月海玄武岩与月球演化

月海玄武岩主要产于月球近边的盆地中,覆盖面积为月球表面的l％,其形成年龄多在39～31亿年之间,是各类月岩中最年轻的。与地球玄武岩相似,月海玄武岩由斜长石、辉石和橄榄石组成,但它们比地球玄武岩具有更低的Mg#、A1：0,、K和Na含量．高的FeO含量（大于16％）和变化范围大的TiO2含量（小于l％到大于13％）。根据TiO2含量的变化,月海玄武岩分成高Ti（〉6％）,低Ti（1．5％〈TiO：〈6％）以及极低Ti（〈1．5％）三类。所有月海玄武岩都具有Eu负异常,并亏损挥发性元素和亲铁元素。月海玄武岩的同位素特征指示其至少为三个组分混合的产物：（1）高：238U／204Pb、高87Sr／86Sr和负εNd组分,可能是岩浆海分异的残余岩浆即KREEP;（2）低：238U／204Pb、低87Sr／86sr和正εNd组分,来源于原始月幔,其熔融产物为低Ⅱ玄武岩;（3）中等87Sr／86Sr和εNd组分,位于月幔的顶部,经历了岩浆海（洋）过程中形成的堆晶物质的再熔融,还可能受到了陨击事件的影响,其熔融产物是高Ti玄武岩。月海玄武岩的元素和同位素地球化学性质支持岩浆海的假说,其源区的形成与岩浆海的分异密切相关,并经历了三个阶段：（a）岩浆海阶段,通过岩浆海的结晶分异形成顶部为斜长岩月壳,中间为高Ⅱ、富钛铁矿层,底部为巨厚的硅酸盐低Ti层的三层壳幔结构;（b）富钛铁矿堆晶岩（携带少量残余熔体）因密度大而下沉至下部的硅酸盐月幔（400km以下）;（C）月幔中这些不同源区的岩石发生减压熔融。早期由较浅的低熔点组分熔融形成低K高Ti玄武岩,之后形成来源较深的高Ti玄武岩和低Ti玄武岩。     

Origin of anorthoclase megacrysts in alkali basalts

Anorthoclase megacrysts commonly occur with low pressure cumulate nodules (olivine + clinopyroxene + kaersutite ± oligoclase) in alkali basalts and their differentiates. The absence of anorthoclase from the cumulate nodules indicates that anorthoclase remained suspended in the magma while the other minerals sank, forming the cumulates, assuming a congeneric origin for megacrysts and nodules. On this basis, density calculations indicate that anorthoclase crystallised from a magma of approximately trachyandesitic composition, while the anorthoclase megacrysts usually occur in magmas more basic than trachybasalt. Thus, the anorthoclase megacrysts and the associated cumulate nodules did not crystallise from the host magma, but were picked up from a high-level partly crystallised magma pool containing a more evolved alkali basaltic differentiate by a later surge of more basic liquid which then carried both anorthoclase megacrysts and fragmented cumulates to the surface.     

河北汉诺坝碱性玄武岩的源区和成因

我国华北北部新近纪喷发的汉诺坝玄武岩,岩层出露比较完整,普遍含有超镁铁岩包体和各种高压巨晶。大麻坪代黄沟剖面出露较好,主要岩性为玄武岩,从上到下可分为上三、二、一层和底层。岩相学观察显示这些玄武岩含有1%~5%的捕虏晶且斑晶数量很少。橄榄岩包体为尖晶石二辉橄榄岩,轻稀土略微亏损,轻重稀土无分馏,显示这是只经过少量部分熔融后的原始地幔包体。通过对代黄沟碱性玄武岩中橄榄石、辉石和斜长石等斑晶或捕虏晶的矿物学分析,得出它们的成分变化是玄武岩混合了分解的地幔橄榄岩快速上升造成的。玄武岩的主量元素与二辉橄榄岩相平衡的原生熔体相比,Mg#(52.0~62.7)以及CaO(7.3%~8.5%)、Ni((82~192)×10-6)和Cr((65~192)×10-6)含量都较低。玄武岩的稀土分配模式为轻稀土富集的右倾型,δEu=1.01~1.05,δCe=0.95~1.02,富集高场强元素Nb、Ta、Zr及大离子亲石元素Ba、Sr。玄武岩痕量元素Ba/Rb和Rb/Sr的比值显示源区可能遭受过流体的交代作用。同时,痕量元素显示这一系列玄武岩主要受到部分熔融的控制,大量的结晶分异并未发生,且源区残留石榴子石。分析认为玄武岩岩浆应该是原生岩浆,而不是演化岩浆,影响整个岩浆的形成的过程可能是部分熔融而不是分离结晶。基于目前已发表的实验岩石学结果和理论分析认为汉诺坝玄武岩与辉石岩类相平衡,源区主要矿物相为单斜辉石和石榴子石,可能存在少量的橄榄石。     

山西新生代汉诺坝玄武岩成因探讨

根据区域地质调查资料,对山西新生代汉诺坝玄武岩的4个火山洼地、7条剖面进行研究。各个火山旋回底部先出现拉斑玄武岩,向上变为碱性玄武岩,岩石均富集大离子亲石元素和轻稀土元素。由东向西,火山喷发时间由早到晚,岩浆活动由弱到强,拉斑玄武岩减少,碱性玄武岩增多,亚碱性玄武岩的稀土元素和微量元素丰度降低,碱性玄武岩的稀土元素和微量元素丰度升高。在原始地幔标准化微量元素蛛网图上,亚碱性玄武岩具Nb、Ta负异常(槽)或呈双峰式,为岛弧玄武岩; 碱性玄武岩呈“隆起”状,类似于洋岛玄武岩(OIB)。山西汉诺坝玄武岩是板块俯冲与地幔柱联合作用的结果,以地幔柱成因为主,板块俯冲成因为辅。亚碱性玄武岩向碱性玄武岩转变,可能代表玄武岩以板块俯冲成因为主转为以地幔柱成因为主; 碱性玄武岩由钾质向钠质变化、亚碱性玄武岩向富铁镁演化,可能分别代表地幔柱向浅、板块俯冲向深的演化过程。     

嫦娥三号着陆区月海玄武岩的年龄、成因及地质意义

月海玄武岩主要分布在月海中,由斜长石、辉石和橄榄石组成,与地球玄武岩相比,富铁而贫钠和钾。月海玄武岩的成因,年代和成分研究是理解月岩形成与演化的基础。月球返回的岩石样品数量和覆盖面积有限,并且CE-3号着陆区没有月球样品返回,所以地球上的实验室样品分析方法不能应用到CE-3号着陆区玄武岩研究。本文对CE-3号着陆区月表和下伏玄武岩的组分、来源、分布、年代和层序进行反演和分析。主要使用的研究方法主要包括:玄武岩单元的撞击坑频率-分布函数定年,基于撞击坑的月壤下伏玄武岩单元识别、划分及厚度反演,基于遥感数据的元素含量和矿物成分分析等。结果表明:(1)CE-3号着陆区至少出现了6次较大规模的岩浆充填事件,由新到老分别为EIm、EIm_1、EIm_2、Im、Im_1和Im_2,其中EIm单元年龄约为3.17Ga,Im单元年龄为3.48Ga;(2)研究区玄武岩单元铁元素成分变化不大,而钛元素含量有较大变化。并且玄武岩越年轻,铁和钛元素更加富集。对指示月表硅酸盐矿物的克里斯蒂安参数(CF)和弯曲指数(CI)进行计算,发现研究区没有高硅物质的分布;(3)研究区月海玄武岩充填活动具有多期次性,每期月海玄武岩的充填流动大体上保持由南向北方向,并且活动规模逐步减小;(4)下伏玄武岩单元EIm_1、EIm_2、Im、Im_1和Im_2的平均厚度分别为68.3m,68.6m,81.8m,59.1m和52.1m,其中EIm_1单元的厚度最大为150m,从西到东逐渐减小;Im_1最大深度为224m,位于研究区的北部,向东西两侧依次减小。     

Activated release of alkalis during the vesiculation of molten basalts under high vacuum: implications for lunar volcanism

Knudsen cell-quadrupole mass spectrometry was used to study the high-temperature vaporization of Hawaiian basalts, plagioclase, tektites, and samples from the Allende meteorite. Procedures are described by which mass loss rates and vapor pressures of Na and K were measured quantitatively.Gas-rich glassy basalts were observed to vesiculate under vacuum over the 900–1000°C region and simultaneously evaporate alkalis in nonequilibrium fashion at rates (units of μg/g/hr) of approximately 200–300 Na and 75–250 K. Degassed residues of the same basalts demonstrated equilibrium evaporation rates (over the same temperature range) of 60–120 Na and 30–60 K. The gas-deficient plagioclase and tektite sample showed only equilibrium vaporization with rates of 60 Na, 10 K (plagioclase) and 10 Na, 5K (tektites) at 900–1000°C. The Allende meteorite vaporized at rates of 2400 Na and 200 K at 900–1000°C, possibly by the reaction of Na₂O and K₂O with C or S₂, or by the thermal decomposition of nepheline or sodalite.The nonequilibrium vaporization of alkalis from the gas-rich basalts is attributed to vigorous agitation of the melt during its vesiculation by a gas phase composed principally of SO₂, CO₂, H₂O, CO, and H₂S. The major gases released from the Allende meteorite at 900–1000°C are, in order of decreasing abundance, CO, S₂, CO₂, H₂O, SO₂, and H₂S.It is proposed that nonequilibrium vaporization of alkalis during the vesiculation of lunar lavas was responsible for the production of alkali-rich vapors which subsequently deposited plagioclase crystals in the vugs of lunar rocks. The vesiculative, nonequilibrium vaporization of Na and K during a lunar volcanic eruption should be expected to occur at a high rate upon initial extrusion of the lava into vacuum but then decrease by a factor of approximately three when degassing is nearing completion. Vaporization losses remain inadequate to explain the uniformly low alkali concentrations in lunar basalts.     

Origin of Sr,Nd and Pb isotopic systematics in high-Sr basalts from central Arizona

Alkalic and tholeiitic basalts were erupted in the central Arizona Transition Zone during Miocene-Pliocene time before and after regional faulting. The alkalic lava types differ from the subalkaline lavas in Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic ratios and trace element ratios and, despite close temporal and spatial relationships, the two types appear to be from discrete mantle sources. Pre-faulting lava types include: potassic trachybasalts (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7052 to 0.7055, _Nd= –9.2 to –10.7); alkali olivine basalts (⁸⁷Sr/ ⁸⁶Sr = 0.7049 to 0.7054, _Nd= –2 to 0.2); basanite and hawaiites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7049 to 0.7053, _Nd= –3.5 to –7.8); and quartz tholeiites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7047, _Nd= –1.4 to –2.6). Post-faulting lavas have lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (<0.7045) and _Nd from –3.2 to 2.3. Pb isotopic data for both preand post-faulting lavas form coherent clusters by magma type with values higher than those associated with MORB but within the range of values found for crustal rocks and sulfide ores in Arizona and New Mexico. Pb isotopic systematics appear to be dominated by crustal contamination. Effects of assimilation and fractional crystallization are inadequate to produce the Sr isotopic variations unless very large amounts of assimilation occurred relative to fractionation. It is impossible to produce the Nd isotopic variations unless ancient very unradiogenic material exists beneath the region. Moreover the assumption that the alkalic lavas are cogenetic requires high degrees of fractionation inconsistent with major- and trace-element data. Metasomatism of the subcontinental lithosphere above a subduction zone by a slab-derived fluid enriched in Sr, Ba, P and K could have produced the isotopic and elemental patterns. The degree of metasomatism apparently decreased upward, with the alkalic lavas sampling more modified regions of the mantle than the tholeiitic lavas. Such metasomatism may have been a regional event associated with crustal formation at about 1.6 Ga. Disruption and weakening of the subcontinental lithosphere in the Transition Zone of the Colorado Plateau by volcanism probably made deformation possible.     

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

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

Trace element partitioning between ilmenite, armalcolite and anhydrous silicate melt: Implications for the formation of lunar high-Ti mare basalts

We performed a series of experiments at high pressures and temperatures to determine the partitioning of a wide range of trace elements between ilmenite (Ilm), armalcolite (Arm) and anhydrous lunar silicate melt, to constrain geochemical models of the formation of titanium-rich melts in the Moon. Experiments were performed in graphite-lined platinum capsules at pressures and temperatures ranging from 1.1 to 2.3 GPa and 1300-1400 °C using a synthetic Ti-enriched Apollo ‘black glass’ composition in the CaO-FeO-MgO-Al₂O₃-TiO₂-SiO₂ system. Ilmenite-melt and armalcolite-melt partition coefficients (D) show highly incompatible values for the rare earth elements (REE) with the light REE more incompatible compared to the heavy REE ( 0.0020 ± 0.0010 to 0.069 ± 0.010 for ilmenite; 0.0048 ± 0.0023 to 0.041 ± 0.008 for armalcolite). D values for the high field strength elements vary from highly incompatible for Th, U and to a lesser extent W (for ilmenite: 0.0013 ± 0.0008, 0.0035 ± 0.0015 and 0.039 ± 0.005, and for armalcolite 0.008 ± 0.003, 0.0048 ± 0.0022 and 0.062 ± 0.03), to mildly incompatible for Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf (e.g. 0.28 ± 0.05 and : 0.76 ± 0.07). Both minerals fractionate the high field strength elements with D_Ta/D_Nb and D_Hf/D_Zr between 1.3 and 1.6 for ilmenite and 1.3 and 1.4 for armalcolite. Armalcolite is slightly more efficient at fractionating Hf from W during lunar magma ocean crystallisation, with D_Hf/D_W = 12-13 compared to 6.7-7.5 for ilmenite. The transition metals vary from mildly incompatible to compatible, with the highest compatibilities for Cr in ilmenite (D ∼ 7.5) and V in armalcolite (D ∼ 8.1). D values show no clear variation with pressure in the small range covered.Crystal lattice strain modelling of D values for di-, tri- and tetravalent trace elements shows that in ilmenite, divalent elements prefer to substitute for Fe while armalcolite data suggest REE replacing Mg. Tetravalent cations appear to preferentially substitute for Ti in both minerals, with the exception of Th and U that likely substitute for the larger Fe or Mg cations. Crystal lattice strain modelling is also used to identify and correct for very small (∼0.3 wt.%) melt contamination of trace element concentration determinations in crystals.Our results are used to model the Lu-Hf-Ti concentrations of lunar high-Ti mare basalts. The combination of their subchondritic Lu/Hf ratios and high TiO₂ contents requires preferential dissolution of ilmenite or armalcolite from late-stage, lunar magma ocean cumulates into low-Ti partial melts of deeper pyroxene-rich cumulates.     

The Ti4+/Ti3+ ratio of magmatic melts: Application to the problem of the reduction of lunar basalts

Using published experimental data an expression was derived for the Ti⁴⁺/Ti³⁺ ratio as a function of temperature, oxygen fugacity, and melt composition. The equation can be used to estimate Ti³⁺ content in lunar basaltic melts. It was shown that the Ti³⁺ content in melts is probably no higher than the Fe3+ content even under the reduced conditions typical of lunar magmas. Trivalent Ti can lead to some decrease in $f_{O_2 }$ during melt cooling under closed-system conditions, but it cannot reduce Fe²⁺ in melt to metal, because it will be completely consumed by Fe³⁺ reduction to Fe²⁺. The presence of additional reducers, such as Cr²⁺, can be favorable for the formation of metal during melt cooling.     

The oxygen isotope composition, petrology and geochemistry of mare basalts: Evidence for large-scale compositional variation in the lunar mantle

To investigate the formation and early evolution of the lunar mantle and crust we have analysed the oxygen isotopic composition, titanium content and modal mineralogy of a suite of lunar basalts. Our sample set included eight low-Ti basalts from the Apollo 12 and 15 collections, and 12 high-Ti basalts from Apollo 11 and 17 collections. In addition, we have determined the oxygen isotopic composition of an Apollo 15 KREEP (K - potassium, REE - Rare Earth Element, and P - phosphorus) basalt (sample 15386) and an Apollo 14 feldspathic mare basalt (sample 14053). Our data display a continuum in bulk-rock δ¹⁸O values, from relatively low values in the most Ti-rich samples to higher values in the Ti-poor samples, with the Apollo 11 sample suite partially bridging the gap. Calculation of bulk-rock δ¹⁸O values, using a combination of previously published oxygen isotope data on mineral separates from lunar basalts, and modal mineralogy (determined in this study), match with the measured bulk-rock δ¹⁸O values. This demonstrates that differences in mineral modal assemblage produce differences in mare basalt δ¹⁸O bulk-rock values. Differences between the low- and high-Ti mare basalts appear to be largely a reflection of mantle-source heterogeneities, and in particular, the highly variable distribution of ilmenite within the lunar mantle. Bulk δ¹⁸O variation in mare basalts is also controlled by fractional crystallisation of a few key mineral phases. Thus, ilmenite fractionation is important in the case of high-Ti Apollo 17 samples, whereas olivine plays a more dominant role for the low-Ti Apollo 12 samples.Consistent with the results of previous studies, our data reveal no detectable difference between the Δ¹⁷O of the Earth and Moon. The fact that oxygen three-isotope studies have been unable to detect a measurable difference at such high precisions reinforces doubts about the giant impact hypothesis as presently formulated.     

Deccan basalts

The Deccan basalts now cover an area of c. 500,000 sq. km in central and western India. The lava pile varies in thickness from c. 2000 metres in western India to c. 100–200 metres in central India, exposing the upper and lower horizons of the volcanics respectively. The salient mineralogical and chemical characters of the basalts are reviewed. Dominantly the basalts are tholeiitic while minor alkalic variants in western India represent the closing phase of volcanic activity. The diversification of the magma to the west is associated with thickening of the lava pile and increase of heat flow. The ultrabasic flows (picrite basalts) are products of fractionation of the source magma of olivine tholeiitic composition. The minor acid variants (e.g. rhyolites, pitchstones, felsites, etc.) are possibly residual liquids of the ascending magma.     

Origin of Ross Island basanitoids and limitations upon the heterogeneity of mantle sources for alkali basalts and nephelinites

Primary basanitoids from Ross Island, Antarctica have REE patterns and Pb isotope ratios similar to those for primary alkali basalts and nephelinites on ocean islands. The lead data from all volcanics on Ross Island have a spread of 4% in the 206/204 ratio and give a two-stage model lead age of 1500 m.y. The age is interpreted to be the time since the development of the chemical heterogeneity of the mantle source, presumably during an earlier melting process. Comparison of REE, K, Rb, Sr, Ba and P₂O₅ concentrations for alkali basalts and nephelinites shows that the chondrite normalized mantle source is enriched in light REE with average La/Sm=3.4, Ce/Sm=2.6, Nd/Sm=1.6. Assuming a mantle source with heavy REE abundances of three times chondrites, nephelinites require 3 to 7% partial melting of the mantle source and alkali basalts require 7 to 15% partial melting. The patterns of K, Cu, V and Ti abundances suggest that phlogopite is a residual mineral for most nephelinite, but not alkali basalt mantle sources, and that a sulfide phase and a titanium-rich mineral are in the residual mantle source for both alkali basalts and nephelinites. Small positive Eu anomalies (2–5%) in near primary alkali basalts and nephelinites suggest that the xxx of the mantle sources is 10^?6 to 10^?9 atm. The progressive enrichment of light REE and incompatible elements in the mantle sources for nephelinites and alkali basalts is proposed to result by intrusion of veins of basaltic melt due to very low percentages of melting 1 000 to 3 000 m.y. ago when this part of the deeper mantle was previously involved in convection and partial melting.     

Origin of early Triassic rift-related alkaline basalts from Southwest China: age,isotope, and trace-element constraints

We report new analytical data regarding major and trace element geochemistry, Sr-Nd isotopic composition, and zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb analysis from the Kaiyuan alkaline basalts of Yunnan Province, along the southern margin of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP). Zircon U-Pb ages and bulk-rock geochemistry indicate that the mafic lavas erupted at 248 ± 6 Ma with OIB-like trace element and isotope ratios similar to the Emeishan high-Ti basalts. These characters suggest that the Kaiyuan alkaline basalts are the products of the post-ELIP magmatism, involving remelting of the plume head after the main ELIP phase. By analogy with the Neogene Red Sea rift system, the Kaiyuan alkaline basalts may have been caused by a Red Sea-like extension along the southwestern margin of the Yangzte during the Early Triassic, during which the hypothesized rift system experienced plate–boundary forces that vanished quickly in the Late Triassic period.     

Re-evaluating Nd/Nd in lunar mare basalts with implications for the early evolution and bulk Sm/Nd of the Moon

The Moon likely accreted from melt and vapor ejected during a cataclysmic collision between Proto-Earth and a Mars-sized impactor very early in solar system history. The identical W, O, K, and Cr isotope compositions between materials from the Earth and Moon require that the material from the two bodies were well-homogenized during the collision process. As such, the ancient isotopic signatures preserved in lunar samples provide constraints on the bulk composition of the Earth. Two recent studies to obtain high-precision ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios of lunar mare basalts yielded contrasting results. In one study, after correction of neutron fluence effects imparted to the Nd isotope compositions of the samples, the coupled ¹⁴²Nd-¹⁴³Nd systematics were interpreted to be consistent with a bulk Moon having a chondritic Sm/Nd ratio [Rankenburg K., Brandon A. D. and Neal C. R. (2006) Neodymium isotope evidence for a chondritic composition of the Moon. Science312, 1369-1372]. The other study found that their data on the same and similar lunar mare basalts were consistent with a bulk Moon having a superchondritic Sm/Nd ratio [Boyet M. and Carlson R. W. (2007) A highly depleted Moon or a non-magma origin for the lunar crust? Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.262, 505-516]. Delineating between these two potential scenarios has key ramifications for a comprehensive understanding of the formation and early evolution of the Moon and for constraining the types of materials available for accretion into large terrestrial planets such as Earth.To further examine this issue, the same six lunar mare basalt samples measured in Rankenburg et al. [Rankenburg K., Brandon A. D. and Neal C. R. (2006) Neodymium isotope evidence for a chondritic composition of the Moon. Science312, 1369-1372] were re-measured for high-precision Nd isotopes using a multidynamic routine with reproducible internal and external precisions to better than ±3 ppm (2σ) for ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios. The measurements were repeated in a distinct second analytical campaign to further test their reproducibility. Evaluation of accuracy and neutron fluence corrections indicates that the multidynamic Nd isotope measurements in this study and the 3 in Boyet and Carlson [Boyet M. and Carlson R. W. (2007) A highly depleted Moon or a non-magma origin for the lunar crust? Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.262, 505-516] are reproducible, while static measurements in the previous two studies show analytical artifacts and cannot be used at the resolution of 10 ppm to determine a bulk Moon with either chondritic or superchondritic Sm/Nd ratios. The multidynamic data are best explained by a bulk Moon with a superchondritic Sm/Nd ratio that is similar to the present-day average for depleted MORB. Hafnium isotope data were collected on the same aliquots measured for their ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd isotope ratios in order to assess if the correlation line for ¹⁴²Nd-¹⁴³Nd systematics reflect mixing processes or times at which lunar mantle sources formed. Based on the combined ¹⁴²Nd-¹⁴³Nd-¹⁷⁶Hf obtained we conclude that the ¹⁴²Nd-¹⁴³Nd correlation line measured in this study is best interpreted as an isochron with an age of 229⁺²⁴₋₂₀Ma after the onset of nebular condensation. The uncertainties in the data permit the sources of these samples to have formed over a 44 Ma time interval. These new results for lunar mare basalts are thus consistent with a later Sm-Nd isotope closure time of their source regions than some recent studies have postulated, and a superchondritic bulk Sm/Nd ratio of the Moon and Earth. The superchondritic Sm/Nd signature was inherited from the materials that accreted to make up the Earth-Moon system. Although collisional erosion of crust from planetesimals is favored here to remove subchondritic Sm/Nd portions and drive the bulk of these bodies to superchondritic in composition, removal of explosive basalt material via gravitational escape from such bodies, or chondrule sorting in the inner solar system, may also explain the compositional features that deviate from average chondrites that make up the Earth-Moon system. This inferred superchondritic nature for the Earth similar to the modern convecting mantle means that there is no reason to invoke a missing, subchondritic reservoir to mass balance the Earth back to chondritic for Sm/Nd ratios. However, to account for the subchondritic Sm/Nd ratios of continental crust, a second superchondritic Sm/Nd mantle reservoir is required.     

月壤及模拟月壤微观结构的研究

为了对比研究月壤与模拟月壤的微观结构,介绍了月壤的形成作用过程和5种基本颗粒类型;通过真实月壤照片,对月壤微观结构进行了分析;利用火山灰为模拟月壤主体材料,对其成分进行了检测;对模拟月壤的火山灰颗粒进行了显微图像分析试验。结果表明,月壤存在胶结物微观颗粒,胶结物颗粒具有分支的组织形态和封闭的气泡,并且有金属铁珠存在;火山灰所含的主要成分及含量与月壤相似,经过粉碎的火山灰试样棱角较为明显,其纵横比峰值略小,稍显长条状,但与月壤比较相近,而复杂度因子则略有欠缺,说明颗粒还不够粗糙和多棱     

Aluminous enstatites of lunar meteorites and deep-seated lunar rocks

Fragments of aluminous enstatite from lunar meteorites of highland origin were investigated. It was found that such fragments usually occur in impact breccias of troctolitic composition. The aluminous enstatite contains up to 12 wt % Al₂O₃ and shows low CaO (<1 wt %) and almost constant high Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratio (89.5 ± 1.4 at %) identical to that of the Earth’s mantle. With respect to these parameters, the aluminous enstatites are distinctly different from common orthopyroxene of lunar rocks. The aluminous enstatite associates with spinel (pleonaste), olivine, anorthite (clinopyroxene was never found), and accessory minerals: rutile, Ti-Zr oxides, troilite, and Fe-Ni metal. The same assemblage was described in rare fragments of spinel cataclasites from the samples of the Apollo missions. Thermobarometry and the analysis of phase equilibria showed that the rocks hosting aluminous enstatite are of deep origin and occurred at depths from 25 km to 130–200 km at T from 800 to 1300°C, i.e., at least in the lower crust and, possibly, in the upper mantle of the Moon. These rocks could form individual plutons or dominate the composition of the lower crust. The most probable source of aluminous enstatite is troctolitic magnesian rocks and, especially, spinel troctolites with low Ca/Al and Ca/Si ratios. The decompression of such rocks must produce cordierite-bearing assemblages. The almost complete absence of such assemblages in the surficial rocks of lunar highlands implies that vertical tectonic movements were practically absent in the lunar crust. The transport of deep-seated materials to the lunar surface was probably related to impact events during the intense meteorite bombardments >3.9 Ga ago.     

Chemical composition of lunar meteorites and the lunar crust

The paper presents the first analyses of major and trace elements in 19 lunar meteorites newly found in Oman. These and literature data were used to assay the composition of highland, mare, and transitional (highland-mare interface) regions of the lunar surface. The databank used in the research comprises data on 44 meteorites weighing 11 kg in total, which likely represent 26 individual falls. Our data demonstrate that the lunar highland crust should be richer in Ca and Al but poorer in mafic and incompatible elements than it was thought based on studying lunar samples and the first orbital data. The Ir concentration in the highland crust and the analysis of lunar crater population suggest that most lunar impactites were formed by a single major impact event, which predetermined the geochemical characteristics of these rocks. Lunar mare regions should be dominated by low-Ti basalts, which are, however, enriched in LREEs compared to those sampled by lunar missions. The typical material of mare-highland interface zones can contain KREEP and magnesian VLT basalts. The composition of the lunar highland crust deduced from the chemistry of lunar meteorites does not contradict the model of the lunar magma ocean, but the average composition of lunar mare meteorites is inconsistent with this concept and suggests assimilation of KREEP material by basaltic magmas. The newly obtained evaluations of the composition of the highland crust confirm that the Moon can be enriched in refractory elements and depleted in volatile and siderophile elements.     

Fluorine in lunar samples: implications concerning lunar fluorapatite

The F contents of a number of Apollo 14 and 15 samples range from less than a ppm for anorthosite rock fragments to ~165 ppm for some soils and breccias. Apollo 15 soils tend to have lower F contents (50–70 ppm) than soils from other sites. In most cases samples were run simultaneously with W-1 in which F was determined to be 216 (±11) ppm.The $\text{F}\text{P}{}_2\text{O}{}_5$ ratio is 0·032 ± 0·005 in soils and rocks. A correlation exists in soils between F, P₂O₅, and that fraction of the Cl which is insoluble in hot water. The $\text{F}\text{Cl}{}_{\mathrm{r}}$ ratio in soils and rocks, though different, requires that the phosphate phase involved be fluorapatite; this is consistent with mineralogical observations. F, like Cl, is correlated with KREEP elements at all sites for which data are available.     

岩浆洋分异与月壳

回顾了岩浆洋慨念最初的由来,具体阐述了月浆洋冷却结晶形成斜长岩月壳的过程。根据行星演化、核一幔分异及地球化学方面等方面提供的证据,论证了岩浆洋是行星早期演化必然经历的一个阶段。已有的岩浆洋结晶模型都认为岩浆洋中的岩浆在成分上是均一的。根据目前实验火成岩石学方面的进展,认为这个前提不存在,提出了月浆洋Sorer分异的一个新假说。此模型为今后研究岩浆洋分异提供了一个新思路,并指出了今后的研究方向。