•The martian mantle reservoir is H2O-, S-, and Cl-poorer than the Earth's interior.•Martian surface Cl was preserved in melt inclusions via water-rock interaction.•The martian surface water reservoir ...might be homogeneous in δD values.•S-rich hotspots and dendritic H2O-rich bands were detected from melt inclusions.
Martian meteorites of various petrogeneses retain a record of volatiles on Mars: from the hydrosphere, crustal water to the mantle. Sputtering of the martian atmosphere by solar wind after the loss of Mars' magnetic field enriched it in deuterium, which exchanged with martian crustal water. Recent studies show that the hydrogen isotopic composition of the martian crustal water reservoir varies from 3000 to 7000‰ but requires better constraints. Melt inclusion glasses, maskelynite and fusion crust from the depleted olivine-phyric shergotite NWA 6162 were analyzed using NanoSIMS, providing a unique insight into the hydrogen isotopic and volatile elemental content of both the martian crustal water reservoir and the mantle source.
The H2O, S, and Cl contents of the melt inclusion glasses are ∼0-3137, 14-239, and 16-967 ppm, respectively. δD values vary from −560 to 6137‰. The water content positively correlates with the δD values in both the melt inclusion glasses and maskelynite in a two end-member mixing trend. One end-member is the magmatic water with a δD value of ∼0‰, and the other end member is the martian crustal water with δD ranging from 5000 to 6000‰. NWA 6162, a depleted olivine-phyric shergottite, originated from a different mantle source to the enriched lherzolitic shergottites. However, both types of shergottites exchanged with martian crustal water with the same δD values, indicating a homogeneous martian crustal water hydrogen isotopic composition (5000-6000‰). Most melt inclusion glasses from NWA 6162 have low water content (0-234 ppm) except for two enriched locations as micron-sized bands and dendrites. The low water content in most melt inclusion glasses, the dendritic shaped water enriched areas in melt inclusions, and the martian crustal water diffusion profile recorded in maskelynite collectively suggest short-lived water-rock interactions in the NWA 6162 parent rock that was probably induced by impact. Furthermore, a great contribution (up to 98%) of surface Cl accompanying D-enriched water was recorded in the melt inclusions supported by the positive correlation between Cl and H2O. The presence of sulfide and S-rich hot spots and low δD end-member of the magmatic water indicate that the degassing during post-entrapment crystallization and ascent of the melt inclusion is negligible. H2O, S, and Cl contents of the martian mantle reservoir are estimated to be 0.1-3, 0.5-15, and 0.5-4 ppm respectively, after the correction of fractional crystallization of the melt inclusions and contribution from the martian surface reservoir. The martian mantle reservoir estimated from NWA 6162 was water-, S-, and Cl-poorer than the Earth's interior.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The Yutu‐2 rover of the Chang'E‐4 spacecraft observed many meter‐sized shallow pits fully covered with small fragments, distinct from the typical rock‐free impact craters with comparable sizes in the ...landing area. The unique morphology of the pits and the visible and near‐infrared spectra of the fragments suggest that the fragments are broken pieces of impact melt‐conglutinated regolith breccia projectiles, which were excavated from preexisting craters. The rareness of rock on the landing area surface suggests that the preexisting craters were probably small in size (e.g., <60 m in diameter), not large enough to penetrate the thick regolith (~12 m) and to excavate the beneath rock breccia and/or bedrock. The presence of the impact melts was confirmed by the glass‐like spectra of some fragments with unusually high albedo and blue‐green tint in the centers of the pits. These observations reveal the gardening and consolidating processes on the Moon.
Plain Language Summary
There are very rare outcrops of bedrock on the lunar surface because the Moon is covered by the lunar regolith. The detailed formation processes of the lunar regolith are important for understanding the orbiting and landing exploration data, and for planning future sample return missions. The lunar rover Yutu‐2 discovered fragment‐filled pits and identified in situ impact glass in the fragments. The glass‐bearing and regolith‐like fragments were probably broken pieces of lunar regolith breccia projectiles, which were excavated from the consolidated bottom and walls of preexisting small craters within the lunar regolith (<12–15 m in thickness). These observations contribute to our understanding of the formation processes of the lunar regolith.
Key Points
Unique fragment‐filled pits distinct from the meteorite impact craters were observed at the Chang'E‐4 landing site
Impact glass in the fragment‐filled pits was identified in situ for the first time
The discoveries of the Yutu‐2 rover provide important evidence for the recycling of the lunar regolith
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Most previous studies tend to simplify the lunar regolith as a homogeneous medium. However, the lunar regolith is not completely homogeneous, because there are weak reflections from the lunar ...regolith layer. In this study, we examined the weak heterogeneity of the lunar regolith layer using a self-organization model by matching the reflection pattern of both the lunar regolith layer and the top of the ejecta layer. After a series of numerical experiments, synthetic results show great consistency with the observed Chang’E-4 lunar penetrating radar data and provide some constraints on the range of controlling parameters of the exponential self-organization model. The root mean square permittivity perturbation is estimated to be about 3% and the correlation distance is about 5–10 cm. Additionally, the upper layer of ejecta has about 1–2 rocks per square meter, and the rock diameter is about 20–30 cm. These parameters are helpful for further study of structural characteristics and the evolution process of the lunar regolith. The relatively small correlation distance and root mean square perturbation in the regolith indicate that the regolith is mature. The weak reflections within the regolith are more likely to be due to structural changes rather than material composition changes.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The lunar crater production function describes the general pattern of the size–frequency distribution of craters on the lunar surface, and it is the foundation of the surface dating method via crater ...counting. In addition, the lunar crater production function has been extended to other celestial bodies and used to analyze the meteorite flux of the inner solar system. The basic process of establishing the lunar crater production function is to map in an ideal way the primary craters in different geological units, and then to normalize all of the corresponding size–frequency distributions using a mathematical model. Currently, the most widely used lunar crater production functions have been established based on the images acquired in the last century. However, now they can be refined with newly obtained high-resolution images. In this research, we mapped all of the primary craters in 13 regions on the lunar surface with the images acquired using the narrow angle camera and wide angle camera onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and then we fitted the lunar crater production function with a polynomial. The resultant new lunar crater production function is largely comparable with the previous results, and the difference is mainly at the large diameter end. We analyzed the uncertainty of model fitting as well as the difference in the crater measurements and demonstrated the reliability of the new production function. It is expected to refine the lunar surface dating models, which can provide more accurate information on the impact rate in related studies.
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We report the presolar grain inventory of the CR chondrite Grove Mountain 021710. A total of 35 C-anomalous grains (~236 ppm) and 112 O-anomalous grains (~ 189 ppm) were identified in situ using ...NanoSIMS ion imaging. Of 35 C-anomalous grains, 28 were determined to be SiC grains by Auger spectroscopy. Seven of the SiC grains were subsequently measured for N and Si isotopes, allowing classification as one nova grain, one Y grain, one Z grain, and four mainstream grains. Eighty-nine out of 112 O-anomalous grains belong to Group 1, indicating origins in low-to-intermediate-mass red giant and asymptotic giant branch stars. Twenty-one are Group 4 grains and have origins in supernovae. Auger spectroscopic elemental measurements of 35 O-anomalous grains show that 33 of them are ferromagnesian silicates. They have higher Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios than those reported in other meteorites, suggesting a lower degree of alteration in the nebula and/or asteroid parent bodies. Only two oxide grains were identified, with stoichiometric compositions of MgAl sub(2)O sub(4) and SiO sub(2), respectively. The presolar silicate/oxide ratio of GRV 021710 is comparable with those of the CR3 chondrites (QUE 99177 and MET 00426) and primitive interplanetary dust particles. In order to search for presolar sulfides, the meteorite was also mapped for S isotopes. However, no presolar sulfides were found, suggesting a maximum abundance of 2 ppm. The scarcity of presolar sulfides may be due to their much faster sputtering rate by cosmic rays compared to silicates.
Lunar impact glasses can provide important information on the bulk compositions of their sources and the impact history of the Moon. Here, we report the chemical composition of fifty-four clean glass ...spherules containing neither relict clasts nor crystals from the Chang’e-5 (CE5) regolith. They can be subdivided into three compositional groups: (1) mid-Ti basaltic (TiO2 = 4.1 ∼ 6.5 wt%), (2) low-Ti basaltic (TiO2 = 1.3 ∼ 3.9 wt%), and (3) high-Al (Al2O3 > 15 wt%). Fifty-one glasses (∼94 %) are mid-Ti basaltic, which form a loose compositional cluster for most major and trace elements. These glasses exhibit considerable variations in SiO2 (35.3 ∼ 45.3 wt%). Their TiO2, Al2O3, MgO and CaO show negative correlations with SiO2, while the Na2O, K2O and P2O5 positively correlate with SiO2, also yielding a positive correlation between the CIPW normative plagioclase and olivine. These variations likely result from differential vaporization of SiO2, strongly suggesting an impact origin of these glasses. Their major and trace element compositions are averagely similar to the bulk-rock, in turn indicating that they were formed from the local regolith. The remaining three glasses, including two low-Ti basaltic and one high-Al variety, exhibit distinct major and trace elements from the regolith, indicating an exotic source. In addition, the mid-Ti basaltic glasses provide another approach for estimating the average composition of the CE5 basalt other than directly measuring the small basalt fragments assuming that the exotic materials in the CE5 regolith were limited. This estimation reveals critical trace element characteristics of the CE5 basalt, e.g., it has higher La/Yb (3.71), Sm/Yb (1.76), Sr/Yb (31.6), and (Eu/Eu*)N (0.45) than KREEP, indicating that CE5 basalt must derive from a non-KREEP source. Chemical modeling indicates that the contribution of KREEP-rich materials in the mantle source should be less than 0.3 %. The trace element characteristics of the CE5 basalt can be reproduced by extensive (80 %) fractional crystallization after low-degree (2 %) melting. We propose that this fractional crystallization process might occur at depth, implying vast igneous underplating (7,250 ∼ 11,750 km3) beneath the CE5 landing area. This study also suggests that the high Th concentration (5.43 ppm) is an inherent property of the CE5 basalt resulting from extensive fractional crystallization. Thus, high Th detected by remote sensing may not be associated directly with a KREEP component but rather with highly fractionated basalts.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Chang'e‐4 (CE‐4) achieved the first farside landing in Von Kármán crater. In the landing site, linear features have been identified previously from SLDEM and considered to be ejecta from the ...neighboring Finsen crater. The 5 cm grid spacing digital elevation model of the landing site, generated from the rover's panoramic images, provides more details of the rugged terrain. We further interpret the superimposition of NE‐SW ejecta from Finsen crater on the underlying SE‐NW dome‐like surface relief from Alder crater. The landing site is ~70 m higher than the mare basalts within Von Kármán crater. Numerical simulations predict ~30 and ~35 m ejecta deposited at the landing site from Finsen and Alder craters, respectively. The good agreement between the digital elevation model data and ejecta predicted thickness reveals the topographic evolution of Von Kármán crater, indicating that the rover‐measured material is excavated from Finsen crater with possible contributions from Alder crater.
Plain Language Summary
Chang'e‐4 probe, including a lander and a rover, achieved the first farside landing in Von Kármán crater within the South Pole‐Aitken basin (SPA). The SPA is the largest and oldest impact basin on the Moon and is thought to have exposed lunar mantle materials according to numerical simulations. The in situ explorations at the landing site by the Yutu‐2 rover can reveal information about lunar deep materials and shed light on the early impacting history of the Solar System. Here, we present a detailed topographic analysis of the landing site using a rover‐image‐derived finer grid spacing DEM, existing orbital‐data‐derived DEMs, and numerical simulations. The results reveal the topographic evolution of the SPA and demonstrate that the surface material explored by the Yutu‐2 rover is lunar deep interior material excavated from Finsen crater with possible contributions from Alder crater rather than the underlying mare basalt.
Key Points
Linear ejecta features are identified and measured on a 5 cm grid spacing DEM generated from Yutu‐2's stereo images and existing DEMs
Numerical impact simulations predict ~30 and ~35 m ejecta deposited at the landing site from Finsen and Alder craters, consistent with the topographic difference
The surficial material measured by Yutu‐2 was ejecta from the floor of South Pole‐Aitken basin, not the beneath mare basalts at the landing site
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Ringwoodite and wadsleyite are the high-pressure polymorphs of olivine, which are common in shocked meteorites. They are the major constituent minerals in the terrestrial mantle. NWA 8705, an ...olivine-phyric shergottite, was heavily shocked, producing shock-induced melt veins and pockets associated with four occurrences of ringwoodite: (1) the lamellae intergrown with the host olivine adjacent to a shock-induced melt pocket; (2) polycrystalline assemblages preserving the shapes and compositions of the pre-existing olivine within a shock-induced melt vein (60 μm in width); (3) the rod-like grains coexisting with wadsleyite and clinopyroxene within a shock-induced melt vein; (4) the microlite clusters embedded in silicate glass within a very thin shock-induced melt vein (20 μm in width). The first two occurrences of ringwoodite likely formed via solid-state transformation from olivine, supported by their morphological features and homogeneous compositions (Mg# 64–62) similar to the host olivine (Mg# 66–64). The third occurrence of ringwoodite might fractionally crystallize from the shock-induced melt, based on its heterogeneous and more FeO-enriched compositions (Mg# 76–51) than those of the coexisting wadsleyite (Mg# 77–67) and the host olivine (Mg# 66–64) of this meteorite. The coexistence of ringwoodite, wadsleyite, and clinopyroxene suggests a post-shock pressure of 14–16 GPa and a temperature of 1650–1750 °C. The fourth occurrence of ringwoodite with compositional variation (Mg# 72–58) likely crystallized from melt at 16–18 GPa and 1750–1850 °C. The presence of the four occurrences of ringwoodite was probably due to their very fast cooling rates in and/or adjacent to the thin shock-induced melt veins and small pockets. In addition, the higher Fa-contents of the host olivine (Fa
35–39
) in NWA 8705 than those in ordinary chondrites (Fa
16–32
) makes the olivine–ringwoodite transformation prolong to a lower pressure.
The unusually prolonged volcanism at the Chang'e‐5 (CE‐5) landing site remains a mystery. To constrain the geochemical features of the CE‐5 mantle source, we performed in situ sulfur isotope analysis ...on sulfides of the CE‐5 basalts. The modal abundance of sulfides is ∼0.1 wt%, dominated by troilite with trace cubanite, chalcopyrite and pentlandite, yielding a S‐abundance of ∼360 ± 180 ppm for the bulk CE‐5 basalts. Our analysis shows a decreasing trend of δ34S in the magma with crystallization and degassing, suggesting ∼40% degassing loss of S, and accordingly the maximum S‐abundance in CE‐5 primitive magma was calibrated to approximately 600 ± 300 ppm. Considering an extensive fractional crystallization following a low‐degree partial melting of the CE‐5 basalts, the estimated sulfur abundance in the mantle source is ∼1–10 ppm. This result suggests a strong depletion of volatiles in the CE‐5 mantle source, which may be caused by prolonged magmatic activity.
Plain Language Summary
The Chang'e‐5 (CE‐5) basalts are the youngest lunar samples identified so far, extending our knowledge of the duration of lunar volcanism, but the main factors of prolonging the volcanic activity are still unclear. Sulfur, with four stable isotopes (32S, 33S, 34S, and 36S) and an active component in magmatic activity, can constrain the magmatic processes and geochemical features of the mantle source. Here, we report the S isotope compositions of troilite in the CE‐5 samples. The sulfides are mainly troilite, with trace Cu‐ and Ni‐sulfides. We counted the modal abundance of sulfides and then obtained the S abundance of the bulk CE‐5 basalts. Analysis indicates that S isotope fractionation exists in the CE‐5 troilite and is mainly due to magma degassing. According to the variation in S isotope compositions, we corrected for the degassing loss of S and obtain the S abundance of the CE‐5 magma before eruption. Furthermore, we estimated the S abundance of the CE‐5 basalt source based on the formation of the CE‐5 magma. This estimated value is significantly lower than the estimations for Apollo basalt sources, implying multiple extractions of sulfur‐bearing melts from the CE‐5 mantle source due to its prolonged magmatic activity.
Key Points
The δ34S values of troilite in the Chang'e‐5 basalts range from −1.6‰ to +2.0‰
The δ34S of troilite in the fine‐grained mesostasis are lighter than the inclusions in pyroxene, explained mainly by magma degassing
It is expected that the mantle source of the Chang'e‐5 basalts is depleted in sulfur, which is ∼1–10 ppm with a δ34S of ∼0.5‰
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Chang'E-5 (CE-5) landed in the northeast of the Oceanus Procellarum and successfully returned ∼1.73 kg lunar samples from a distinctively young mare basalt unit. The reflectance spectra between 0.45 ...μm to 3.20 μm at the landing site were acquired by the onboard Lunar Mineralogical Spectrometer before and after the sampling. The results from the spectral parameter analysis show the regolith is dominated by clinopyroxene, consistent with both orbital observations and laboratory analyses of the returned CE-5 samples. Optical maturity (OMAT) of regolith in the landing region of CE-5, Chang'E-4 (CE-4), and Chang'E-3 (CE-3) was analyzed, and the results show that the regoliths at CE-5 and CE-3 sites sitting on the ejecta blanket of the relatively young impact craters are both less mature than that at the CE-4 landing site. The OMAT and estimated content of submicroscopic metallic iron (SMFe) in the regolith show no obvious variations between the rock-shielded and unshielded regolith during the CE-5 descent, indicating the disturbance from rocket exhaust did not affect regolith maturity. Similar results on the effects of rocket exhaust were obtained from analyzing the regolith maturity along the CE-4 rover's traverse. Additionally, the surficial regolith and the scooped underlying layer in the centimeter-depth at CE-5 landing area exhibit similar maturities, suggestive of rapid gardening despite the geologically young age of the region. The results presented in this work shed light on the regolith evolution on the Moon and provide vital geological context for the analysis of the returned CE-5 samples.
•In situ reflectance spectra are used to assessed mineralogy and regolith maturity at the Chang'E-5 landing site.•The derived mineralogy is consistent with both orbital observations and laboratory analysis of the returned samples.•The surficial regolith and the underlying layer in the centimeter-depth exhibit similar maturity.•This study provides spectral evidence that the upper few centimeters lunar regolith has been substantially churned.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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