¹Mattheus F.C. Verkaaik,^1,2 Jan-Hein Hooijschuur, ²Gareth R. Davies, ¹Freek Ariese
¹LaserLaB, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
²Deep Earth and Planetary Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

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Reference
Verkaaik MFC, Hooijschuur J-H, Davies GR, Ariese F (2015) Raman Spectroscopic Techniques for Planetary Exploration: Detecting Microorganisms through Minerals. Astrobiologie 15,8 697-707.
Link to Article [doi:10.1089/ast.2015.1329]

^1,2,3A.L. Fagan, ^1,2C.R. Neal
¹Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
²NASA Lunar Science Institute
³Geosciences and Natural Resources Department, College of Arts and Sciences, 331 Stillwell Building, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723

This paper reports the detailed examination of three basalt clasts from Apollo 16 breccia 60639 that represent a new variant of high-Ti basalt returned from the Moon by the Apollo 16 mission. Mineral chemistry and whole-rock analyses were conducted on aliquots from three clasts (breccia matrix, basalt, and basalt + breccia matrix). The basalt clasts, which are not porphyritic, contain compositionally zoned pyroxene, olivine, and plagioclase crystals that represent the evolution of the magma during crystallization; ilmenite does not exhibit major-element compositional zoning within individual crystals. Mineral compositions are distinct between the basalt and breccia matrix lithologies. In addition, whole-rock analyses identify clear compositional differences between the basalt and breccia matrix lithologies in both major and trace element concentrations. The composition of the mixed lithology aliquots (i.e., basalt + breccia matrix) do not indicate simple two component mixing (i.e., compositions are not intermediate to the basalt and breccia end-members); this apparent incongruity can be accounted for by adding ∼19-40% plagioclase to an amalgamation of the average basalt and individual breccia clast compositions via impact mixing. Whole-rock analyses are consistent with previous studies, which suggested that a basalt clast from 60639 is chemically similar to Apollo 11 and 17 basalts. In particular, both major and trace elements suggest that the 60639 basalt clasts examined here have compositions that are distinct from Apollo 11 and 17 high-Ti basalts. Although the 60639 basalt clasts have similar characteristics to a variety of previously identified basalt types, the more extensive whole-rock analyses reported here indicate that they represent a type of Apollo high-Ti basalt heretofore unrecognized in the Apollo and lunar meteorite collections. By placing these new analyses in the context of other mare basalt compositions, a petrogenetic model for the basalts found in breccia 60639 is presented.

Reference
Fagan AL, Neal CR (2015) A New Lunar High-Ti Basalt Type Defined from Clasts in Apollo 16 Breccia 60639. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (in Press)
Link to Article [doi:10.1016/j.gca.2015.08.007]
Copyright Elsevier

¹E. Cloutis, , ¹B. Berg, ¹P. Mann, ¹D. Applin
¹Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3B 2E9

We have measured reflectance spectra (0.35 to 20 μm) of a suite of minerals and synthetic compounds that contain low-Z (⩽ Na) elements as the major cation and/or the major anion in oxides/oxyhydroxides, and are relevant to planetary geology and astrobiology. The suite comprises Na-borates, Na-, K-, Ca-hydroxides, nitrates, nitrites, and peroxides. Na-borate spectra exhibit B-O fundamental vibrations between 7 and 14 μm, and overtones/combinations of these bands in the 1.55, 1.75, 2.15, and 2.25 μm regions. Na-, K-, and Ca-hydroxide reflectance spectra are characterized by OH and metal-OH fundamental vibrations near 3, 8, and 18 μm, and a number of overtone and combination absorption bands at shorter wavelengths, and a characteristic metal-OH band near 2.35 μm. The nitrate and nitrite spectra exhibit fundamental N-O vibrations in the 7-14 μm region and numerous combinations and overtones that are still detectable to as low as ∼1.8 μm. Na-peroxide is largely spectrally featureless below 24 μm, making its detection problematic, while H-peroxide has many OH-related absorption features below 2.5 μm that differ in position from those of H2O ice and liquid. The results of this study indicate that the borates, hydroxides, nitrates, nitrite, and hydrogen peroxide can all be uniquely identified using characteristic absorption features that are present below 2.5 μm. However, some of these features are weak, and their detectability will depend on the types and abundances of any accessory phases that may be present.

Reflectance
Cloutis E, Berg B, Mann P, Applin D (2015) Reflectance spectroscopy of low atomic weight and Na-rich minerals: Borates, hydroxides, nitrates, nitrites, and peroxide. Icarus (in Press)
Link to Article [doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.026]
Copyright Elsevier