¹Aaron S. Bell,²Charles Shearer,¹Lydia Pinkham,³Anthony J. Irving
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.02.019]
¹Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
²Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico
³Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195
Copyright Elsevier

One of the enduring problems in angrite petrogenesis is how to reconcile the extraordinary Fe-rich compositions of many angritic liquids – which seemingly require modestly oxidized fO2 conditions that fall outside the stability field of Fe-Ni alloys during primordial melting – with the geochemical and paleomagnetic evidence that the angrite parent body contains a small metallic Fe-Ni-S-C core. One of the major impediments to resolving these contradictions stems from a distinct lack of rigorous fO2 data for the angrite meteorite clan. To begin addressing this issue, we have developed a new approach for calculating magmatic fO2 values directly from the late-stage olivine-ulvöspinel- silicate liquid assemblages that are common in the volcanic or hypabyssal angrites. The adaptation of the olivine-spinel-oxybarometer for use in angrites requires a careful assessment of
of angritic liquids. We apply the results of metal saturated angrite crystallization experiments and an analysis of the Ca-Tschermak’s-anorthite-equilibrium to obtain estimates of thevalues angritic magmas. We then use the
estimates derived from the experiments and thermodynamic analysis in conjunction with the olivine-spinel-
oxybarometer to calculate the magmatic fO2 of Sahara 99555, D’Orbigny, and Northwest Africa 12004. With this approach we estimate oxygen fugacity values that range from IW+0 to IW+0.25. The relatively reducing fO2 values obtained from our analysis are inconsistent with redox conditions required by the oxidized melting hypothesis. Some caution is warranted in extrapolating these late-stage magmatic fO2 values to higher temperatures; however, we stress that fractionated silicate liquids typically become more oxidized with increasing crystallization via auto-oxidation (i.e., the accumulation of incompatible ferric iron in the liquid). Therefore, we suggest that late stage magmatic fO2 values from our calculations may represent the most oxidized conditions along the angrite liquid line of descent. If this interpretation is correct, a large-scale oxidation event on the APB need not be invoked to reconcile mildly reducing conditions (ΔIW-1.35) thought to have prevailed during core formation with the magmatic fO2 record preserved in angritic meteorites. Future redox studies of compositionally primitive angrites (e.g., Northwest Africa 12774) may shed new light on the redox relationships among primitive angrite magmas, evolved angrite magmas, and core forming alloys.

¹Emerson J. Speyerer,¹Mark S. Robinson,¹Aaron Boyd,¹Victor H. Silva,²Samuel Lawrence
Icarus (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115506]
¹School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85282, United States of America
²NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, United States of America
Copyright Elsevier

The Ultraviolet/Visible (UVVIS) camera on the Clementine spacecraft provided a global, multispectral view of the Moon. Scientists commonly use individual observations and derived products (optical maturity, mineral abundance, etc.) over 25 years later, addressing questions concerning the composition and relative age of surface features. However, since the mission concluded, our knowledge of lunar topography and the locations of features on the surface have improved with results from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) missions. Before this work, cross-mission comparisons were impaired by spatial offsets between the derived products, which are as large as 2.5 km in some regions. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Wide Angle Camera (WAC) images, acquired under similar lighting conditions, were used as a cartographic reference. We used image-based feature-matching algorithms to automatically derive control points to improve the positional accuracy of each UVVIS observation with the LROC WAC basemap. From ground control points, we calculate a precise camera model (focal length, optical distortion, etc.) for the UVVIS camera and update the pointing for each UVVIS image. Using the updated geometric information and projecting the UVVIS image to the LOLA global shape model, we map the five-band multispectral UVVIS mosaic, the optical maturity map, and FeO and TiO2 abundance maps. We also analyze pitch observations of the polar regions to investigate the influence phase angle has on the derived optical maturity. The new images are registered to the GRAIL-based LRO geodetic framework within a WAC pixel (Ground Sampling Distance ~75 m; average UVVIS sigma0 = 0.084), creating a foundational geospatial data product that does not require any manual interpretation or nonlinear warping of map products to align with the current lunar reference frame.

¹Liang Zhang,²Xubing Zhang,¹Maosheng Yang,¹Xiao Xiao,³Denggao Qiu,³Jianguo Yan,¹Long Xiao,^1,2Jun Huang
Icarus (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115505]
¹State Key Laboratory of planetary processes and mineral resources, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
²School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
³State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
⁴Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei 230026, China
Copyright Elsevier

In the past, global maps of major oxides and magnesium number (Mg #) on the lunar surface had been derived from spectral data of remote sensing images, combined with “ground truth” geochemical information from Apollo and Luna samples. These compositional maps provide insights into the chemical variations of different geologic units, revealing the regional and global geologic evolution. In this study, we produced new maps of five major oxides (i.e., Al2O3, CaO, FeO, MgO, and TiO2) and Mg # using imaging spectral data from the KAGUYA multiband imager (MI) and the one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) algorithm. We took advantage of recently acquired geochemical information from China’s Chang’E-5 (CE-5) samples. We used the coefficients of determination (R2) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) as model evaluation indicators. We compared the results with the models used by Wang et al. (2021) and Xia et al. (2019). Our study shows that the 1D-CNN algorithm model used in this study had a higher degree of fit and smaller dispersion between the “ground truth” value of geochemical information and the predicted value of spectral data. The 1D-CNN algorithm generally performs better in describing the complex nonlinear relationship between spectra and chemical components. In addition, we present regions of mare domes in Mairan Dome (43.76°N, 49.90°W) and irregular mare patches (IMPs) in Sosigenes (8.34°N, 19.07°E) to demonstrate the geologic implications of these new maps. With the highest spatial resolution (~ 59 m/pixel), these new maps of five major oxides and Mg # will serve as an important guide in future studies of lunar geology.

¹Ming Ma,¹Jingran Chen,²Clive R. Neal,^3,4Shengbo Chen,¹Bingze Li,¹Chenghao Han,¹Peng Tian
Icarus (in Press) LinktoArticle [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115464]
¹School of Surveying and Exploration Engineering, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun, China
²Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
³School of Geo-Exploration Science and Techniques, Jilin University, Changchun, China
⁴Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
Copyright Elsevier

High alumina (HA) mare basalts play unique roles in understanding the heterogeneity of lunar mantle. Their presence was confirmed by the Apollo and Luna samples, and their remote sensing identification was implemented using HA sample FeO, TiO2 and Th concentration constraints. This study selected the surfaces with ~0.5% rock abundance as windows into HA basalts identification. The lithology of these rock pixels was first classified based on thorium maps from the Lunar Prospector and major element oxide products from Diviner data onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Then, the LRO Diviner Al2O3 (~11 wt%) concentration constraint was applied in the mare basalt rock pixels across the Moon. The mare-highland mixtures were distinguished from HA basalt rocks based on the positive linear relationships between Al2O3 and Mg# in the adjacent pixels for four impact vector directions away from each candidate HA pixel. These HA basalts rock pixels identified by this study indicate that HA basalts are concentrated locally in South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, Schiller-Schickard region and 13 maria such as southern and northern Oceanus Procellarum, central Humorum, Tranquillitatis, Fecunditatis and Serenitatis, northern Imbrium and southern Nubium, but are seldom found in Mare Moscoviense and Orientale regions on the farside. Detailed investigations in Mare Fecunditatis found that fifteen HA basalt units or patches could be confidently identified. These HA basalts have the total area and volume of <77,658 km2 and < 54,301 km3, and the maximum depth and thickness of 1147 m and 1062 m respectively. In addition, analyses of the HA rocks indicated that the HA basalts are discontinuous and have variable thicknesses.

^1,2Razvan Caracas,³Sarah T. Stewart
Earth and Planetary Science Letters 608, 118014 Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118014]
¹Université Paris Cité, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS, 1 rue Jussieu, Paris, 75005, France
²The Center for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0371, Norway
³Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Academic Surge, 1124 Crocker Ln, Davis, 95616, CA, USA
Copyright Elsevier

Vaporization is a major outcome of giant impacts during planet formation. The last giant impact marked a major stage in the early history of our planet, with the formation of a highly vaporized protolunar disk, that condenses onto the final Earth and Moon. The thermodynamic state of the disk and its condensation path are still uncertain, as most impact simulations have not used accurate material models. In this study, we compute the critical point and liquid spinodal of the bulk silicate Earth composition. We find that the thermal profiles through portions of the protolunar disk and the post-impact Earth exceeded the mantle critical point of 80-130 MPa kbars and 6500-7000 K. We find that Earth, and most rocky planets, will traverse a temporary state that lacks a surface defined by a magma ocean-atmosphere boundary. Furthermore, the atomic structure of the silicate fluid varies with the radius within the disk due to strong pressure and temperature gradients. Fluffy short-lived chemical species dominate the outer parts of the disk, and long-lasting dense polymers abound in the deeper parts. During cooling, the silicate vapor condenses and the composition of the post-impact atmosphere is dominated by species along the mantle vapor curve.

¹Lingzhi Sun,¹Paul G. Lucey
Earth and Planetary Science Letters(in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118074]
¹Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Copyright Elsevier

Dunite is a rock type composed of more than 90% olivine, and Mg-rich dunite has been suggested to be a rock type that may represent upper mantle of the Moon. Dunite rocks might have been exposed on basin rings by basin-forming impacts. However, previous studies reported no unambiguous evidence of mantle dunite from lunar samples and remote sensing detections. In this work, we applied a mantle boulder candidate search algorithm around the Imbrium basin using radiative transfer modeling and datasets from Moon Mineralogy Mapper and Multiband Imager. We found two boulders consisting of ∼90 vol% olivine with 95 Mg# on Copernicus central peaks, which are possible mantle dunite excavated by Imbrium basin or Copernicus crater. We also found that non-dunite boulders on Copernicus central peak show a large variation in olivine content (8–51 vol%). We infer this is a result of the complicated process of Mg-suite formation in the lower crust or mechanical mixing during the Imbrium basin forming event. The algorithm we presented has a great potential to be applied to lunar basins for a global search for mantle candidate boulders.

^1,2,3Samuel D. Crossley,²Richard D. Ash,^2,3Jessica M. Sunshine,⁴Catherine M. Corrigan,⁴Timothy J. McCoy
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Open Access Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13959]
¹Lunar and Planetary Institute, USRA, Houston, Texas, USA
²Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
³Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
⁴Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Models of planetary core formation beginning with melting of Fe,Ni metal and troilite are not readily applicable to oxidized and sulfur-rich chondrites containing only trace quantities of metal. Cores formed in these bodies must be dominated by sulfides. Siderophile trace elements used to model metallic core formation could be used to model oxidized, sulfide-dominated core formation and identify related meteorites if their trace element systematics can be quantified. Insufficient information exists regarding the behavior of these core-forming elements among sulfides during metamorphism prior to anatexis. Major, minor, and trace element concentrations of sulfides are reported in this study for petrologic type 3–6 R chondrite materials. Sulfide-dominated core-forming components in such oxidized chondrites (ƒO2 ≥ iron-wüstite) follow metamorphic evolutionary pathways that are distinct from reduced, metal-bearing counterparts. Most siderophile trace elements partition into pentlandite at approximately 10× chondritic abundances, but Pt, W, Mo, Ga, and Ge are depleted by 1–2 orders of magnitude relative to siderophile elements with similar volatilities. The distribution of siderophile elements is further altered during hydrothermal alteration as pyrrhotite oxidizes to form magnetite. Oxidized, sulfide-dominated core formation differs from metallic core formation models both physically and geochemically. Incongruent melting of pentlandite at 865°C generates melts capable of migrating along solid silicate grains, which can segregate to form a Ni,S-rich core at lower temperatures compared to reduced differentiated parent bodies and with distinct siderophile interelement proportions.

¹Patrick J. A. Hill,¹Libby D. Tunney,¹Christopher D. K. Herd
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13963]
¹Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The rapid recovery of meteorites mitigates the exposure of astromaterials to the terrestrial environment and subsequent contamination. Modern fireball observatories have enabled the more accurate triangulation of fireball trajectories, which has aided in the location of strewn fields, in the case of meteorite-producing events. Despite this advancement, most meteorite searches still use manual searching to locate any meteorite falls, which is often labor-intensive and has a slow coverage rate (km2 day−1). Recent work has begun exploring the application of drone technology to the recovery of meteorites; however, most of this work has focused on falls in arid environments. Our study examines the utilization of drones with thermal imaging technology to aid in the recovery of meteorites that have fallen on a snow-covered field. We created a simulated strewn field that included meteorite specimens as well as Earth rocks with similar properties (“meteowrongs”). Thermal imagery was utilized to determine whether the thermal contrast between meteorites and snow could aid in the identification of meteorites. We found that the thermal contrast was significant enough that meteorites were readily identifiable within thermal images; however, it was not significant enough to distinguish between the meteorites and the meteowrongs. The utilization of thermal imagery in conjunction with visible imagery has the potential to aid in the rapid recovery of meteorites in snow-covered landscapes.

¹Sara S. Russell et al. (>10)
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Open Access Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13956]
¹Planetary Materials Group, Natural History Museum, London, UK
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The Winchcombe meteorite fell on February 28, 2021 and was the first recovered meteorite fall in the UK for 30 years, and the first UK carbonaceous chondrite. The meteorite was widely observed by meteor camera networks, doorbell cameras, and eyewitnesses, and 213.5 g (around 35% of the final recovered mass) was collected quickly—within 12 h—of its fall. It, therefore, represents an opportunity to study very pristine extra-terrestrial material and requires appropriate careful curation. The meteorite fell in a narrow (600 m across) strewn field ~8.5 km long and oriented approximately east–west, with the largest single fragment at the farthest (east) end in the town of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. Of the total known mass of 602 g, around 525 g is curated at the Natural History Museum, London. A sample analysis plan was devised within a month of the fall to enable scientists in the UK and beyond to quickly access and analyze fresh material. The sample is stored long term in a nitrogen atmosphere glove box. Preliminary macroscopic and electron microscopic examinations show it to be a CM2 chondrite, and despite an early search, no fragile minerals, such as halite, sulfur, etc., were observed.

¹Yuma Enokido,¹Tomoki Nakamura,¹Megumi Matsumoto,²Akira Miyake,³Takazo Shibuya,⁴Changkun Park,⁵Mike Zolensky
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Open Access Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13961]
¹Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
²Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
³Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-Star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
⁴Division of Earth-System Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, Korea
⁵National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Dmisteinbergite, a hexagonal form of CaAl2Si2O8, was found in a compact type A Ca-Al-rich inclusion (CAI) in the Allende CV3 chondrite. Scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations show that dmisteinbergite was always in contact with grossular and grossular was in contact with melilite. In addition, there is a crystallographic relationship between dmisteinbergite and anorthite. Based on the textural and crystallographic evidence, the following mineralogical alteration processes are proposed to have occurred in the CAI. (1) Melilite was replaced by grossular. High densities of vesicles in the grossular indicate that hydrogrossular might have been the primary alteration phase and dehydrated by later metamorphism. (2) Dmisteinbergite formed from (hydro)grossular through a reaction with Si-rich fluid. (3) Nano-sized minerals are formed within dmisteinbergite. (4) Dmisteinbergite was transformed to anorthite. (5) Both anorthite and dmisteinbergite were altered to nepheline. (6) Hydrogrossular was dehydrated to grossular. (Hydro)grossular, dmisteinbergite, anorthite, and nepheline in the CAI seem to have formed in the course of metasomatism that occurred in the Allende parent body. Except for the hydrogrossular dehydration, these reactions could have occurred at moderate temperature (200–250°C) in high pH fluids (pH 13–14) according to past experimental studies. Episodic changes in fluid composition seem to have occurred before reactions (2), (4), and (5), because these reactions were not completed before the next reaction started. Higher temperature is required for reactions (5) and (6) to occur. Our observation of the CAI suggests that it experienced multiple episodes of metasomatism as temperatures were rising in the Allende parent asteroid.