Boninites from Cyprus Island as Mercury Lava Analogues

Mercurian meteorites have never been found on Earth. However, thanks to the NASA’s MESSENGER
mission, some constraints on the geochemistry and mineralogy of Mercurian rocks are now available. Results from the Xand
Gamma-ray Spectrometers onboard the MESSENGER mission suggest a surface composition with Mg/Si ratio within
0.33-0.67 and a Fe/Si ratio within 0.03-0.15, characterized by extremely reduced (IW -6) rocks. Experimental petrology
studies show that the most appropriate Mercurian rock-type should be a Mg-rich, Fe-poor basalt, mainly composed of
orthopyroxene and plagioclase. Visible/near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy of terrestrial basalts can help contextualize
acquired MESSENGER spectra. The most Mg-rich, Al-poor regions on Mercury, are suggested to be orthopyroxene-rich
lavas analogous to terrestrial boninites and/or komatiites. At present, there are no studies on the geochemistry and
mineralogy of boninites for their possible association with Mercurian material. In addition, there are still no information
about the VNIR spectral properties of boninitic material. In this work, we investigate the VNIR and Raman spectroscopy
and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) of a series of boninitic pillow lavas that were collected on the Upper Pillow Lavas unit of
the Troodos Massif, located on the island of Cyprus. Data are then discussed in order to reveal potential classification as
Mercury analog.