Late-stage magmatic outgassing from a volatile-depleted Moon.

ABSTRACT: The abundance of volatile elements and compounds, such as zinc, potassium, chlorine, and water, provide key evidence for how Earth and the Moon formed and evolved. Currently, evidence exists for a Moon depleted in volatile elements, as well as reservoirs within the Moon with volatile abundances like Earth's depleted upper mantle. Volatile depletion is consistent with catastrophic formation, such as a giant impact, whereas a Moon with Earth-like volatile abundances suggests preservation of these volatiles, or addition through late accretion. We show, using the "Rusty Rock" impact melt breccia, 66095, that volatile enrichment on the lunar surface occurred through vapor condensation. Isotopically light Zn (δ⁶⁶Zn = -13.7‰), heavy Cl (δ³⁷Cl = +15‰), and high U/Pb supports

SUBMITTER: Day JMD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5594690 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature