E. Dowty

Mineralogy, petrology and chemistry of lithic fragments from Luna 20 fines - Origin of the cumulate ANT suite and its relationship to high-alumina and mare basalts.

Abstract Bulk analyses of 157 lithic fragments of igneous origin and analyses of their constituent minerals (plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, Mg-Al spinel, chromite, ilmenite, armalcolite, baddeleyite, zirkelite, K-feldspar, interstitial glass high in SiO2 and K2O) have been used to characterize the lunar highland rock suites at the Luna 20 site. The predominant suite is composed of ANT (anorthositic-noritic-troctolitic) rocks, as found at previous Apollo and Luna sites. This suite consists of an early cumulate member, spinel troctolite, and later cumulate rocks which are gradational from anorthosite to noritic and troctolitic anorthosite to anorthositic norite and troctolite; anorthositic norite is the most abundant rock type and its composition is close to the average composition for the highland rocks at this site. Spinel troctolite is a distinctive member of this suite and is characterized by the presence of Mg-Al spinel, magnesian olivine (average, Fo83), and plagioclase. High-alumina basalt with low alkali content is another important rock type and melt of this composition may be parental to the cumulate ANT suite. Alkalic high-alumina basalt (KREEP) was not found in our sample, but may be genetically related to the ANT suite in that it may have formed by partial melting of rocks similar to those of the ANT suite. Fractional crystallization of low alkali, high-alumina basalt probably cannot produce alkalic high-alumina basalt because the enrichment in KREEP component is many times greater than the simultaneous change in major element components. Formation of alkalic high-alumina basalt by mechanical mixing of ANT rocks with very KREEP-rich components is not likely because the high-alumina basalt suite falls on a cotectic in the anorthiteolivine-silica system. Mare basalts may also be genetically related in that they may have been derived by remelting of rocks formed from residual liquids of fractional crystallization of parental low-alkali, high-alumina basalt, plus mafic cumulate crystals; the resultant melt would have a negative Eu anomaly and high Fe Mg and pyroxene plagioclase ratios.

Ferroan anorthosite: A widespread and distinctive lunar rock type

Abstract Eight of eleven Apollo 16 rake-sample anorthosites are very similar to each other, to hand-specimen Apollo 16 anorthosites, and to Apollo 15 anorthosites. They have feldspar An 96.6 , both high- and low-Ca pyroxene with a restricted range of (low-magnesium) composition, minor olivine (∼ Fo 60 ), traces of ilmenite and chromite, and originally coarse-grained, but now cataclastic texture. Such ferroan anorthosite is evidently a coherent, distinctive and widespread lunar rock type of cumulate origin which may not necessarily be very closely related genetically to other highland rock types.

Oxide minerals in lithic fragments from Luna 20 fines.

Abstract One hundred and seventy-six oxide mineral grains in the Luna 20 samples were analyzed by electron microprobe. Spinel is the most abundant oxide, occurring in troctolite fragments. Next most abundant is ilmenite, which occurs in all rock types except those containing spinel. Chromite also occurs in all rock types except those containing spinel. Minor amounts of ulvospinel, armalcolite, zirkelite, baddeleyite and an unidentified TiO 2 -rich phase were also found. Spinel grains are predominantly spinel-hercynite solid solutions, commonly with very minor chromite. The Fe (Fe + Mg) ratio is generally lower than in spinel from Apollo 14 rocks. Chromites in non-mare rocks are similar to those from mare rocks. Ilmenite of mare origin is Mg-poor and Zr-rich compared to non-mare ilmenite; these elements may therefore be useful in determining the origin of ilmenite grains. Phase equilibria considerations suggest that spinel troctolite crystallized from a melt high in alumina; a likely candidate is the high-alumina basalt of Prinz et al. (1973a). Sub-micron wide rods of metallic Fe occur in plagioclase grains and may have formed by sub-solidus reduction processes.

Major-element vapor fractionation on the lunar surface - An unusual lithic fragment from the Luna 20 fines

A 250-μm fragment in the Luna 20 fines has a very fine-grained “igneous” texture and has the composition (wt.%): SiO2, 41.1; TiO2, 0.35; Al2O3, 27.2; Cr2O3, 0.14; FeO, 4.2; MnO, 0.06; MgO, 8.5; CaO, 17.8; Na2O, 0.05; and K2O < 0.02. It contains ∼ 65% plagioclase An99–100, ∼ 15% olivine Fo90, ∼ 2% Mg-Al spinel and the remainder an unusual interstitial phase with composition SiO2, 34.8; TiO2, 1.78; Al2O3, 18.3; Cr2O3, 0.04; FeO, 14.1; MnO, 0.22; MgO, 5.0; CaO, 24.1; Na2O, 0.34; K2O < 0.02. This fragment probably represents a portion of a normal highland rock (anorthositic norite) which was heated to a very high temperature by impact, lost volatiles including SiO2, and then partially crystallized. The observed phases and their inferred crystallization sequence are consistent with experimental results in the system CaOMgOAl2O3SiO2 (Schairer and Yoder, 1969), assuming the unusual phase to be a residual glass. This type of internal fractionation, leading to silica depletion in the residuum, is different from that normally observed in lunar rocks and is attributed to slightly lower bulk SiO2 resulting from vapor fractionation due to impact (which also results in lower Na2O and other volatiles). Because differentiation of the type shown by this fragment is rare in lunar materials, we infer that such major-element vapor fractionation is uncommon on the surface of the moon. The experimental CaOMgOAl2O3SiO2 phase relations also have a bearing on the lunar model proposed by D.L. Anderson in 1973: his “refractory” original lunar composition would differentiate to produce silica deficient liquids, like the unusual phase in our fragment, rather than the normal lunar crustal rocks.