A model for the evolution of opaques in mare lavas

Abstract

The apparent 'reduced' state of the opaque mineral assemblages of mare basalts has led to various hypotheses on their origin through reduction by various media. A model is developed whereby the presence of trivalent titanium (Ti/3+/) and metallic iron in mare lavas at low oxygen fugacities automatically leads to the production of the observed assemblages by cooling near the mare basalt solidus. The 'reduced' assemblages may evolve isochemically at oxygen fugacities near the iron-ilmenite-ferropseudobrookite buffer by a reaction of the form Fe(2+)+2 Ti(3+) = metallic iron +2 Ti(4+).