NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Regional chemical setting of the Apollo 16 landing site and the importance of the Kant PlateauOrbital X-ray data from the Apollo 16 region indicate that physiographic units identified before the lunar mission can be classified as chemical units as well. The Descartes Mountains, however, appear to be an extension of the Kant Plateau composition that is unusually anorthositic and resembles farside terra. The Cayley Plains have closer affinities to basaltic materials than terra materials, physically, spectrally and chemically. The Theophilus impact, 330 km east of the landing site, excavated magnesium-rich basalts from below less-magnesian flows in Mare Nectaris; but, mafic ejecta was substantially blocked from the Apollo 16 site by the Kant Plateau that rises 5 km above the level of the mare. Apollo 16 soil samples from stations selected to collect either Descartes Mountains material or Cayley Plains material were surprisingly similar. However, they do, indeed, show the chemical trends indicative of the two units as defined by the orbiting geochemistry detectors. The Kant Plateau and Descartes Mountains material may be among the rare nearside examples of a plagioclase-rich cumulate of the primordial magma ocean.
Document ID
19820048189
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Andre, C. G.
(National Air and Space Museum Washington, DC, United States)
El-Baz, F.
(National Air and Space Museum Washington, DC, United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1982
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: Houston, TX
Start Date: March 16, 1981
End Date: March 20, 1981
Accession Number
82A31724
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-63
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

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