Isotopic evidence for volatile replenishment of the Moon during the Late Accretion.

ABSTRACT: The traditional view of a dry, volatile-poor Moon has been challenged by the identification of water and other volatiles in lunar samples, but the volatile budget delivery time(s), source(s) and temporal evolution remain poorly constrained. Here we show that hydrogen and chlorine isotopic ratios in lunar apatite changed significantly during the Late Accretion (LA, 4.1-3.8 billion years ago). During this period, deuterium/hydrogen ratios in the Moon changed from initial carbonaceous-chondrite-like values to values consistent with an influx of ordinary-chondrite-like material and pre-LA elevated δ³⁷Cl values drop towards lower chondrite-like values. Inferred pre-LA lunar interior water contents are significantly lower than pristine values suggesting degassing, followed by an incre

SUBMITTER: Lin Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8291620 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature