Oxidation state of iron in plagioclase from lunar basalts

Mossbauer spectra of⁵⁷Fe at 77 and 295°K in the plagioclase from basalts 10044 and 12021 show that iron is in the high-spin ferrous state and located at at least two distinct positions with different coordination numbers. Some excess resonant absorption is probably due to Fe³⁺ although the Fe³⁺ doublet could not be positively resolved. The ratio Fe³⁺/(Fe²⁺ + Fe³⁺) is estimated to be between 0.02 and 0.1.