NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Apollo 16 Mafic Glass: Geochemistry, Provenance, and ImplicationsAlthough the Apollo 16 mission landed in the feldspathic lunar highlands, mass-balance models suggest that there is a 5-6% mare component in the mature soils collected at the site. Only one mare basalt greater than 1 cm was found and two surveys of 2-4 mm particles found that less than 1% of this size fraction is mare basalt. Similar surveys of the less than 1 mm size fraction of A16 soils found very little lithic mare basalt, but several percent of basaltic green, yellow, and orange glass. The green glass beads were identified as VLT picritic glass and the orange/yellow glass shards were a mix of high and low Ti mare-like glass, high-Al basaltic glass, and KREEPy glasses. Most previous studies of glasses in the A16 regolith were surveys that identified a high proportion of feldspathic glass because most of the glass is produced by local impacts. Because the number of mafic glasses found was low, few compositional groupings were identified. As part of our ongoing study of the mafic components of the Apollo 16 site, we specifically targeted mafic glasses from Apollo 16, selecting against the more feldspathic glasses. In this way we were able to identify over 300 mafic glasses (greater than 10 wt % FeO). We present here the major- and trace-element chemistry of the main glass groups and discuss the likely provenance of each group.
Document ID
20040062081
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Zeigler, R. A.
(Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Korotev, R. L.
(Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Jolliff, B. L.
(Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Haskin, L. A.
(Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Floss, C.
(Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2004
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Lunar Crust as Sampled by Basins and Craters
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Document Inquiry

Available Downloads

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