Evidence of chemical heterogeneity within lunar anorthosite parental magmas

Lunar anorthosites are known for displaying a limited range of plagioclase An content (∼An 94 to 98). Here we demonstrate that plagioclase trace-element variations from Apollo ferroan anorthosites (FAN) samples (collected by the Apollo 15 and 16 missions) display more significant chemical heterogene...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geochimica et cosmochimica acta 2019-12, Vol.266, p.109-130
Main Authors: Pernet-Fisher, John F., Deloule, Etienne, Joy, Katherine H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apollo
LA-ICP-MS
Lunar-anorthosite
Lunar-highlands
Magma-ocean
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Summary:Lunar anorthosites are known for displaying a limited range of plagioclase An content (∼An 94 to 98). Here we demonstrate that plagioclase trace-element variations from Apollo ferroan anorthosites (FAN) samples (collected by the Apollo 15 and 16 missions) display more significant chemical heterogeneity (e.g., chondrite-normalized [La/Sm] 0.33–5.42) than previously reported. We report mineral (plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine) major- and trace-element abundances for a suite of Apollo FAN samples, in addition to, anorthositic clasts within Apollo 16 regolith breccias. This suite of data extends the compositional range currently reported for Apollo anorthosites and for anorthositic clasts previously found within lunar meteorites. Petrological classifications of the regolith breccia clasts (e.g., anorthosite versus noritic anorthosites) cannot always be accurately assessed due to the limited size (
ISSN:0016-7037
1872-9533
DOI:10.1016/j.gca.2019.03.033