Crystalline Ferroan Anorthosite Identified in the Lunar Apollo Basin

IF 3.9 1区地球科学 Q1 GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets Pub Date : 2025-07-09 DOI:10.1029/2024JE008690

Dijun Guo, Yeming Bao, Xing Wu, Shuai Li, Yang Liu, Yazhou Yang, Yuchen Xu, Feng Zhang, Jianzhong Liu, Yongliao Zou

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Abstract

Ferroan anorthosite, the dominant component of the primordial lunar crust, provides valuable evidence for the lunar magma ocean (LMO) theory. Despite its adjacency to the feldspathic highlands terrane, the identification of pure anorthosite in the Apollo basin has been scarce. Through a comprehensive investigation with high-resolution Kaguya Multiband Imager data over the Apollo basin, we identified numerous outcrops exhibiting definitive diagnostic absorption indicative of the presence of ferroan anorthosite. These anorthosite exposures suggest that crustal material remained after the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin impact and that the mafic-rich SPA ejecta was thin in the area, providing significant insights into the excavation process of the SPA impact and subsequent evolution. Our results suggest that the Chang'e-6 mission could potentially bring back the primordial crustal anorthosite from the Apollo basin and offer valuable insights into the LMO theory, alongside the mantle material excavated by the massive SPA impact.

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月球阿波罗盆地中发现的结晶铁长石

铁斜长岩是月球原始地壳的主要成分，为月球岩浆海洋（LMO）理论提供了有价值的证据。尽管阿波罗盆地与长石高原地体相邻，但纯斜长岩的鉴定却很少。通过对阿波罗盆地高分辨率Kaguya多波段成像仪数据的全面调查，我们确定了许多露头，显示出明确的诊断吸收，表明铁斜长岩的存在。这些斜长岩暴露表明，在南极-艾特肯（SPA）盆地撞击后，地壳物质仍然存在，且该地区富含镁质的SPA喷出物很薄，为SPA撞击的挖掘过程和随后的演化提供了重要的信息。我们的研究结果表明，嫦娥六号任务可能会从阿波罗盆地带回原始地壳斜长岩，并为LMO理论提供有价值的见解，以及由大规模SPA撞击挖掘的地幔物质。

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来源期刊

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets Earth and Planetary Sciences-Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

27.10%

发文量

254

期刊介绍： The Journal of Geophysical Research Planets is dedicated to the publication of new and original research in the broad field of planetary science. Manuscripts concerning planetary geology, geophysics, geochemistry, atmospheres, and dynamics are appropriate for the journal when they increase knowledge about the processes that affect Solar System objects. Manuscripts concerning other planetary systems, exoplanets or Earth are welcome when presented in a comparative planetology perspective. Studies in the field of astrobiology will be considered when they have immediate consequences for the interpretation of planetary data. JGR: Planets does not publish manuscripts that deal with future missions and instrumentation, nor those that are primarily of an engineering interest. Instrument, calibration or data processing papers may be appropriate for the journal, but only when accompanied by scientific analysis and interpretation that increases understanding of the studied object. A manuscript that describes a new method or technique would be acceptable for JGR: Planets if it contained new and relevant scientific results obtained using the method. Review articles are generally not appropriate for JGR: Planets, but they may be considered if they form an integral part of a special issue.