Search Add a publication

ID No : 894   Edit
Title: Mineralogical and Chemical Characterization of Lunar Highland Soils: Insights into the Space Weathering of Soils on Airless Bodies
Summary / Review : "With reflectance spectroscopy, one is measuring only properties of the fine-grained regolith, most affected by space weathering. The Lunar Soil Characterization Consortium has undertaken the task of coordinated characterization of lunar soils, with respect to their mineralogical and chemical makeup. It is these lunar soils that are being used as "ground-truth" for all air30 less bodies. Modal abundances and chemistries of minerals and glasses in the finest size fractions (20-45, 10-20, and <10 microns) of four Apollo 14 and six Apollo 16 highland soils have been determined, as well as their bulk chemistry and IS/FeO values. Bi-directional reflectance measurements (0.3-2.6 microns) of all samples were performed in the RELAB. A significant fraction of nanophase Fe(sup 0) (np-Fe(sup 0)) appears to reside in agglutinitic glasses. However, as grain size of a soil decreases, the percentage of total iron present as np-Fe0 increases significantly, whereas the agglutinitic glass content rises only slightly; this is evidence for a large contribution to the IS/FeO values from the surface-correlated nanophase Fe(sup 0), particularly in the <10 micron size fraction. The compositions of the agglutinitic glasses in these fine fractions of the highland soils are different from the bulk-chemistry of that size; however, compositional trends of the glasses are not the same as those observed for mare soils. It is apparent that the glasses in the highland soils contain chemical components from outside their terrains. It is proposed that the Apollo 16 soils have been adulterated by the addition of impact-transported soil components from surrounding maria." (Author's abstract)
Author(s) : Taylor, Lawrence A.; Patchen, Allan; Taylor, Dong-Hwa S.; Pieters, Carle; Morris, Richard V.; Keller, Lindsay P.; McKay, David S., [Johnson Space Center]
Publication Date: 2010
Category(s) : Exploration and resources / Lunar / Geology and resources
Web URL : http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20100006633
If this link is broken, please Add Comment below.
We try to keep author contact details, and a backup copy in our offline library.
PERMANENT code(s) : L,U
(Explanation of the
last 3 rows above)
In the row above, there are up to 4 possibilities:
U = URL you can click on to get a copy instantly from another source on the internet, or request it from that source
D = Downloadable from PERMANENT (such as because no other URL known...)
L = LAN copy, PERMANENT has a digital copy but not downloadable from our website
P = Paper copy in the PERMANENT office
Typically, only 0 to 3 methods are available.
NTRS : 20100006633
Other Ref # : JSC-CN-19244
Submitted by : MEP
Comments: Please add your thoughtful Comments to this paper after reading it.
All comments are reviewed and approved before being posted publicly below.
If you wish to submit a private comment to the curator, instead of a public comment, just write "Private" at the start of your comment.
Corrections and suggested additions to our records are appreciated.
  Add Comment 
Add Comment     Green is public,     Pink is private.
Screen Name: Either real name or anonymous alias are OK.
Real Name and
optional info:

Please provide at least your real name, and optionally additional information.
Email Address: We keep your email address private.
Date - Time Sorry, just click on the field, then on the popup calendar click "Now" then "Done".
Your Comment: (if private to curator, then just start with "Private:" or something like that.)