Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane.

ABSTRACT: The role of widespread ilmenite in lunar mare regions in the abundance and diurnal variations of surficial OH/H₂O remains controversial. Here, we report the water content and hydrogen isotopes in the rims of lunar ilmenites from Chang'e-5 soil samples using an ion microprobe. Ilmenite rims exhibit higher water contents (~730 - 3,700 ppm) and lower δD values (-884 to -482‰) than that of the lunar mantle, indicating a predominantly endogenic origin from solar-wind (SW) implantation. Our data further reveal that although ilmenite and silicate minerals overlap in the δD vs. H₂O diagram, almost all ilmenites fall above those of silicates with SW-like δD values. This signature is consistent with the drastic difference in vesicle abundance between ilmenite and silicate miner

SUBMITTER: Xu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12356940 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature