A more reduced mantle beneath the lunar South Pole-Aitken basin.

ABSTRACT: The oxygen fugacity (fO₂) of the lunar mantle is of pivotal significance in comprehending the formation and evolution of the Moon. However, the fO₂ of the lunar farside mantle remains unknown due to the lack of samples returned from the farside. Here, we determine the oxygen fugacity of 23 basaltic fragments from the Chang'e-6 (CE6) soil, the first farside sample collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin. The spinel V oxybarometer and pyroxene Eu oxybarometer yield an average fO₂ of ΔIW -1.93 ± 0.58 (2σ), indicating a more reduced state compared to the nearside Apollo and Chang'e-5 (CE5) basalts, which have an average fO₂ of ΔIW -0.80 ± 0.64 (2σ). Such asymmetry in oxygen fugacity of the lunar mantle can be attributed to two processes: nea

SUBMITTER: Zhang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12310954 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature