On the petrology and structure of a gravitionally differentiated moon of fission origin

In a previous paper, it was shown that the basic properties and the developmental history of a gravitationally differentiated Moon of fission origin match those known for the Moon. In the first part of this report, the models of a differentiated Moon are critically reviewed based on second order considerations of some of the chemical systems used to develope the earlier models and based on new lunar data. As a result, slightly updated models are developed and the results indicate that a Moon of fission origin has a feldspar rich crust (≈70% Or_0.8Ab_5.3An_93.9 with ≈30% pyroxene and olivine) reaching an average depth of ≈65 km. A KREEP rich layer is located at the interface of the crust and the upper mantle. The upper mantle consists of peridotite (≈80% Wo₁₀En₇₀Fs₂₀ and ≈20% Fo_75–80 with ≈3% Al₂O₃ and ≈ 2% TiO₂) and reaches a depth of 300–400 km. Below 300–400 km lies a dunite (≈Fo₉₅) lower mantle. A simple model for the distribution of K, U and Th (and by inference, KREEP) in the differentiated Moon model is developed using a distribution coefficient of 0.1 for the three elements. This coefficient is derived from published data on the distribution of U in Apollo 11 basalts. The simple model successfully accounts for the observed K, U and Th contents of the various mare basalts and upland rocks and yields a heat flow of 21 erg cm^?2s^?1 for the Moon. A model for the fine structure of the peridotite upper mantle of the model Moon is developed based on the TiO₂ and trace element variations observed in the various mare basalts. It is proposed that the upper mantle is rhythmically banded on the scale of 10's of km and that this banding leads to local variations of a factor of ±3 in the K, U and Th content, _-10 ⁺⁵ in the TiO₂ content and _-∞ ⁺² in the olivine content of the peridotite. It is also proposed that this banding leads to large scale horizontal inhomogenuities in the composition of the upper mantle. It is also shown that the formation of the primitive suite of upland rocks is easily explained by the cumulation of plagioclase, which carried varying amounts of pyroxene, olivine and melt with it, during the peritectic crystallization of the last 20% of the differentiating Moon. It is found that the 100 Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios of the mafics and the An contents of the plagioclases of the rocks are controlled by several factors, the most important of which is the ratio of melt to crystals which together formed the various upland rocks. The inverse relationship between the An contents and the Mg contents of the upland rocks is a direct consequence of the differentiation sequence proposed. The results and models presented in this paper further support the hypothesis that the Moon formed as a result of fission from the proto-Earth.     

On the petrology and early development of the crust of a moon of fission origin

It is proposed that the primitive suite of upland rocks formed as a result of the cumulation of plagioclase which crystallized in disequilibrium from a convecting magma containing previously crystallized and co-crystallizing olivine and pyroxene. As the plagioclase was removed from this magma by flotation, it carried with it melt and mafic crystals in varying, but predictable proportions. This model successfully accounts for the major petrological characteristics of the upland suite of rocks, in particular, the reversed An vs Mg' trend, the quartz normative anorthosites and the olivine to pyroxene ratio variations vs plagioclase content of the rocks.It is shown that the crystallization sequence for the Moon is one where the pyroxenes of the peridotite upper mantle and crust were formed as a result of the reaction olivine + quartz (melt) pyroxene. This reaction occurred at depth (100–300 km) in the moon after the dunite lower mantle had formed, but while olivine was still crystallizing at the surface. As a result of this reaction, the crystallization of the last 20% of the Moon took place mainly along the olivine-plagioclase cotectic and not at the olivine-pyroxene-plagioclase peritectic as previously proposed. This crystallization sequence leads directly to an explanation of the fact that olivine rich rocks make up a significant fraction of the crust, despite the presence of a pyroxene dominated upper mantle directly below the crust. Also the reaction olivine + quartz (melt) pyroxene is exothermic and as such provided heat energy at the bottom of the magma system needed to set it into strong convective motion. As a result, the magma was kept stirred and the olivine and pyroxene in the cooling magma were kept in equilibrium with the melt, thus finally producing the relatively uniform peridotite of the upper mantle.A refined model for the distribution of U, Th and K in the crust of a pyroline moon is presented. It is demonstrated that the KREEP layer, which formed at the crust-upper mantle interface at the end of the crystallization of the Moon, was quickly destroyed by impact excavation and the upwards migration of the low melting KREEP materials. As a result of these processes the KREEP layer no longer exists in the Moon and all of its components are mixed in the crust. As a result, the crust contains about 80% of the heat producing U, Th and K of the Moon. The predicted values of the concentrations of U, Th and K in the crust based on this model are almost exactly those found for the average upland crust by the orbiting-ray experiment. This result not only strongly supports the models proposed in this paper but also supports the suggestion that the mean heat flow of the moon is 13–14 ergs/cm²/sec, i.e. that predicted for a Moon of fission origin in an earlier paper.The results and models presented in this paper further support the hypothesis that the Moon is a gravitationally differentiated body which originated by fission from a protoearth.Contribution No. 127, Institut für Geophysik, Kiel.     

Contribution of the mantle to the lunar asymmetry

Evidence of three kinds indicates a lunar compositional asymmetry: (1) mare basalts are much more abundant on the near side; (2) the incompatible rich KREEP component is mainly observed in near-side soils; and (3) materials on the far side are less dense than those of the near side, as indicated by the 2-km offset between the center of mass and center of figure. Recent models to explain the 2-km offset are based on near-side-far-side differences in the thickness of crustal units. The most widely discussed model calls for a thickness of anorthosite ～ 24 km greater on the far side than on the near side, but no satisfactory method of generating such a large difference has been proposed. We suggest that much of the offset reflects longitudinal differences in mantle composition primarily resulting from earlier (or more rapid) crystallization of the magma ocean on what is now the far-side hemisphere. As a result, the far-side mantle would be more magnesian and thus less dense than the near-side mantle. Differences in the amount of anorthosite or the amount of crustal porosity probably make relatively small contributions to the offset. We have evaluated four scenarios: (a) If the anorthositic crust initially formed a floating continent over what is now the near side, this would have provided thermal insulation that would have reduced the near-side cooling rate. (b) Crystallization of the magma ocean while the Moon was near the Earth would have resulted in heating by earthshine, thus reducing the near-side cooling rate. (c) An asymmetric bombardment could have preferentially heated the near side. (d) A suggestion by D. Stevenson, collection of metal from the magma ocean in one hemisphere would have pushed the unmelted “core” into an asymmetric position, and resulted in earlier magma ocean crystallization in the deeper hemisphere. Our assessment is that the asymmetric “core” hypothesis is the most plausible, that the floating continent mechanism is possible, and that the Earthshine and symmetric bombardment mechanisms are not viable. An attractive feature of the asymmetric- mantle model is that it also accounts for the asymmetries in the distribution of KREEP and mare basalts. More rapid crystallization of the far side would leave urKREEP, the last dregs of the magma ocean, concentrated under the near-side crust, thus leading to the observed tendency for KREEP to be found on the near side surface. Further, the concentration of urKREEP-associated radiactive elements on the near side would result in a much lower rate of conductive cooling of the near-side mantle and thus a much longer period of basalt extrusion on the near side. The formation of basalts would also be enhanced by the presence of more fusible materials in the near-side mantle.     

New lunar meteorite NWA 10986: A mingled impact melt breccia from the highlands—A complete cross section of the lunar crust

Northwest Africa (NWA) 10986 is a new mingled lunar meteorite found in 2015 in Western Sahara. This impact melt breccia contains abundant impact melt glass and clasts as large as 0.75 mm. Clasts are predominantly plagioclase and pyroxene‐rich and represent both highland and basalt lithologies. Highland lithologies include troctolites, gabbronorites, anorthositic norites, and troctolitic anorthosites. Basalt lithologies include crystalline clasts with large zoned pyroxenes representing very low titanium to low titanium basalts. In situ geochemical analysis of minerals within clasts indicates that they represent ferroan anorthosite, Mg‐suite, and gabbronorite lithologies as defined by the Apollo sample collection. Clasts representing magnesian anorthosite, or “gap” lithologies, are prevalent in this meteorite. Whole rock and in situ impact glass measurements indicate low incompatible trace element concentrations. Basalt clasts also have low incompatible trace element concentrations and lack evolved KREEP mineralogy although pyroxferroite grains are present. The juxtaposition of evolved, basaltic clasts without KREEP signatures and highland lithologies suggests that these basaltic clasts may represent cryptomare. The lithologies found in NWA 10986 offer a unique and possibly a complete cross section view of the Moon sourced outside of the Procellarum KREEP Terrane.     

Basaltic magmatism and the bulk composition of the moon

The lunar interior is comprised of two major petrological provinces: (1) an outer zone several hundred km thick which experienced partial melting and crystallization differentiation 4.4–4.6 b.y. ago to form the lunar crust together with an underlying complementary zone of ultramafic cumulates and residua, and (2) the primordial deep interior which was the source region for mare basalts (3.2–3.8 b.y.) and had previously been contaminated to varying degrees with highly fractionated material derived from the 4.4–4.6 b.y. differentiation event. In both major petrologic provinces, basaltic magmas have been produced by partial melting. The chemical characteristics and high-pressure phase relationships of these magmas can be used to constrain the bulk compositions of their respective source regions.Primitive low-Ti mare basalts (e.g., 12009, 12002, 15555 and Green Glass) possessing high normative olivine and high Mg and Cr contents, provide the most direct evidence upon the composition of the primordial deep lunar interior. This composition, as estimated on the basis of high pressure equilibria displayed by the above basalts, combined with other geochemical criteria, is found to consist of orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + olivine with total pyroxenes > olivine, 100 MgO/(MgO + FeO) = 75–80, about 4% of CaO and Al₂O₃ and 2× chondritic abundances of REE, U and Th. This composition is similar to that of the earth's mantle except for a higher pyroxene/olivine ratio and lower 100 MgO/(MgO + FeO).The lunar crust is believed to have formed by plagioclase elutriation within a vast ocean of parental basaltic magma. The composition of the latter is found experimentally by removing liquidus plagioclase from the observed mean upper crust (gabbroic anorthosite) composition, until the resulting composition becomes multiply saturated with plagioclase and a ferromagnesian phase (olivine). This parental basaltic composition is almost identical with terrestrial oceanic tholeiites, except for partial depletion in the two most volatile components, Na₂ and SiO₂. Similarity between these two most abundant classes of lunar and terrestrial basaltic magmas strongly implies corresponding similarities between their source regions. The bulk composition of the outer 400 km of the Moon as constrained by the 4.6-4.4 b.y. parental basaltic magma is found to be peridotitic, with olivine > pyroxene, 100 MgO/ (MgO + FeO) 86, and about 2× chondritic abundances of Ca, Al and REE. The Moon thus appears to have a zoned structure, with the deep interior (below 400 km) possessing somewhat higher contents of FeO and SiO₂ than the outer 400 km. This zoned model, derived exclusively on petrological grounds, provides a quantitative explanation of the Moon's mean density, moment of inertia and seismic velocity profile.The bulk composition of the entire Moon, thus obtained, is very similar to the pyrolite model composition for the Earth's mantle, except that the Moon is depleted in Na (and other volatile elements) and somewhat enriched in iron. The similarity in major element composition extends also to the abundances of REE, U and Th. These compositional similarities, combined with the identity in oxygen isotope ratios between the Moon and the Earth's mantle, are strongly suggestive of a common genetic relationship.     

Kreep minerals and the origin of luny rock — 1

Luny Rock — 1, dated at 4.44 × 10⁹ yr by Albee and Chodos (1970), is one of a number of norite fragments rich in potassium, rare-earth elements and phosphorus (KREEP) found in the Apollo 11 and 12 soils. This rock type can be fitted into a modification of J. A. Wood's and A. E. Ringwood's models for the early evolution of the lunar crust as a layer between the overlying anorthosites and the mantle pyroxenites. Impact cratering of the lunar surface has removed the anorthosites and norites and added them to the lunar regolith in the form of both lithic fragments and glassy spheres.Paper presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Lunar Studies, Patras, Greece, September 1971.     

Characterization of multiple lithologies within the lunar feldspathic regolith breccia meteorite Northeast Africa 001

Abstract– Lunar meteorite Northeast Africa (NEA) 001 is a feldspathic regolith breccia. This study presents the results of electron microprobe and LA‐ICP‐MS analyses of a section of NEA 001. We identify a range of lunar lithologies including feldspathic impact melt, ferroan noritic anorthosite and magnesian feldspathic clasts, and several very‐low titanium (VLT) basalt clasts. The largest of these basalt clasts has a rare earth element (REE) pattern with light‐REE (LREE) depletion and a positive Euanomaly. This clast also exhibits low incompatible trace element (ITE) concentrations (e.g., <0.1 ppm Th, <0.5 ppm Sm), indicating that it has originated from a parent melt that did not assimilate KREEP material. Positive Eu‐anomalies and such low‐ITE concentrations are uncharacteristic of most basalts returned by the Apollo and Luna missions, and basaltic lunar meteorite samples. We suggest that these features are consistent with the VLT clasts crystallizing from a parent melt which was derived from early mantle cumulates that formed prior to the separation of plagioclase in the lunar magma ocean, as has previously been proposed for some other lunar VLT basalts. Feldspathic impact melts within the sample are found to be more mafic than estimations for the composition of the upper feldspathic lunar crust, suggesting that they may have melted and incorporated material from the lower lunar crust (possibly in large basin‐forming events). The generally feldspathic nature of the impact melt clasts, lack of a KREEP component, and the compositions of the basaltic clasts, leads us to suggest that the meteorite has been sourced from the Outer‐Feldspathic Highlands Terrane (FHT‐O), probably on the lunar farside and within about 1000 km of sources of both Low‐Ti and VLT basalts, the latter possibly existing as cryptomaria deposits.     

The Hadley‐Apennine KREEP basalt igneous province

Abstract– We have studied 27 KREEP basalt fragments in six thin sections of samples collected from four Apollo 15 stations. Based on local geology and regional remote sensing data, these samples represent KREEP basalt lava flows that lie beneath the younger, local Apollo 15 mare basalts and under other mare flows north of the Apollo 15 site. Some of these rocks were deposited at the site as ejecta from the large craters Aristillus and Autolycus. KREEP basalts in this igneous province have a volume of 10³–2 × 10⁴ km³. Mineral and bulk compositional data indicate that the erupted magmas had Mg# [100 × molar Mg/(Mg + Fe)] up to 73, corresponding to orthopyroxene‐rich interior source regions with Mg# up to 90. Minor element variations in the parent magmas of the KREEP basalts, inferred from compositions of the most magnesian pyroxene and most calcic plagioclase in each sample, indicate small but significant differences in the concentrations of minor elements and Mg#, reflecting variations in the composition of lower crustal or mantle source regions and/or different amounts of partial melting of those source regions.     

Compositional and lithological diversity among brecciated lunar meteorites of intermediate iron concentration

Abstract— We present new compositional data for 30 lunar stones representing about 19 meteorites. Most have iron concentrations intermediate to those of the numerous feldspathic lunar meteorites (3–7% FeO) and the basaltic lunar meteorites (17–23% FeO). All but one are polymict breccias. Some, as implied by their intermediate composition, are mainly mixtures of brecciated anorthosite and mare basalt, with low concentrations of incompatible elements such as Sm (1–3 μg/g). These breccias likely originate from points on the Moon where mare basalt has mixed with material of the FHT (Feldspathic Highlands Terrane). Others, however, are not anorthosite‐basalt mixtures. Three (17–75 μ/g Sm) consist mainly of nonmare mafic material from the nearside PKT (Procellarum KREEP Terrane) and a few are ternary mixtures of material from the FHT, PKT, and maria. Some contain mafic, nonmare lithologies like anorthositic norites, norites, gabbronorites, and troctolite. These breccias are largely unlike breccias of the Apollo collection in that they are poor in Sm as well as highly feldspathic anorthosite such as that common at the Apollo 16 site. Several have high Th/Sm compared to Apollo breccias. Dhofar 961, which is olivine gabbronoritic and moderately rich in Sm, has lower Eu/Sm than Apollo samples of similar Sm concentration. This difference indicates that the carrier of rare earth elements is not KREEP, as known from the Apollo missions. On the basis of our present knowledge from remote sensing, among lunar meteorites Dhofar 961 is the one most likely to have originated from South Pole‐Aitken basin on the lunar far side.     

Report of the Working Party on the classification of the lunar igneous rocks

Abstract— A report is presented for a possible revised classification of lunar igneous rocks that still uses the division of Moon rocks into mare and highland types. It subdivides the mare rocks into basalts depending on TiO₂ content and glasses depending on colour, and subdivides the highland rocks principally into KREEP basalts and into coarse‐grained igneous rocks comparable to and using terrestrial igneous rock terminology.     

Martian meteorite Tissint records unique petrogenesis among the depleted shergottites

Tissint, a new unaltered piece of Martian volcanic materials, is the most silica‐poor and Mg‐Fe‐rich igneous rock among the “depleted” olivine‐phyric shergottites. Fe‐Mg zoning of olivine suggests equilibrium growth (<0.1 °C h^?1) in the range of Fo_80–56 and olivine overgrowth (Fo_55–18) through a process of rapid disequilibrium (~1.0–5.0 °C h^?1). The spatially extended (up to 600 μm) flat‐top Fe‐Mg profiles of olivine indicates that the early‐stage cooling rate of Tissint was slower than the other shergottites. The chemically metastable outer rim of olivine (55) consists of oscillatory phosphorus zoning at the impact‐induced melt domains and grew rapidly compared to the early to intermediate‐stage crystallization of the Tissint bulk. High‐Ca pyroxene to low‐Ca pyroxene and high‐Ca pyroxene to plagioclase ratios of Tissint are more comparable to the enriched basaltic and enriched olivine‐phyric shergottites. Dominance of augite over plagioclase induced augite to control the Ca‐buffer in the residual melt suppressing the plagioclase crystallization, which also caused a profound effect on the Al‐content in the late‐crystallized pyroxenes. Mineral chemical stability, phase‐assemblage saturation, and pressure–temperature path of evolution indicates that the parent magma entered the solidus and left the liquidus field at a depth of 40–80 km in the upper mantle. Petrogenesis of Tissint appears to be similar to LAR 06319, an enriched olivine‐phyric shergottite, during the early to intermediate stage of crystallization. A severe shock‐induced deformation resulted in remelting (10–15 vol%), recrystallization (most Fe‐rich phases), and exhumation of Tissint in a time scale of 1–8 yr. Tissint possesses some distinct characteristics, e.g., impact‐induced melting and deformation, forming phosphorus‐rich recrystallization rims of olivine, and shock‐induced melt domains without relative enrichment of LREEs compared to the bulk; and shared characteristics, e.g., modal composition and magmatic evolution with the enriched basaltic shergottites, evidently reflecting unique mantle source in comparison to the clan of the depleted members.     

Velocity structure and properties of the lunar crust

Lunar seismic data from three Apollo seismometers are interpreted to determine the structure of the Moon's interior to a depth of about 100 km. The travel times and amplitudes ofP arrivals from Saturn IV B and LM impacts are interpreted in terms of a compressional velocity profile. The most outstanding feature of the model is that, in the Fra Mauro region of Oceanus Procellarum, the Moon has a 65 km thick layered crust. Other features of the model are: (i) rapid increase of velocity near the surface due to pressure effects on dry rocks, (ii) a discontinuity at a depth of about 25 km, (iii) near constant velocity (6.8 km/s) between 25 and 65 km deep, (iv) a major discontinuity at 65 km marking the base of the lunar crust, and (v) very high velocity (about 9 km/s) in the lunar mantle below the crust. Velocities in the upper layer of the crust match those of lunar basalts while those in the lower layer fall in the range of terrestrial gabbroic and anorthositic rocks.Lamant-Doherty Geological Observatory Contribution No. 1768.     

Crustal recycling, mantle dehydration, and the thermal evolution of Mars

We have reinvestigated the coupled thermal and crustal evolution of Mars taking new laboratory data concerning the flow behavior of iron-rich olivine into account. The low mantle viscosities associated with the relatively higher iron content of the martian mantle as well as the observed high concentrations of heat producing elements in a crust with a reduced thermal conductivity were found to promote phases of crustal recycling in many models. As crustal recycling is incompatible with an early separation of geochemical reservoirs, models were required to show no episodes of crustal recycling. Furthermore, admissible models were required to reproduce the martian crust formation history, to allow for the formation of partial melt under present day mantle conditions and to reproduce the measured concentrations of potassium and thorium on the martian surface. Taking dehydration stiffening of the mantle viscosity by the extraction of water from the mantle into account, we found that admissible models have low initial upper mantle temperatures around 1650 K, preferably a primordial crustal thickness of 30 km, and an initially wet mantle rheology. The crust formation process on Mars would then be driven by the extraction of a primordial crust after core formation, cooling the mantle to temperatures close to the peridotite solidus. According to this scenario, the second stage of global crust formation took place over a more extended period of time, waning at around 3500 Myr b.p., and was driven by heat produced by the decay of radioactive elements. Present-day volcanism would then be driven by mantle plumes originating at the core-mantle boundary under regions of locally thickened, thermally insulating crust. Water extraction from the mantle was found to be relatively efficient and close to 40% of the total inventory was lost from the mantle in most models. Assuming an initial mantle water content of 100 ppm and that 10% of the extracted water is supplied to the surface, this amount is equivalent to a 14 m thick global surface layer, suggesting that volcanic outgassing of H₂O could have significantly influenced the early martian climate and increased the planet’s habitability.     

Geochemical Constraints on the Cold and Hot Models of the Moon’s Interior: 2—Three-Layer Mantle

Internally consistent models of the thermal state, chemical composition and mineralogy of the three-layer mantle of the Moon are constructed based on the joint inversion of gravity, seismic and petrological-geochemical data within the Na₂O-TiO₂-CaO-FeO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system. Geochemical constraints on the chemical composition and physical properties in three zones of the mantle are obtained in terms of the cold and hot models. Velocities of P-waves in the lower mantle (～8 km/s) are higher than in the upper mantle (～7.7 km/s). The behavior of velocities of S-waves is conservative, they are observed in the interval 4.40–4.45 km/s in all zones of the mantle. It was found that, independently of the temperature distribution, the most probable concentrations of FeO, ～11–14 wt % and MgO, 28–31 wt % and the values of the magnesian number MG# 80–83 are approximately the same in the upper and the lower mantles of the Moon, but drastically differ from those in the bulk composition of the silicate Earth (Bulk Silicate Earth, BSE, FeO 8%, MG# 89). On the contrary, the estimates of Al₂O₃ concentration in the three-layer mantle noticeably depend on the thermal state. The results of solution of the inverse problem indicate the trend towards the gradual increase in the Al₂O₃ content with depth, from the upper to the lower mantle to 4–7% with the higher content of garnet. For the cold models of the lower mantle of the Moon, the bulk content of Al₂O₃ is ～1 × BSE, and for the hot models it can be in the interval of 1.3 × BSE-1.7 × BSE. The abundance of SiO₂ depends, to a lesser degree, on the thermal state and is 50–55% in the upper and 45–50% in the lower mantle. The high pyroxene content of the upper mantle of the Moon is the geochemical consequence of the geophysical models used with the inversion into composition and temperature relations; orthopyroxene, instead of olivine, is the dominant mineral of the upper mantle. Concentrations of SiO₂ in the lower (undifferentiated) mantle showing the bulk composition of the silicate Moon (Bulk Silicate Moon, BSM), are consistent with the geochemical estimates of 45–48% of SiO₂ for the BSM and close to those for the Earth’s mantle (45–47%). The composition of the mantle middle zone remains discussible, since it might be partially overlapped with compositions of the over- and underlying envelopes. The results of the model suggest that the mantle of the Moon is stratified in chemical composition. For the considered thermal state models, the mantle of the Moon is enriched in FeO and depleted in MgO in relation to the primitive Earth mantle, which indicates considerable differences between compositions of the Earth and its satellite.

     

Tungsten isotopes in ferroan anorthosites: Implications for the age of the Moon and lifetime of its magma ocean

New W isotope data for ferroan anorthosites 60025 and 62255 and low-Ti mare basalt 15555 show that these samples, contrary to previous reports [Lee, D.C., et al., 1997. Science 278, 1098-1103; Lee, D.C., et al., 2002. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 198, 267-274], have a W isotope composition that is indistinguishable from KREEP and other mare basalts. This requires crust extraction on the Moon later than ∼60 Myr after CAI formation, consistent with ¹⁴⁷Sm-¹⁴³Nd ages for ferroan anorthosites. The absence of ¹⁸²Hf-induced ¹⁸²W variations in the Moon is consistent with formation of the Moon at after CAI formation that has been inferred based on the indistinguishable ¹⁸²W/¹⁸⁴W ratios of the bulk Moon and the bulk silicate Earth. The uncertainties on the age of the Moon and the age of the oldest lunar samples currently hamper a precise determination of the duration of magma ocean solidification and are consistent with both an almost immediate crystallization and a more protracted timescale of ∼100 Myr.     

Density within the moon and implications for lunar composition

Density models for the Moon, including the effects of temperature and pressure, can satisfy the mass and moment of inertia of the Moon and the presence of a low density crust indicated by the seismic refraction results only if the lunar mantle is chemically or mineralogically inhomogeneous. IfC/MR ² exceeds 0.400, the inferred density of the upper mantle must be greater than that of the lower mantle at similar conditions by at least 0.1 g cm^–3 for any of the temperature profiles proposed for the lunar interior. The average mantle density lies between 3.4 and 3.5 g cm^–3, though the density of the upper mantle may be greater. The suggested density inversion is gravitationally unstable, but the implied deviatoric stresses in the mantle need be no larger than those associated with lunar gravity anomalies. UsingC/MR ³=0.400 and the recent seismic evidence suggesting a thin, high density zone beneath the crust and a partially molten core, successful density models can be found for a range of temperature profiles. Temperature distributions as cool as several inferred from the lunar electrical conductivity profile would be excluded. The density and probable seismic velocity for the bulk of the mantle are consistent with a pyroxenite composition and a 100 MgO/(MgO+FeO) molecular ratio of less than 80.Communication presented at the Lunar Science Institute Conference on Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration of the Moon and Planets, January 10–12, 1973.     

Limits on the bulk composition of the Moon

Recent hypotheses of lunar evolution hold that the Moon was extensively or completely melted and differentiated about 4.6 b.y. ago, resulting in formation of the plagioclase-rich lunar highlands underlain by a great thickness of complementary ferromagnesian cumulates. Mare basalts are interpreted as being formed by subsequent remelting of these cumulates. These hypotheses are tested experimentally in the cases of several bulk compositions which have been proposed for the Moon—those of Taylor and Jakes, Ganapathy and Anders, Wänke and co-workers, and Anderson. An extensive experimental investigation of melting equilibria displayed by the Taylor-Jakes model at high pressures and temperatures is presented. This permits a quantitative evaluation of the manner in which a model Moon with this composition would crystallize and differentiate under conditions of (i) total melting throughout, and (ii) total melting only of an outer shell a few hundred kilometers thick. A detailed study is made of the capacity of the cumulates underlying the crust in these models to produce mare basalts by a second stage of partial melting. A wide range of experimentally based arguments is presented, showing that for both cases, partial melting of such cumulates would produce magmas with compositions quite unlike those of mare basalts. In order to minimize these difficulties, bulk lunar compositions containing substantially smaller abundances of involatile components (e.g. CaO, Al₂O₃, TiO₂) relative to major components of intermediate volatility (e.g. MgO, SiO₂, FeO) than are specified in the Taylor-Jakes model, appear to be required. Other bulk lunar composition models proposed by Ganapathy and Anders, Wänke and co-workers and Anderson, were similarly tested in the light of experimental data. All of these are far too rich in (Ca and Al) relative to (Mg + Si + Fe) to yield, after melting and differentiation, cumulates capable of being parental to mare basalts. Moreover these compositions, whdn melted and differentiated, appear incapable of matching the composition of the pyroxene component of the lunar highland crust.A brief discussion of the petrogenesis of mare basakts is presented. The most promising model is one in which only the outer few hundred kilometers of the Moon were melted and differentiated around 4.6 b.y. ago. Continued radioactive heating of the deep undifferentiated lunar interior provided a second generation of primitive magmas up to 1.5 b.y. after the early melting and differentiation. These primitive magmas participated in assimilative interactions with late-stage differentiates formed near the crust-mantle boundary during the 4.6 b.y. differentiation. These interactions might explain some trace element and isotopic characteristics of mare basalts. The model possesses some attractive characteristics relating to the thermal evolution of the Moon.     

Magma source transition of lunar mare volcanism at 2.3 Ga

Mare basalts provide insights into the composition and thermal history of the lunar mantle. The ages of mare basalts suggest a first peak of magma activity at 3.2–3.8 Ga and a second peak at ~2 Ga. In this study, we reassess the correlation between the titanium contents and the eruption ages of mare basalt units using the compositional and chronological data updated by SELENE (Kaguya). Using morphological and geological criteria, we calculated the titanium content of 261 mare units across a representative area of each mare unit. In the Procellarum KREEP Terrane, where the latest eruptions are located, an increase in the mean titanium content is observed during the Eratosthenian period, as reported by previous studies. We found that the increase in the mean titanium content occurred within a relatively short period near approximately 2.3 Ga, suggesting that the magma source of the mare basalts changed at this particular age. Moreover, the high‐titanium basaltic eruptions are correlated with a second peak in volcanic activity near ~2 Ga. The high‐titanium basaltic eruptions occurring during the last volcanic activity period can be explained by the three possible scenarios (1) the ilmenite‐bearing cumulate rich layer in the core‐mantle boundary formed after the mantle overturn, (2) the basaltic material layers beneath the lunar crust formed through upwelling magmas, and (3) ilmenite‐bearing cumulate blocks remained in the upper mantle after the mantle overturn.     

The regolith portion of the lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 169

Abstract— –Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 169 is a composite lunar meteorite from Oman that consists of polymict regolith breccia (8.44 ppm Th), adhering to impact‐melt breccia (IMB; 32.7 ppm Th). In this contribution we consider the regolith breccia portion of SaU 169, and demonstrate that it is composed of two generations representing two formation stages, labeled II and III. The regolith breccia also contains the following clasts: Ti‐poor to Ti‐rich basalts, gabbros to granulites, and incorporated regolith breccias. The average SaU 169 regolith breccia bulk composition lies within the range of Apollo 12 and 14 soil and regolith breccias, with the closest correspondence being with that of Apollo 14, but Sc contents indicate a higher portion of mare basalts. This is supported by relations between Sm‐Al₂O₃, FeO‐Cr₂O₃‐TiO₂, Sm/Eu and Th‐K₂O. The composition can best be modeled as a mixture of high‐K KREEP, mare basalt and norite/troctolite, consistent with the rareness of anorthositic rocks. The largest KREEP breccia clast in the regolith is identical in its chemical composition and total REE content to the incompatible trace‐element (ITE)‐ rich high‐K KREEP rocks of the Apollo 14 landing site, pointing to a similar source. In contrast to Apollo 14 soil, SaU 169 IMB and SaU 169 KREEP breccia clast, the SaU 169 regolith is not depleted in K/Th, indicating a low contribution of high‐Th IMB such as the SaU 169 main lithology in the regolith. The data presented here indicate the SaU 169 regolith breccia is from the lunar front side, and has a strong Procellarum KREEP Terrane signature.     

The early geological history of the Moon inferred from ancient lunar meteorite Miller Range 13317

Miller Range (MIL) 13317 is a heterogeneous basalt‐bearing lunar regolith breccia that provides insights into the early magmatic history of the Moon. MIL 13317 is formed from a mixture of material with clasts having an affinity to Apollo ferroan anorthosites and basaltic volcanic rocks. Noble gas data indicate that MIL 13317 was consolidated into a breccia between 2610 ± 780 Ma and 1570 ± 470 Ma where it experienced a complex near‐surface irradiation history for ~835 ± 84 Myr, at an average depth of ~30 cm. The fusion crust has an intermediate composition (Al₂O₃ 15.9 wt%; FeO 12.3 wt%) with an added incompatible trace element (Th 5.4 ppm) chemical component. Taking the fusion crust to be indicative of the bulk sample composition, this implies that MIL 13317 originated from a regolith that is associated with a mare‐highland boundary that is KREEP‐rich (i.e., K, rare earth elements, and P). A comparison of bulk chemical data from MIL 13317 with remote sensing data from the Lunar Prospector orbiter suggests that MIL 13317 likely originated from the northwest region of Oceanus Procellarum, east of Mare Nubium, or at the eastern edge of Mare Frigoris. All these potential source areas are on the near side of the Moon, indicating a close association with the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. Basalt clasts in MIL 13317 are from a very low‐Ti to low‐Ti (between 0.14 and 0.32 wt%) source region. The similar mineral fractionation trends of the different basalt clasts in the sample suggest they are comagmatic in origin. Zircon‐bearing phases and Ca‐phosphate grains in basalt clasts and matrix grains yield ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages between 4344 ± 4 and 4333 ± 5 Ma. These ancient ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages indicate that the meteorite has sampled a range of Pre‐Nectarian volcanic rocks that are poorly represented in the Apollo, Luna, and lunar meteorite collections. As such, MIL 13317 adds to the growing evidence that basaltic volcanic activity on the Moon started as early as ~4340 Ma, before the main period of lunar mare basalt volcanism at ~3850 Ma.