NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Electrical conductivity of lunar surface rocks - Laboratory measurements and implications for lunar interior temperaturesResults are reported for laboratory measurements of the dc and low-frequency ac electrical conductivity of three lunar rocks with ferrous iron contents of 5 to 26 wt %. The measurements were made at temperatures ranging from 20 to 1000 C, and Mossbauer spectroscopy was used to determine the dependence of electrical conductivity on furnace atmosphere. It is found that the magnitude of electrical conductivity generally increases with increasing iron content. A comparison of the data on these samples with data on terrestrial olivines and pyroxenes shows that the electrical conductivity of anhydrous silicate minerals is influenced primarily by the concentration, oxidation state, and distribution of iron, while the silicate crystal structure is only of secondary importance. Lunar interior temperatures are deduced from experimental lunar conductivity profiles, and the resulting temperature-depth profiles are found to be consistent with those calculated for two different lunar evolutionary models as well as with various experimental constraints.
Document ID
19750055639
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Schwerer, F. C.
Huffman, G. P.
Fisher, R. M.
(United States Steel Corp. Monroeville, Pa., United States)
Nagata, T.
(National Institute of Polar Research Tokyo, Japan)
Date Acquired
August 8, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1974
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: Lunar Science Conference
Location: Houston, TX
Start Date: March 18, 1974
End Date: March 22, 1974
Accession Number
75A39711
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS9-12271
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available