The relationship of the lunar regolith less than 10 micrometer fraction and agglutinates. I - A model for agglutinate formation and some indirect supportive evidenceThe first part of a study of the 'less than 10 micrometer' soil fraction and agglutinates is concerned with the chemical systematics of the considered fraction of lunar soils, taking into account a model for agglutinate formation based on the fusion of the finest fraction (FFF). Attention is given to some evidence which supports the FFF model. The evidence is based on some indirect approaches to an estimation of the composition of the fused soil component. It is found that the 'less than 10 micrometer' soil fraction from all Apollo sites except Apollo 16 (which can be explained) is more feldspathic and enriched in incompatible elements (e.g., K and Th) than the bulk soil. It is concluded that these systematics result from simple comminution in which feldspar breaks down to finer sizes than pyroxene and olivine and the fine-grained incompatible-element-enriched mesostasis concentrates in the 'less than 10 micrometer' soil fraction.
Document ID
19820048164
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Papike, J. J. (State Univ. of New York Stony Brook, NY, United States)
Simon, S. B. (State Univ. of New York Stony Brook, NY, United States)
White, C. (New York, State University Stony Brook, NY, United States)
Laul, J. C. (Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories Richland, WA, United States)