Petrography and provenance of Apollo 15 soilsPreliminary petrographic and electron probe data from Apollo 15 soils, collected as a part of a comprehensive project, are presented and four principal soil petrographic provinces at the Apollo 15 site are examined. The ratio of non-mare/mare component decreases gradually from the Apennine Front in the south to the mare surface in the north. KREEP basalts appear to be an essential component of the Apennine Bench Formation. The ANT suite rocks contribute only slightly to the population of monomineralic pyroxene, but approximately 30% of the monomineralic olivine are derived from this suite, suggesting troctolitic and dunitic sources.
Document ID
19800039462
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Basu, A. (Indiana University Bloomington, Ind., United States)
Mckay, D. S. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, Tex., United States)