The significance of Cl/P2O5 ratios from lunar samplesThe Cl(r)/P2O5 ratios of lunar samples are reported to occur in three groups (Jovanovic and Reed, 1975; etc.). These data have been modeled as representative of three discrete volumes of differentiating magma and correlated with large convection cells and moon-wide heterogeneities. The assumptions inherent to their model are not valid. That the Cl(r)/P2O5 ratio of apatite or a rock is indicative of a magma system is unrealistic. A range of ratios can be generated during the fractionation of a magma. Apatite is not the major Cl- and P-bearing phase in most of the samples analyzed; rust, FeO(OH, Cl) and schreibersite, (FeNi)3P, occur in over 2/3 rds of the Apollo 16 rocks where they constitute 0.1-0.6 modal %, enough to account for most of the Cl(r) and P2O5 analyzed. Due to the complexities and presence of these minerals in soils and breccias, Cl(r)/P2O5 ratios have no real significance in non-igneous samples. However, basaltic rocks alone do not define any statistically significant Cl(r)P2O5 groupings.
Document ID
19820048159
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Taylor, L. A. (Tennessee Univ. Knoxville, TN, United States)
Hunter, R. H. (Tennessee, University Knoxville, TN, United States)