremely enriched in plagioclase component in spite of the ubiquitous crystallization of plagioclase laths in the clasts. We suggest that there are two crystallization trends, pyroxene‐metal and pyroxene‐plagioclase trends, for the magmatic inclusions and felsic lithic clasts in DaG 319. The pyroxene‐metal crystallization trend corresponds to the magmatic inclusions in the type II ureilite clasts and the pilotaxitic felsic clasts, where crystallization took place under reducing and metastable conditions, suppressing precipitation of plagioclase. The pyroxene‐plagioclase crystallization trend corresponds to the magmatic inclusions in the isolated plagioclase clast and the porphyritic felsic clasts. This trend developed under oxidizing conditions in magma chambers within the ureilite parent body. The felsic clasts may have formed mainly from albite component‐rich silicate melts produced by fractional partial melting of chondritic precursors. The common monomict ureilites, type I ureilites, may have formed by the fractional partial melting of alkali‐bearing chondritic precursors. However, type II ureilites may have formed as cumulates from a basaltic melt.     

Two‐stage polybaric formation of the new enriched,pyroxene‐oikocrystic,lherzolitic shergottite,NWA 7397

Northwest Africa (NWA) 7397 is a newly discovered, enriched, lherzolitic shergottite, the third described example of this group. This meteorite consists of two distinct textural lithologies (1) poikilitic—comprised of zoned pyroxene oikocrysts, with chadacrysts of chromite and olivine, and (2) nonpoikilitic—comprised of olivine, low‐Ca and high‐Ca pyroxene, maskelynite, and minor abundances of merrillite, spinel, ilmenite, and pyrrhotite. The constant Ti/Al ratios of pyroxene oikocrysts suggests initial crystallization of the poikilitic lithology at depth (equivalent to pressures of approximately 10 kbar), followed by crystallization of the nonpoikilitic lithology at shallower levels. Oxygen fugacity conditions become more oxidizing during crystallization ranging from fO₂ conditions of approximately QFM‐2 to QFM‐0.7. Magma calculated to be in equilibrium with the major rock‐forming minerals is LREE‐enriched relative to depleted or intermediate shergottites and has flat overall profiles. Therefore, we suggest that the parental magma for NWA 7397 had sampled an enriched, oxidized, Martian geochemical source, similar to that of other enriched basaltic and olivine‐phyric shergottites. We present a polybaric formation model for the lherzolitic shergottite NWA 7397, to account for the petrologic constraints. Three successive stages in the development of NWA 7397 are discussed (1) formation of a REE‐enriched parental magma from a distinct Martian mantle reservoir; (2) magma ponding and development of a staging chamber concomitant with initial crystallization of the poikilitic lithology; and (3) magma ascent to the near surface, with entrainment of cumulates from the staging chamber and subsequent crystallization of the nonpoikilitic lithology en route to the surface.     

Ordinary (mesostasis) and not‐so‐ordinary (symplectites) late‐stage assemblages in howardites

Abstract– Two categories of symplectites have been observed in howardites: three‐phase, composed of vermicular intergrowths of ferroan augite, fayalitic olivine, and silica, and two‐phase, composed of vermicular intergrowths of orthopyroxene and troilite. Three‐phase symplectites have been previously shown to represent the breakdown products of metastable pyroxene. In howardites, they appear to be genetically related to gabbroic eucrites. In some cases and under yet‐to‐be specified conditions, ferroan clinopyroxene in gabbroic eucrites may undergo only localized decomposition resulting in oriented exsolution‐like features. Breakdown phases in those cases are fayalitic olivine, silica, and—depending on the MgO content of the system—orthopyroxene. As opposed to three‐phase symplectites, two‐phase symplectites are most likely of diogenitic origin. They probably formed via impact‐induced localized melting of diogenitic orthopyroxene in the presence of troilite (grain boundary melting). Three‐phase symplectites in howardites occasionally contain accessory amounts of ilmenite, troilite, and/or kamacite and are exclusively associated with medium‐grained FeO‐rich pyroxene, silica, and plagioclase. All minerals involved are late‐stage crystallites or mesostasis phases. In general, highly evolved eucritic lithologies constitute only a minor fraction of howardites. However, considering that three‐phase symplectites are generated in a low‐pressure, i.e., near‐surface, environment, FeO‐ and CaO‐rich eucritic rocks may be exposed locally on Vesta’s surface. This, in turn, is highly relevant to the ongoing DAWN mission.     

Petrology of magmatic silicate inclusions in the Allan Hills 77005 lherzolitic shergottite

Abstract— Magmatic inclusions occur in both chadacrystic olivine and oikocrystic pigeonite in ALH 77005 but are different from each other. Magmatic inclusions in olivine consist mainly of aluminous pyroxenes, intergrowths of plagioclase and silica, silica-predominant glass, and rhyodacitic glass, with minor amounts of chromite, spinel, pyrrhotite, and whitlockite. Those in pigeonite consist mainly of aluminous pyroxenes, nonaluminous ferroan pyroxenes, kaersutite, spinel, and K-rich trachytic glass, with minor amounts of pyrrhotite and whitlockite. The magmatic inclusions in chadacrystic olivine formed from trapped melts that were basaltic, apparently dry and crystallized additional olivine metastably. The basaltic magma, with entrained olivine, experienced magma mixing with K-rich and wet magmas, or assimilation of such crustal rocks, in the early to middle stages of the crystallization sequence of ALH 77005 during crystallization of chadacrystic olivine prior to precipitation of oikocrystic pigeonite. However the amount of mixed magmas or assimilated rocks was minor in comparison to the basaltic magma. Crystallization of pigeonite, augite, and plagioclase in the host lithologies took place in a shallow magma reservoir under an open-system condition, and the pigeonite trapped basaltic andesite to trachyandesitic melts, which resulted in magmatic inclusions in oikocrystic pigeonite. The magmatic inclusions in both olivine and pigeonite were formed under a rapid-cooling condition, resulting in a variety of inclusions. Kaersutite in magmatic inclusions in oikocrystic pigeonite crystallized under a closed-system wet condition during the late-stage crystallization of the inclusions.     

An unusual clast in lunar meteorite MacAlpine Hills 88105: A unique lunar sample or projectile debris?

Lunar meteorite MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88105 is a well‐studied feldspathic regolith breccia dominated by rock and mineral fragments from the lunar highlands. Thin section MAC 88105,159 contains a small rock fragment, 400 × 350 μm in size, which is compositionally anomalous compared with other MAC 88105 lithic components. The clast is composed of olivine and plagioclase with minor pyroxene and interstitial devitrified glass component. It is magnesian, akin to samples in the lunar High Mg‐Suite, and also alkali‐rich, akin to samples in the lunar High Alkali Suite. It could represent a small fragment of late‐stage interstitial melt from an Mg‐Suite parent lithology. However, olivine and pyroxene in the clast have Fe/Mn ratios and minor element concentrations that are different from known types of lunar lithologies. As Fe/Mn ratios are notably indicative of planetary origin, the clast could either (1) have a unique lunar magmatic source, or (2) have a nonlunar origin (i.e., consist of achondritic meteorite debris that survived delivery to the lunar surface). Both hypotheses are considered and discussed.     

Mineralogy of Antarctic basaltic shergottite Queen Alexandra Range 94201: Similarities to Elephant Moraine A79001 (Lithology B) martian meteorite

Abstract— Antarctic meteorite QUE 94201 is a new basaltic shergottite that is mainly composed of subequal amounts of maskelynite and pyroxenes (pigeonite and augite) plus abundant merrillite and accessory phases. It also contains impact melt. Complex zoning patterns in QUE 94201 pyroxenes revealed by elemental map analyses using an electron microprobe suggest a crystallization sequence from Mg-rich pigeonite (En₆₂Fss₃₀Wo_g) to extremely Fe-rich pigeonite (En₅Fs₈₁Wo₁₄) via {110} Mg-rich augite bands (En₄₄Fs₂₀Wo₃₆) in a single crystal. These textures, along with the abundant plagioclase (maskelynite), indicates single-stage rapid cooling (>5 °C/year) of this rock from a supercooled magma. Transition from Mg-rich augite to Fe-rich pigeonite reflects the onset of plagioclase crystallization. Enrichment of late-stage phases in QUE 94201 implies crystallization from an evolved magma and suggests a different parent magma composition from the other basaltic shergottites. Lithology B of EETA79001 basaltic shergottite contains pyroxenes that show complex zoning with augite bands similar to those in QUE 94201 pyroxene, which suggests similar one-stage rapid cooling. Lithology B of EETA79001 also resembles QUE 94201 in its coarse-grained texture of silicates and its high abundance of maskelynite, although QUE 94201 probably crystallized from a more fractionated magma. We also note that some Apollo lunar mare basalts (e.g., 12020 and 12021) have similar mineralogy and petrology to QUE 94201, especially in pyroxene zoning. All these basaltic rocks with complex pyroxene zoning suggest rapid metastable crystallization from supercooled magmas.     

Lunar regolith breccia Dhofar 287B: A record of lunar volcanism

Abstract— Dhofar 287 (Dho 287), a recently found lunar meteorite, consists in large part (95%) of low‐Ti mare basalt (Dho 287A) and a minor, attached portion (?5%) of regolith breccia (Dho 287B). The present study is directed mainly at the breccia portion of this meteorite. This breccia consists of a variety of lithic clasts and mineral fragments set in a fine‐grained matrix and minor impact melt. The majority of clasts and minerals appear to have been mainly derived from the low‐Ti basalt suite, similar to that of Dho 287A. Very low‐Ti (VLT) basalts are a minor lithology of the breccia. These are significantly lower in Mg# and slightly higher in Ti compared to Luna 24 and Apollo 17 VLT basalts. Picritic glasses constitute another minor component of the breccia and are compositionally similar to Apollo 15 green glasses. Dho 287B also contains abundant fragments of Mg‐rich pyroxene and anorthite‐rich plagioclase grains that are absent in the lithic clasts. Such fragments appear to have been derived from a coarse‐grained, Mg#‐rich, Na‐poor lithology. A KREEP component is apparent in chemistry, but no highlands lithologies were identified. The Dho 287 basaltic lithologies cannot be explained by near‐surface fractionation of a single parental magma. Instead, magma compositions are represented by a picritic glass; a low‐Ti, Na‐poor glass; and a low‐Ti, Na‐enriched source (similar to the Dho 287A parental melt). Compositional differences among parent melts could reflect inhomogeneity of the lunar mantle. Alternatively, the low‐Ti, Na‐poor, and Dho 287A parent melts could be of hybrid compositions, resulting from assimilation of KREEP by picritic magma. Thus, the Dho 287B breccia contains lithologies from multiple magmatic eruptions, which differed in composition, formational conditions, and cooling histories. Based on this study, the Dho 287 is inferred to have been ejected from a region located distal to highlands terrains, possibly from the western limb of the lunar nearside, dominated by mare basalts and KREEP‐rich lithologies.     

Petrology and trace element geochemistry of Tissint,the newest shergottite fall

The fall and recovery of the Tissint meteorite in 2011 created a rare opportunity to examine a Martian sample with a known, short residence time on Earth. Tissint is an olivine‐phyric shergottite that accumulated olivine antecrysts within a single magmatic system. Coarse olivine grains with nearly homogeneous cores of Mg# >80 suggest slow re‐equilibration. Many macroscopic features of this sample resemble those of LAR 06319, including the olivine crystal size distribution and the presence of evolved oxide and olivine compositions. Unlike LAR 06319, however, no magmatic hydrous phases were found in the analyzed samples of Tissint. Minor and trace element compositions indicate that the meteorite is the product of closed‐system crystallization from a parent melt derived from a depleted source, with no obvious addition of a LREE‐rich (crustal?) component prior to or during crystallization. The whole‐rock REE pattern is similar to that of intermediate olivine‐phyric shergottite EETA 79001 lithology A, and could also be approximated by a more olivine‐rich version of depleted basaltic shergottite QUE 94201. Magmatic oxygen fugacities are at the low end of the shergottite range, with log fO₂ of QFM‐3.5 to ‐4.0 estimated based on early‐crystallized minerals and QFM‐2.4 estimated based on the Eu in pyroxene oxybarometer. These values are similarly comparable to other depleted shergottites, including SaU 005 and QUE 94201. Tissint occupies a previously unsampled niche in shergottite chemistry: containing olivines with Mg# >80, resembling the enriched olivine‐phyric shergottite LAR 06319 in its crystallization path, and comparable to intermediate olivine‐phyric shergottite EETA 79001A, depleted olivine‐phyric shergottite DaG 476, and depleted basaltic shergottite QUE 94201 in its trace element abundances and oxygen fugacity. The apparent absence of evidence for terrestrial alteration in Tissint (particularly in trace element abundances in the whole‐rock and individual minerals) confirms that exposure to the arid desert environment results in only minimal weathering of samples, provided the exposure times are brief.     

Petrogenesis of lunar highlands meteorites: Dhofar 025, Dhofar 081, Dar al Gani 262, and Dar al Gani 400

Abstract— The petrogenesis of four lunar highlands meteorites, Dhofar 025 (Dho 025), Dhofar 081 (Dho 081), Dar al Gani 262 (DaG 262), and Dar al Gani 400 (DaG 400) were studied. For Dho 025, measured oxygen isotopic values and Fe‐Mn ratios for mafic minerals provide corroboratory evidence that it originated on the Moon. Similarly, Fe‐Mn ratios in the mafic minerals of Dho 081 indicate lunar origin. Lithologies in Dho 025 and Dho 081 include lithic clasts, granulites, and mineral fragments. A large number of lithic clasts have plagioclase AN# and coexisting mafic mineral Mg# that plot within the “gap” separating ferroan anorthosite suite (FAN) and high‐magnesium suite (HMS) rocks. This is consistent with whole rock Ti‐Sm ratios for Dho 025, Dho 081, and DaG 262, which are also intermediate compared to FAN and HMS lithologies. Although ion microprobe analyses performed on Dho 025, Dho 081, DaG 262, and DaG 400 clasts and minerals show far stronger FAN affinities than whole rock data suggest, most clasts indicate admixture of ≤12% HMS component based on geochemical modeling. In addition, coexisting plagioclase‐pyroxene REE concentration ratios in several clasts were compared to experimentally determined plagioclase‐pyroxene REE distribution coefficient ratios. Two Dho 025 clasts have concordant plagioclase‐pyroxene profiles, indicating that equilibrium between these minerals has been sustained despite shock metamorphism. One clast has an intermediate FAN‐HMS composition. These lunar meteorites appear to represent a type of highland terrain that differs substantially from the KREEP‐signatured impact breccias that dominate the lunar database. From remote sensing data, it is inferred that the lunar far side appears to have appropriate geochemical signatures and lithologies to be the source regions for these rocks; although, the near side cannot be completely excluded as a possibility. If these rocks are, indeed, from the far side, their geochemical characteristics may have far‐reaching implications for our current scientific understanding of the Moon.     

Petrography,mineral chemistry,and crystallization history of olivine‐phyric shergottite NWA 6234: A new melt composition

Knowledge of Martian igneous and mantle compositions is crucial for understanding Mars' mantle evolution, including early differentiation, mantle convection, and the chemical alteration at the surface. Primitive magmas provide the most direct information about their mantle source regions, but most Martian meteorites either contain cumulate olivine or crystallized from fractionated melts. The new Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 6234 is an olivine‐phyric shergottite. Its most magnesian olivine cores (Fo₇₈) are in Mg‐Fe equilibrium with a magma of the bulk rock composition, suggesting that it represents a melt composition. Thermochemical calculations show that NWA 6234 not only represents a melt composition but is a primitive melt derived from an approximately Fo₈₀ mantle. Thus, NWA 6234 is similar to NWA 5789 and Y 980459 in the sense that all three are olivine‐phyric shergottites and represent primitive magma compositions. However, NWA 6234 is of special significance because it represents the first olivine‐phyric shergottite from a primitive ferroan magma. On the basis of Al/Ti ratio of pyroxenes in NWA 6234, the minor components in olivine and merrillite, and phosphorus zoning of olivine, we infer that the rock crystallized completely at pressures consistent with conditions in Mars' upper crust. The textural intergrowths of the two phosphates (merrillite and apatite) indicate that at a very last stage of crystallization, merrillite reacted with an OH‐Cl‐F‐rich melt to form apatite. As this meteorite crystallized completely at depth and never erupted, it is likely that its apatite compositions represent snapshots of the volatile ratios of the source region without being affected by degassing processes, which contain high OH‐F content.