Mineralogy, petrology, and chemistry of a Luna 16 basaltic fragment, sample B-1

Creators: Albee, A. L.; Chodos, A. A.; Gancarz, A. J.; Haines, E. L.; Papanastassiou, D. A.; Ray, L.; Tera, F.; Wasserburg, G. J.; Wen, T.

Abstract

Luna 16 sample B-1 was the largest fragment (62 mg) obtained in the sample exchange with the USSR. Petrologic, mineralogic, and chemical investigations have been made on this fragment in conjunction with Rb-Sr and ^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar investigations by our colleagues. Sample B-1 is a fine-grained ophitic basalt but is distinguished from the Apollo samples by containing a single pyroxene, predominantly pigeonitic, an ilmenite content (7%) intermediate to that of the Apollo 11 and 12 samples, and subequal amounts of pyroxene (50%) and plagioclase (40%). Chemically it is distinguished by a high Sr content (437 ppm) and a high K/U value (4700). The K-content (1396 ppm) is higher than that of Luna 16 soil sample A-2.

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© 1972 Published by Elsevier B.V. Received 16 November 1971, Revised 29 November 1971. We are grateful to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR for making it possible for us to work on these samples. We greatly appreciate the confidence which The Lunar Sample Analysis Planning Team and the curator of the lunar samples have shown by entrusting us with the handling of such a extremely valuable sample. We are indebted to Jack Huneke for valid criticism of the manuscript and to Paul Cast for a useful discussion of the Sr/Eu relationships. Joe Brown meticulously prepared the micro-thin sections. The work was supported by NASA contracts NAS 9-8074 and NA 7-100. The microprobe laboratory has been developed with the support of NSF, JPL, and the Union Pacific Foundation.

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Mineralogy, petrology, and chemistry of a Luna 16 basaltic fragment, sample B-1

Abstract

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