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NASA NTRS1978

Pyroxene stability and the composition of the lunar magma ocean

Data on the liquidus stability fields of pyroxene phases in lunar-like systems are used to predict the crystallization sequence and residual liquid composition of lunar magma oceans. Fractional and equilibrium crystallization of major and trace elements are modeled quantitatively through use of analytical expressions for liquidus phase boundaries. According to the model, a magma ocean that differentiated chiefly at low pressure and contained 6-8 wt% A1203 and a subchondritic Ca/Al ratio probably formed the lunar crust. The chondrite-normalized pattern of heavy REE depletion in the magma ocean could have developed by self-contamination of extensively fractionated liquids, or could have been imparted during accretion.

Longhi, J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Residual glasses and melt inclusions in basalts from DSDP Legs 45 and 46 - Evidence for magma mixing

Microprobe analyses of natural glasses in basalts recovered by Legs 45 and 46 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project are reported and interpreted in the context of other geochemical, petrographic and experimental data on the same rocks (Rhodes et al., 1978). Residual glass compositions in the moderately evolved aphyritic and abundantly phyric basalts within each site indicate that none of the units is related to any other or to a common parent by simple fractional crystallization. The compositional trends, extensive disequilibrium textures in the plagioclase phenocrysts and the presence in evolved lavas of refractory plagioclase and olivine phenocrysts bearing primitive melt inclusions provide evidence that magma mixing had a major role in the genesis of the Leg 45 and 46 basalts. The magma parental to these basalts was most likely characterized by high Mg/(Mg + Fe/+2/), CaO/Al2O3, CaO/Na2O and low lithophile concentrations. A mixing model involving incremental enrichment of magmaphile elements by repeated episodes of mixing of relatively primitive and moderately evolved magmas, followed by a small amount of fractionation is consistent with the characteristics of the basalts studied.

Dungan, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Dropping stones in magma oceans - Effects of early lunar cratering

A new methodology is used to calculate the accumulation rate of megaregolith materials for two models of early lunar cratering, both with and without episodes of late cataclysmic cratering. Results show that the pulverization of early rock layers was an important process competing with the formation of a coherent rock lithosphere at the surface of the hypothetical lunar magma ocean. If a magma ocean existed, then its initial cooling was marked by a period of pre-lithospheric chaos in which impacts punched through the initially thin rocky skin, mixing rock fragments with splashed magma. Furthermore, the results show that intense brecciation and pulverization of rock materials must have occurred to a depth of at least tens of kilometers in the first few hundred years of lunar history regardless of whether a 'terminal lunar cataclysm' occurred around 4.0 G.y. ago. The predicted pattern of brecciation and the ages of surviving rock fragments is similar to that actually observed among lunar samples. More reliable dating of basin-forming events and models of rock exhumation and survival are needed in order to understand better the relation between the early intense bombardment of the moon and the samples collected on the moon today.

Hartmann, W. K.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A partially molten magma ocean model

Under the assumption that the outer 300-400 km of the moon was at first only partially, rather than fully molten, an explanation of the properties of the lunar crust and upper mantle is obtained according to which nuclei of anorthositic crust formed over localized bodies of magma segregated from the partial melt, and then grew peripherally until fully covering the moon. Over most of its growth period, the anorthosite crust floated on a layer of magma whose thickness was regulated by the opposing forces of (1) loss of material by fractional crystallization, and (2) addition of magma from the partial melt below. The clustering of Eu, Sr and Mg values found among pristine ferroan anorthosites are predicted by this model.

Shirley, D. N.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Petrogenesis of the Elephant Moraine A79001 meteorite Multiple magma pulses on the shergottite parent body

The EETA 79001 achondrite consists of two distinct igneous lithologies joined along a planar, non-brecciated contact. Both are basaltic rocks composed primarily of pigeonite, augite, and maskelynite, but one contains zoned megacrysts of olivine, orthopyroxene, and chromite that represent disaggregated xenoliths of harzburzite. Both lithologies probably formed from successive volcanic flows or multiple injections of magma into a small, shallow chamber. Many similarities between the two virtually synchronous magmas suggest that they are related. Possible mechanisms to explain their differences involve varying degrees of assimilation, fractionation from similar parental magmas, or partial melting of a similar source peridotite; of these, assimilation of the observed megacryst assemblage seems most plausible. However, some isotopic contamination may be required in any of these petrogenetic models. The meteorite has suffered extensive shock metamorphism and localized melting during a large impact event that probably excavated and liberated it from its parent body.

Mcsween, H. Y., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Lunar magma ocean and its implication for origin of the Moon

A plausible accretional model of the Moon using as a constraint the formation of a magma ocean is discussed. Recently, it was shown that the surface of a planet growing by planetestimal impacts was heated over the melting temperature of surface materials due to the blanketing effect of an impact induced atmosphere. Using the same calculational scheme for the Earth, the early thermal history of the Moon growing by planetestimal impacts can be calculated for various accretional models. It is shown that a magma ocean covering the entire surface was formed in both models. Most important parameters related to surface temperature are safronov number and accretion time. Results show that a very small safronov number is needed for formation of the magma ocean. Safronov number is usually larger than 1 for accretion of planetestimals in heliocentric orbit. However, safronov number decreases when the Moon's growth is dominated by the proximity of the Earth. According to Harris, safronov number falls in the range of 0.02-0.1 for the binary accretion case. Therefore, it is suggested that the Moon was formed by accretion of planetestimals in geocentric orbits.

Matsui, T.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Abundancies of Ni, Cr, CO and major elements in the silicate portion of the Moon: Constraints from primary lunar magmas

The lunar volcanic glasses are samples of primary magnas derived by partial melting of the Moon mantle. The twenty-seven varieties of glass define three linear arrays having nearly constant Mg/Si ratios. The low-Ti magmas in each array approach the chondritic Ti/Al ratio. In addition, the Ca/Al ration in these low-Ti magmas trends toward the chrondritid value as one proceeds from array 1 through array 3. Using the chemistries of these primary magmas, as well as the assumption that the Moon possesses chondritic Ca/Al/Ti/Mg ratios, the silicate composition of the Moon has been estimated. The implications of these results are discussed.

Delano, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The parental magma for some rocks from the Norite 1 subzone of the Stillwater Complex - A lunar analog study

Single samples from three successive homogeneous but contrasting layers (anorthosite, anorthositic norite, and norite) in the Stillwater Complex Norite 1 subzone were subjected to detailed petrographic and major and trace element chemical analyses. The petrography and the element chemistry of the three layers are found to be generally consistent with formation from a common magma, although a simple model of liquidus phases and trapped magma is not quite consistent with petrography and chemistry. Changes of oxidation level from layer to layer are indicated by both iron in plagioclase and by the distribution coefficient for Eu required for compatibility with a common parent. Such oxidation changes can explain qualitatively the Mg/Fe variation otherwise attributed to trapped liquid. The data demonstrate that for individual lunar highlands igneous rocks, a general picture of the parent magma can be derived, but detailed petrochemical comparisons using a simple trapped liquid model might deny a common parentage for two samples when such in fact existed.

Ryder, G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Along-strike magma mixing beneath mid-ocean ridges - Effects on isotopic ratios

The effects of mixing processes on the isotopic variability of midocean ridge basalts are studied. The processes considered are porous flow dispersion and convective mixing in magma chambers. Porous flow dispersion is capable of mixing magmas over distances of only a few tens of meters. Convective mixing, on the other hand, is found to produce continuous magma chambers, where mixing is limited by convective processes, and for discontinuous chambers, where mixing is limited by chamber size. Preliminary comparison of the calculations with observations along the midocean ridges shows that the calculations are consistent with the existence of a correlation between bathymetry and isotopic ratio at long, but not at short, wavelengths. They are also capable of explaining a decrease in isotopic variability with increasing spreading rate.

Kenyon, P. M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Rheology melts and magmatic suspensions. I - Design and calibration of concentric cylinder viscometer with application to rhyolitic magma

The design and calibration of concentric cylinder viscometer for rhyolitic magma applications are described together with the methods of data reduction and error analysis. Experimental data are presented on two rhyolitic magmas (melt plus a small fraction of vapor) under conditions of varying temperature (1100-1350 C) and shear rate (0.05-13.0/sec) at 100 kPa total pressure. Data obtained include a first reported measurement of a normal stress coefficient for magma.

Spera, Frank J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Evaluation of crustal recycling during the evolution of Archean-age Matachewan basaltic magmas

The simplest model for the Matachewan-Hearst Dike (MHD) magmas is assimilation-fractional crystallization (AFC), presumably occurring at the base of the crust during underplating. Subduction zone enriched mantle sources are not required. Trace elements suggest that the mantle sources for the MHD were depleted, but possessed a degree of heterogeneity. Rates of assimilation were approximately 0.5 (= Ma/Mc); the contaminant mass was less than 20 percent. The contaminant was dominated by tonalites-randodiorites, similar to xenoliths and rocks in the Kapuskasing Structural Zone (KSZ). Assimilation of partial melts of light-rare earth and garnet-bearing basaltic precursors may have produced some the MHD magmas. Apparently, previous underplating-AFC processes had already produced a thick crust. The silicic granitoid assimilant for the MHD magmas was probably produced by earlier processing of underplated mafic crust (4, 5, 10, 21 and 30). Calculations suggest that the derived silicic rocks possess negative Ta and Ti anomalies even though they were not the product of subduction.

Nelson, Dennis O.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The parent magmas of the SNC meteorites

Mineral compositions, partition coefficients, and computer-graphic representations of liquidus phase boundaries are used here to calculate parent magma compositions for Nakhla, Chassigny, and the xenocryst assemblage in EETA79001B, ALHA77005, and the EETA79001A groundmass. The calculated SNC parent magma compositions have low concentrations of Al2O3 and widely varying wollastonitite (CaO) component. In this regard they resemble basaltic komatiites, but their range of Wo is more extensive than that of basaltic komatiites and trace element characteristics are different. The calculated Nakhla parent magma has an unusually high Wo content and does not resemble any other known magmatic composition. A model of SNC petrogenesis is proposed.

Longhi, J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Parental magmas of Mare Fecunditatis - Evidence from pristine glasses

Results are presented on the petrography and electron microprobe analyses of 14 discrete glass beads from the Luna 16 core sample (21036,15) from Mare Fecunditatis regolith, that were previously characterized as representing pristine glasses. Compared to Apollo pristine glasses analyzed by Delano (1986), the Luna 16 pristine glasses have higher CaO and Al2O3 contents but lower MgO and Ni. On the basis of their contents of MgO, FeO, Al2O3, and CaO, these pristine glasses could be divided into two groups, A and B. It is suggested that at least two parental magmas are needed to explain the chemical variations among these glasses. The Group B glasses appear to represent primitive parental magma that evolved by olivine fractionation to the compositions of the Luna 16 aluminous mare basalts, whereas the Group A volcanic glasses may represent an unusual new basalt magma type that contains a high plagioclase component.

Jin, Y.↗

NASA NTRS1991

La/Sm ratios in mare basalts as a consequence of mafic cumulate fractionation from an initial lunar magma

A model is constructed for the La/Sm ratio and the abundance of chrondrite-normalized La in different proportions of partial melts of a mafic cumulate source that might have settled to the bottom of an initial lunar magma ocean prior to any plagioclase separation. It is proposed that La/Sm ratios and chrondrite-normalized La abundances of common mare basalts are found in partial melts only if: the mafic cumulate consists mostly of clinopyroxene, a very low fraction of the cumulate melts, and the cumulate represents a moderate to high proportion of the crystallization of the initial magma ocean. Only if the partitioning of clinopyroxene is forced to mimic plagioclase (DLa is greater than DSm) do the present modeling results become compatible with the scenario for producing appropriate parent melts of mare basalts from mafic cumulates. It is found unlikely that parent melts of mare basalts were produced from mafic cumulates of an initial lunar magma ocean that had not had any plagioclase crystallization.

Shaffer, E. E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Thermal evolution and chemical differentiation of the terrestrial magma ocean

The release of gravitational energy resulted in global melting and formation of a magma ocean during accretion of the Earth. Although it is believed that the formation of the magma ocean resulted in gravitational differentiation of melt and solid, the differentiation might be disturbed by the following processes: (1) convective mixing; (2) cooling and solidification; and (3) growth of the earth, which results in secular increase of pressure, and stirring by planetesimal impacts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differentiation processes of the terrestrial magma ocean by taking into account various disturbing processes.

Abe, Y.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Magma ocean: Mechanisms of formation

The thermal state of the Earth at the time relevant to formation of a magma ocean was dominated by the great impact that created the Moon. As shown in computer experiments, the iron in the impacting bodies quickly sank to the core of the proto-Earth, while a significant fraction of silicates was pushed far enough out beyond the geosynchronous limit to constitute the main material of the Moon. Most of any atmosphere would have been pushed aside, rather than being expelled in the impact. However, the energy remaining in the material not going to the core or expelled was still sufficient to raise its temperature some 1000's of degrees, enough to vaporize silicates and to generate a strong 'planetary wind': a hydrodynamic expansion carrying with it virtually all volatiles plus appreciable silicates. This expansion was violent and uneven in its most energetic stage, but probably the resulting magma ocean was global. The duration, until cooling, was sufficient for silicates to condense to melt and the duration was probably short. Comparison of the Earth and Venus indicates that the great impact was extraordinarily effective in removing volatiles from the proto-Earth; in particular, the enormous differences in primordial inert gases between the planets demand a catastrophic difference in origin circumstances. On the other hand, the comparison limits the amount of silicates lost by the Earth to a rather minor fraction; most of that expelled in the wind must have condensed soon enough for the silicate to fall back to Earth or be swept up by the proto-Moon. So the Earth was left with a magma ocean. The question is whether sufficient water was retained to constitute a steam atmosphere. Probably not, but unknowns affecting this question are the efficiencies of outgassing in great impacts and in subsequent convective churnings deep in the mantle. During the stage when mantle convection is turbulent, an appreciable fraction of volatiles were also retained at depth, perhaps in some mineral phases not yet well-defined. We still have primordial helium being outgassed.

Kaula, W. M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Imperfect fractional crystallization of the lunar magma ocean and formation of the lunar mantle: A realistic chemical approach

It is generally considered that lunar mare basalts were generated by the melting of a cumulate mantle formed in an early Moon-wide magma ocean or magmasphere. However, the nature and chemistry of this cumulate mantle and the logistics of its origin have remained elusive. Extensive studies of terrestrial layered mafic intrusions over the past sixty years have emphasized the imperfection of fractional crystallization and attendant crystal-crystal and crystal-liquid separation in a convecting magma chamber. These separations were similarly inefficient during evolution of the lunar magmasphere, allowing for the trapping of interstitial melt and entrainment of a small proportion of less-dense plagioclase into the more-dense mafic cumulate mush. Indeed, petrography of lunar highlands samples demonstrates this well for anorthosites (with 1-10 percent olivine). Therefore, we propose a 'realistic' model for the evolution of the lunar mantle, which takes these observations into consideration, by the imperfect fractional crystallization of an early lunar magma ocean.

Snyder, Gregory A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Lunar magma transport phenomena

An outline of magma transport theory relevant to the evolution of a possible Lunar Magma Ocean and the origin and transport history of the later phase of mare basaltic volcanism is presented. A simple model is proposed to evaluate the extent of fractionation as magma traverses the cold lunar lithosphere. If Apollo green glasses are primitive and have not undergone significant fractionation en route to the surface, then mean ascent rates of 10 m/s and cracks of widths greater than 40 m are indicated. Lunar tephra and vesiculated basalts suggest that a volatile component plays a role in eruption dynamics. The predominant vapor species appear to be CO CO2, and COS. Near the lunar surface, the vapor fraction expands enormously and vapor internal energy is converted to mixture kinetic energy with the concomitant high-speed ejection of vapor and pyroclasts to form lunary fire fountain deposits such as the Apollo 17 orange and black glasses and Apollo 15 green glass.

Spera, Frank J.↗