The Moon has been divided into three terranes:Procellarum KREEP Terrane(PKT),Feldspathic Highland Terrane(FHT),and South Pole-Aitken Terrane(SPAT),using globally measured Th and FeO.Many lunar evolu-tion models have p...The Moon has been divided into three terranes:Procellarum KREEP Terrane(PKT),Feldspathic Highland Terrane(FHT),and South Pole-Aitken Terrane(SPAT),using globally measured Th and FeO.Many lunar evolu-tion models have predicted that a lunar magma ocean will produce a residual layer enriched in incompatible elements such as K,REE,and P(i.e.,KREEP)in the late age of crys-tallization;and that the distribution of thorium can be used as a proxy for determining the global distribution of KREEP.The thorium distribution in these three terranes is inhomo-geneous.The highest concentration of thorium is in PKT,the medium concentration of thorium is in SPAT,and almost none in FHT.Then what is the specific distribution in each of the terrane and what enlightenment can it tell us?Here we present and describe the detailed thorium distribution in PKT,SPAT,and FHT and provide some information for the origin of asymmetries on the lunar surface.展开更多
The primordial crust on the Earth formed from the crystallization of the surface magma ocean during the Hadean.However,geological surveys have found no evidence of rocks dating back to more than 4 Ga on the Earth＇s s...The primordial crust on the Earth formed from the crystallization of the surface magma ocean during the Hadean.However,geological surveys have found no evidence of rocks dating back to more than 4 Ga on the Earth＇s surface,suggesting the Hadean crust was lost due to some processes.We investigated the subduction of one of the possible candidates for the primordial crust,anorthosite and KREEP crust similar to the Moon,which is also considered to have formed from the crystallization of the magma ocean.Similar to the present Earth,the subduction of primordial crust by subduction erosion is expected to be an effective way of eliminating primordial crust from the surface.In this study,the subduction rate of the primordial crust via subduction channels is evaluated by numerical simulations.The subduction channels are located between the subducting slab and the mantle wedge and are comprised of primordial crust materials supplied mainly by subduction erosion.We have found that primordial anorthosite and KREEP crust of up to - 50 km thick at the Earth＇s surface was able to be conveyed to the deep mantle within 0.1-2 Gy by that mechanism.展开更多
Lunar meteorites are fragments of the Moon that escaped the gravity of the Moon following high-energy impacts by asteroids, subsequently fell to Earth. An inventory of 165 lunar meteorites has been developed since the...Lunar meteorites are fragments of the Moon that escaped the gravity of the Moon following high-energy impacts by asteroids, subsequently fell to Earth. An inventory of 165 lunar meteorites has been developed since the discovery and identification of the first lunar meteorite, ALHA 81005, in 1979. Although the Apollo samples are much heavier in mass than lunar meteorites, the meteorites are still an important sample supplement for scientific research on the composition and history of the Moon. Apart from a small amount of unbrecciated crystalline rocks, the majority of lunar meteorites are breccias that can be classified into three groups： highland feldspathic breccia, mare basaltic breccia, and mingled（including fledspathic and basaltic clasts） breccia. The petrography of lunar rocks suggests that there are a series of rock types of anorthosite, basalt, gabbro, troctolite, norite and KREEP in the Moon. Although KREEP is rare in lunar rocks, KREEP components have been found in the increasing number of lunar meteorites. KREEP provides important information on lunar magmatic evolution, e.g., the VHK KREEP clasts in SaU 169 may represent the pristine lunar magma （urKREEP）. Six launching pairs of lunar meteorites have been proposed now, along with ten possible lunar launching sites. In addition, symplectite is often found in lunar basalts, which is a significant record of shock metamorphism on the lunar surface. Furthermore, isotopic ages and noble gases not only provide information on crystallization processes in lunar rocks and the formation of lunar crust, but also provide insight into shock events on the lunar surface.展开更多
Lunar breccias provide crucial insights into the lithological diversity,shock processing and evolution of the lunar crust.Here,we report a unique regolith breccia(CE5C0000YJYX070GP,hereafter CE5C)returned from the Cha...Lunar breccias provide crucial insights into the lithological diversity,shock processing and evolution of the lunar crust.Here,we report a unique regolith breccia(CE5C0000YJYX070GP,hereafter CE5C)returned from the Chang'E-5(CE-5)mission.CE5C is one of the largest CE-5 breccias with a wide variety of lithologies,dominated by basaltic and mineral fragments as well as impact-melted clasts(including mid-Ti glasses,high-Al glasses,and crystal-bearing impact melt clasts).A comprehensive study of petrology and mineralogy on several representative clasts was conducted by integrating Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM),Tescan Integrated Mineral Analysis(TIMA),Electron Probe Microanalysis(EPMA)and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(LA-ICP-MS)techniques.Evidence is sufficient that CE5C is a mixed mare-highland regolith breccia,with a high percentage of KREEPy material(>20 vol.%),which has not been previously reported in other CE-5 samples.The mid-Ti impact glasses are characterized by high FeO(24.0 wt.%)and intermediate TiO_(2)(5.5 wt.%)contents,while the high-Al impact glasses have a chemical composition compatible with KREEP.Integrated with the regional geological context of the CE-5 landing site,we propose that CE5C is likely derived from a mixed region between the P58/Em4 mare unit and its contiguous eastern highlands.Despite the difficulty in assessing the representativeness of CE5C,the substantial presence of KREEPy material may provide valuable clues to the provenance of exotic ejecta,including the identification of unrecognized source craters situated in the eastern periphery of the sampling unit.展开更多
KREEP rocks with high contents of K, REE and P were first recognized in Apollo-12 samples, and it was confirmed later that there were KREEP rock fragments in all of the Apollo samples, particularly in Apollo-12 and -1...KREEP rocks with high contents of K, REE and P were first recognized in Apollo-12 samples, and it was confirmed later that there were KREEP rock fragments in all of the Apollo samples, particularly in Apollo-12 and -14 samples. The KREEP rocks distributed on the lunar surface are the very important objects of study on the evolution of the moon, as well as to evaluate the utilization prospect of REE in KREEP ROCKS. rocks. Based on previous studies and lunar exploration data, the authors analyzed the chemical and mineral characteristics of KREEP rocks, the abundance of Th on the lunar surface materials, the correlation between Th and REE of KREEP rocks in abundance, studied the distribution regions of KREEP rocks on the lunar surface, and further evaluated the utilization prospect of REE in KREEP rocks.展开更多
基金This work was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2022YFF0503100)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB 41000000).
文摘The Moon has been divided into three terranes:Procellarum KREEP Terrane(PKT),Feldspathic Highland Terrane(FHT),and South Pole-Aitken Terrane(SPAT),using globally measured Th and FeO.Many lunar evolu-tion models have predicted that a lunar magma ocean will produce a residual layer enriched in incompatible elements such as K,REE,and P(i.e.,KREEP)in the late age of crys-tallization;and that the distribution of thorium can be used as a proxy for determining the global distribution of KREEP.The thorium distribution in these three terranes is inhomo-geneous.The highest concentration of thorium is in PKT,the medium concentration of thorium is in SPAT,and almost none in FHT.Then what is the specific distribution in each of the terrane and what enlightenment can it tell us?Here we present and describe the detailed thorium distribution in PKT,SPAT,and FHT and provide some information for the origin of asymmetries on the lunar surface.
基金supported partly by KAKENHI 26800237 and 26287105
文摘The primordial crust on the Earth formed from the crystallization of the surface magma ocean during the Hadean.However,geological surveys have found no evidence of rocks dating back to more than 4 Ga on the Earth＇s surface,suggesting the Hadean crust was lost due to some processes.We investigated the subduction of one of the possible candidates for the primordial crust,anorthosite and KREEP crust similar to the Moon,which is also considered to have formed from the crystallization of the magma ocean.Similar to the present Earth,the subduction of primordial crust by subduction erosion is expected to be an effective way of eliminating primordial crust from the surface.In this study,the subduction rate of the primordial crust via subduction channels is evaluated by numerical simulations.The subduction channels are located between the subducting slab and the mantle wedge and are comprised of primordial crust materials supplied mainly by subduction erosion.We have found that primordial anorthosite and KREEP crust of up to - 50 km thick at the Earth＇s surface was able to be conveyed to the deep mantle within 0.1-2 Gy by that mechanism.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant nos.41173077 and 40673055)the National Natural Resources Platform Project of China(Grant no.2005DKA21406-1)the Director Fund Project of Guangxi Key Laboratory of Hidden Metallic Ore Deposits Exploration(Grant no.13A-01-02)
文摘Lunar meteorites are fragments of the Moon that escaped the gravity of the Moon following high-energy impacts by asteroids, subsequently fell to Earth. An inventory of 165 lunar meteorites has been developed since the discovery and identification of the first lunar meteorite, ALHA 81005, in 1979. Although the Apollo samples are much heavier in mass than lunar meteorites, the meteorites are still an important sample supplement for scientific research on the composition and history of the Moon. Apart from a small amount of unbrecciated crystalline rocks, the majority of lunar meteorites are breccias that can be classified into three groups： highland feldspathic breccia, mare basaltic breccia, and mingled（including fledspathic and basaltic clasts） breccia. The petrography of lunar rocks suggests that there are a series of rock types of anorthosite, basalt, gabbro, troctolite, norite and KREEP in the Moon. Although KREEP is rare in lunar rocks, KREEP components have been found in the increasing number of lunar meteorites. KREEP provides important information on lunar magmatic evolution, e.g., the VHK KREEP clasts in SaU 169 may represent the pristine lunar magma （urKREEP）. Six launching pairs of lunar meteorites have been proposed now, along with ten possible lunar launching sites. In addition, symplectite is often found in lunar basalts, which is a significant record of shock metamorphism on the lunar surface. Furthermore, isotopic ages and noble gases not only provide information on crystallization processes in lunar rocks and the formation of lunar crust, but also provide insight into shock events on the lunar surface.
基金funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2021YFA0716100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41973060,42173044,42241146 and 42273007)+2 种基金the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB 41000000)the preresearch Project on Civil Aerospace Technologies(Grant Nos.D020202 and D020302)the Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.ZDBS-SSW-JSC007)。
文摘Lunar breccias provide crucial insights into the lithological diversity,shock processing and evolution of the lunar crust.Here,we report a unique regolith breccia(CE5C0000YJYX070GP,hereafter CE5C)returned from the Chang'E-5(CE-5)mission.CE5C is one of the largest CE-5 breccias with a wide variety of lithologies,dominated by basaltic and mineral fragments as well as impact-melted clasts(including mid-Ti glasses,high-Al glasses,and crystal-bearing impact melt clasts).A comprehensive study of petrology and mineralogy on several representative clasts was conducted by integrating Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM),Tescan Integrated Mineral Analysis(TIMA),Electron Probe Microanalysis(EPMA)and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(LA-ICP-MS)techniques.Evidence is sufficient that CE5C is a mixed mare-highland regolith breccia,with a high percentage of KREEPy material(>20 vol.%),which has not been previously reported in other CE-5 samples.The mid-Ti impact glasses are characterized by high FeO(24.0 wt.%)and intermediate TiO_(2)(5.5 wt.%)contents,while the high-Al impact glasses have a chemical composition compatible with KREEP.Integrated with the regional geological context of the CE-5 landing site,we propose that CE5C is likely derived from a mixed region between the P58/Em4 mare unit and its contiguous eastern highlands.Despite the difficulty in assessing the representativeness of CE5C,the substantial presence of KREEPy material may provide valuable clues to the provenance of exotic ejecta,including the identification of unrecognized source craters situated in the eastern periphery of the sampling unit.
基金ThinsresearchworkwasfinanciallysupportedbytheNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina (No .4 0 3730 37) .
文摘KREEP rocks with high contents of K, REE and P were first recognized in Apollo-12 samples, and it was confirmed later that there were KREEP rock fragments in all of the Apollo samples, particularly in Apollo-12 and -14 samples. The KREEP rocks distributed on the lunar surface are the very important objects of study on the evolution of the moon, as well as to evaluate the utilization prospect of REE in KREEP ROCKS. rocks. Based on previous studies and lunar exploration data, the authors analyzed the chemical and mineral characteristics of KREEP rocks, the abundance of Th on the lunar surface materials, the correlation between Th and REE of KREEP rocks in abundance, studied the distribution regions of KREEP rocks on the lunar surface, and further evaluated the utilization prospect of REE in KREEP rocks.
