Origin of lunar feldspathic rocks
Abstract
Melting experiments and petrographic studies of lunar feldspathic rocks reveal possible genetic relationships among several compositionally and mineralogically distinct groups of lunar rocks and soil fragments. Dry, low PO_2 partial melting of crustal anorthositic norites of the anorthositic-noritic-troctolitic (ANT) suite produces liquids of the KREEP-Fra Mauro basalt type; dry, low PO_2 partial melting of pink spinel troctolite (PST) produces liquids of the "very high alumina basalt" or microtroctolite type. Both ANT and PST are probable components of the primitive terra crust. If crystal fractionation in a cooling basaltic liquid could have produced such a crust, it would also produce a mafic interior capable of yielding mare basalts by later remelting at depth.
Additional Information
© 1973 Elsevier B.V. Received 20 April 1973. Revised version received 6 September 1973. We have benefited from discussions with E. Dowty, M.J. Drake, O. James, M.J. O'Hara, M. Prinz, G.J. Taylor, J. Warner and J.A. Wood. We thank O. James, M. Prinz, A.M. Reid and G .J. Taylor for furnishing preprints of their work. This study was supported by NASA grants NGR-22-007-175 and NGL-22-007-247 and the Committee on Experimental Geology and Geophysics of Harvard University.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 33370
- DOI
- 10.1016/0012-821X(73)90006-X
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20120820-144126357
- NGR-22-007-175
- NASA
- NGL-22-007-247
- NASA
- Harvard University Committee on Experimental Geology and Geophysics
- Created
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2012-08-24Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences