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At least 343 records · Page 19
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NASA NTRS2011

Sm-Nd and Initial Sr-87/Sr-86 Isotopic Systematics of Asuka 881394 and Cumulate Eucrites Yamato 980318/433 Compared

The Asuka 881394 achondrite contains fossil Al-26 and Mn-53 and has a Pb-206/Pb-207 age of 4566.5 +/- 0.2 Ma, the oldest for an achondrite. Recent re-investigation of A881394 yielded revised initial Sm-146/Sm-144 = (9.1 +/- 1.4) x 10(exp -3), a Sm-147-Nd-143 age of 4525 +/- 58 Ma, a Rb-87-Sr-87 age of 4490 +/- 130 Ma, and initial Sr-87/Sr-86 = 0.698991 +/- 19, respectively. The relatively large uncertainties in the Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr ages are due to disturbances of the isotopic systematics of tridymite and other minor phases. A preliminary value for the Sm-147-Nd-143 age of the Yamato 980318 cumulate eucrite of 4560 +/- 150 Ma was refined in later work to 4567 +/- 24 Ma as reported orally at LPSC 35. Similarly, a preliminary value for Sm-146/Sm-144 = (7.7 +/- 1.2) x 10 (exp -3) was refined to (6.0 +/- 0.3) x 10(exp -3). For Yamato 980433, a Sm-147-Nd-143 age of 4542 +/-42 Ma and Sm-146/Sm-144 = (5.7 +/- 0.5) x 10(exp -3) has been reported. Because these two cumulate eucrites are paired, we consider them to represent one igneous rock and present their combined isotopic data here.

Nyquist, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Water in Pyroxene and Olivine from Martian Meteorites

Water in the interior of terrestrial planets can be dissolved in fluids or melts and hydrous phases, but can also be locked as protons attached to structural oxygen in lattice defects in nominally anhydrous minerals (NAM) like olivine, pyroxene, or feldspar [1-3]. Although these minerals contain only tens to hundreds of ppm H2O, this water can amount to at least one ocean in mass when added at planetary scales because of the modal dominance of NAM in the mantle and crust [4]. Moreover these trace amounts of water can have drastic effects on melting temperature, rheology, electrical and heat conductivity, and seismic wave attenuation [5]. There is presently a debate on how much water is present in the martian mantle. Secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS) studies of NAM [6], amphiboles and glass in melt inclusions [7-10], and apatites [11, 12] from Martian meteorites report finding as much water as in the same phases from Earth's igneous rocks. Most martian hydrous minerals, however, generally have the relevant sites filled with Cl and F instead of H [13, 14], and experiments using Cl [15] in parent melts can reproduce Martian basalt compositions as well as those with water [16]. We are in the process of analyzing Martian meteorite minerals by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) in order to constrain the role of water in this planet s formation and magmatic evolution

Peslier, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Chemical Composition of Four Shergottites from Northwest Africa (NWA 2800, NWA, 5214, NWA 5990, NWA 6342)

Shergottites represent the majority of recovered Martian meteorites. As basic igneous rocks, they formed from magmas that were emplaced in the Martian crust [1]. Due to the low ambient pressure of the Martian atmosphere, subaerial lavas and shallow magma chambers are expected to outgas volatile metals (e.g., Cd, Te, Re, Bi) [2]. The planetary abundances of the volatile siderophile and chalcophile elements are important at establishing the depth of core formation for Mars, and must be known as a baseline for understanding volcanic outgassing on Mars, particularly the large enrichments of S and Cl observed in modern Martian soils [3]. There is little data on volatile siderophile and chalcophile elements from Martian meteorites, excluding a few well-analyzed samples [2]. Further, a large number of shergottites being recovered from North West Africa are in need of chemical analysis. All of the shergottites are in need of state-of-the art analysis for such ratios as Ge/Si and Ga/Al, which can now be accomplished by LA-ICP-MS [2].

Yang, S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

K-Ca Dating of Alkali-Rich Fragments in the Y-74442 and Bhola LL-Chondritic Breccias

Alkali-rich igneous fragments in the brecciated LL-chondrites, Krahenberg (LL5) [1], Bhola (LL3-6) [2], Siena (LL5) [3] and Yamato (Y)-74442 (LL4) [4-6], show characteristic fractionation patterns of alkali and alkaline elements [7]. The alkali-rich fragments in Krahenberg, Bhola and Y-74442 are very similar in mineralogy and petrography, suggesting that they could have come from related precursor materials [6]. Recently we reported Rb-Sr isotopic systematics of alkali-rich igneous rock fragments in Y-74442: nine fragments from Y-74442 yield the Rb-Sr age of 4429 plus or minus 54 Ma (2 sigma) for lambda(Rb-87) = 0.01402 Ga(exp -1) [8] with the initial ratio of Sr-87/Sr-86 = 0.7144 plus or minus 0.0094 (2 sigma) [9]. The Rb-Sr age of the alkali-rich fragments of Y-74442 is younger than the primary Rb-Sr age of 4541 plus or minus 14 Ma for LL-chondrite whole-rock samples [10], implying that they formed after accumulation of LL-chondrite parental bodies, although enrichment may have happened earlier. Marshall and DePaolo [11,12] demonstrated that the K-40 - Ca-40 decay system could be an important chronometer as well as a useful radiogenic tracer for studies of terrestrial rocks. Shih et al. [13,14] and more recently Simon et al. [15] determined K-Ca ages of lunar granitic rocks, and showed the application of the K-Ca chronometer for K-rich planetary materials. Since alkali-rich fragments in the LL-chondritic breccias are highly enriched in K, we can expect enhancements of radiogenic Ca-40. Here, we report preliminary results of K-Ca isotopic systematics of alkali-rich fragments in the LL-chondritic breccias, Y-74442 and Bhola.

Yokoyama, T↗
NASA NTRS2013

Complex Indigenous Organic Matter Embedded in Apollo 17 Volcanic Black Glass Surface Deposits

Papers presented at the first Lunar Science Conference [1] and those published in the subsequent Science Moon Issue [2] reported the C content of Apollo II soils, breccias, and igneous rocks as rang-ing from approx.50 to 250 parts per million (ppm). Later Fegley & Swindle [3] summarized the C content of bulk soils from all the Apollo missions as ranging from 2.5 (Apollo 15) to 280 ppm (Apollo 16) with an overall average of 124+/- 45 ppm. These values are unexpectedly low given that multiple processes should have contributed (and in some cases continue to contribute) to the lunar C inventory. These include exogenous accretion of cometary and asteroidal dust, solar wind implantation, and synthesis of C-bearing species during early lunar volcanism. We estimate the contribution of C from exogenous sources alone is approx.500 ppm, which is approx.4x greater than the reported average. While the assessm ent of indigenous organic matter (OM) in returned lunar samples was one of the primary scientific goals of the Apollo program, extensive analysis of Apollo samples yielded no evidence of any significant indigenous organic species. Furthermore, with such low concentrations of OM reported, the importance of discriminating indigenous OM from terrestrial contamination (e.g., lunar module exhaust, sample processing and handling) became a formidable task. After more than 40 years, with the exception of CH4 [5-7], the presence of indigenous lunar organics still remains a subject of considerable debate. We report for the first time the identification of arguably indigenous OM present within surface deposits of black glass grains collected on the rim of Shorty crater during the Apollo 17 mission by astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt.

Thomas-Keprta, Kathie L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Radiogenic Ingrowth of 40CA from Decay of 40K Provides a Powerful Tracer for Understanding the Origins of Felsic Magmas

Over time high K/Ca continental crust produces a unique Ca isotopic reservoir, with measurable 40Ca excesses compared to Earth's mantle (ɛCa=0). Thus, values of ɛCai > 1 indicate a significant crustal contribution to a magma. Values of ɛCai (<1) indistinguishable from mantle Ca indicate that the Ca in those magmas is either directly from the mantle, or is from partial melting of newly formed crust. So, whereas 40Ca excesses clearly define crustal contributions, mantle-like 40Ca/44Ca ratios are not as definitive. Here we present Ca isotopic measurements of intermediate to felsic igneous rocks from the western United States, and two crustal xenoliths found within the Fish Canyon Tuff (FCT). The two crustal xenoliths found within the 28.2 Ma FCT of the southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field (SRMVF) yield ɛCa values of ~4 and ~7.5, respectively. The 40Ca excesses of these possible source rocks are due to long-term in situ 40K decay and suggest that they are Precambrian in age. However, the FCT (ɛCai ~0.3) is within uncertainty of the mantle 40Ca/44Ca. Together, these data indicate that little Precambrian crust was involved in the petrogenesis of the FCT. Nd isotopic analyses of the FCT imply that it was generated from 10- 75% of an enriched component, and the Ca isotopic data appear to restrict that component to newly formed lower crust, or enriched mantle. However, the Ca isotopic data do permit assimilation of some crust with low Ca/Nd; decreasing the 143Nd/144Nd without adding much excess 40Ca to the FCT. Several other large tuffs from the SRMVF and from Yellowstone have ɛCai indistinguishable from the mantle. However, a few large tuffs from the SRMVF show significant 40Ca excesses. These tuffs (Wall Mountain, Blue Mesa, and Grizzly Peak) are likely sourced from near, or within the Colorado Mineral Belt. New isotopic measurements of Mesozoic and Tertiary granites from across the northern Great Basin show a range of ɛCai from 0 to ~3. In these samples ɛCai is generally correlated with ɛSri and is broadly negatively correlated with ɛNdi. However, for granites with similar ɛNdi at a given general location ɛCai can vary significantly (1 to 2 epsilon units). In rocks where low ɛNdi could also be due to melting from enriched reservoirs in the mantle lithosphere, the combination of high ɛCai with low ɛNdi clearly identifies crustal melts.

Mills, Ryan D.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Tracking the Martian Mantle Signature in Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions of Basaltic Shergottites Yamato 980459 and Tissint

The Martian shergottite meteorites are basaltic to lherzolitic igneous rocks that represent a period of relatively young mantle melting and volcanism, approximately 600-150 Ma (e.g. [1,2]). Their isotopic and elemental composition has provided important constraints on the accretion, evolution, structure and bulk composition of Mars. Measurements of the radiogenic isotope and trace element concentrations of the shergottite meteorite suite have identified two end-members; (1) incompatible trace element enriched, with radiogenic Sr and negative epsilon Nd-143, and (2) incompatible traceelement depleted, with non-radiogenic Sr and positive epsilon 143-Nd(e.g. [3-5]). The depleted component represents the shergottite martian mantle. The identity of the enriched component is subject to debate, and has been proposed to be either assimilated ancient martian crust [3] or from enriched domains in the martian mantle that may represent a late-stage magma ocean crystallization residue [4,5]. Olivine-phyric shergottites typically have the highest Mg# of the shergottite group and represent near-primitive melts having experienced minimal fractional crystallization or crystal accumulation [6]. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MI) in these shergottites represent the most chemically primitive components available to understand the nature of their source(s), melting processes in the martian mantle, and origin of enriched components. We present trace element compositions of olivine hosted melt inclusions in two depleted olivinephyric shergottites, Yamato 980459 (Y98) and Tissint (Fig. 1), and the mesostasis glass of Y98, using Secondary Ionization Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). We discuss our data in the context of understanding the nature and origin of the depleted martian mantle and the emergence of the enriched component.

Peters, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Sims Analysis of Water Abundance and Hydrogen Isotope in Lunar Highland Plagioclase

The detection of indigenous water in mare basaltic glass beads has challenged the view established since the Apollo era of a "dry" Moon. Since this discovery, measurements of water in lunar apatite, olivine-hosted melt inclusions, agglutinates, and nominally anhydrous minerals have confirmed that lunar igneous materials contain water, implying that some parts of lunar mantle may have as much water as Earth's upper mantle. The interpretation of hydrogen (H) isotopes in lunar samples, however, is controversial. The large variation of H isotope ratios in lunar apatite (delta Deuterium = -202 to +1010 per mille) has been taken as evidence that water in the lunar interior comes from the lunar mantle, solar wind protons, and/or comets. The very low deuterium/H ratios in lunar agglutinates indicate that solar wind protons have contributed to their hydrogen content. Conversely, H isotopes in lunar volcanic glass beads and olivine-hosted melt inclusions being similar to those of common terrestrial igneous rocks, suggest a common origin for water in both Earth and Moon. Lunar water could be inherited from carbonaceous chondrites, consistent with the model of late accretion of chondrite-type materials to the Moon as proposed by. One complication about the sources of lunar water, is that geologic processes (e.g., late accretion and magmatic degassing) may have modified the H isotope signatures of lunar materials. Recent FTIR analyses have shown that plagioclases in lunar ferroan anorthosite contain approximately 6 ppm H2O. So far, ferroan anorthosite is the only available lithology that is believed to be a primary product of the lunar magma ocean (LMO). A possible consequence is that the LMO could have contained up to approximately 320 ppm H2O. Here we examine the possible sources of water in the LMO through measurements of water abundances and H isotopes in plagioclase of two ferroan anorthosites and one troctolite from lunar highlands.

Hui, Hejiu↗
NASA NTRS2014

Vaporization Studies of Olivine via Knudsen Effusion Mass Spectrometry

Olivine is the major mineral in the Earth's upper mantle occurring predominantly in igneous rocks and has been identified in meteorites, asteroids, the Moon and Mars. Among many other important applications in planetary and materials sciences, the thermodynamic properties of vapor species from olivine are crucial as input parameters in computational modelling of the atmospheres of hot, rocky exoplanets (lava planets). There are several weight loss studies of olivine vaporization in the literature and one Knudsen Effusion Mass Spectrometry (KEMS) study. In this study, we examine a forsterite-rich olivine (93% forsterite and 7% fayalite, Fo93Fa7) with KEMS to further understand its vaporization and thermodynamic properties.

Planetary atmospheres↗
NASA NTRS2014

New Martian Meteorite Is One of the Most Oxidized Found to Date

As of 2013, about 60 meteorites from the planet Mars have been found and are being studied. Each time a new Martian meteorite is found, a wealth of new information comes forward about the red planet. The most abundant type of Martian meteorite is a shergottite; its lithologies are broadly similar to those of Earth basalts and gabbros; i.e., crustal igneous rocks. The entire suite of shergottites is characterized by a range of trace element, isotopic ratio, and oxygen fugacity values that mainly reflect compositional variations of the Martian mantle from which these magmas came. A newly found shergottite, NWA 5298, was the focus of a study performed by scientists within the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 2012. This sample was found in Morocco in 2008. Major element analyses were performed in the electron microprobe (EMP) laboratory of ARES at JSC, while the trace elements were measured at the University of Houston by laser inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). A detailed analysis of this stone revealed that this meteorite is a crystallized magma that comes from the enriched end of the shergottite spectrum; i.e., trace element enriched and oxidized. Its oxidation comes in part from its mantle source and from oxidation during the magma ascent. It represents a pristine magma that did not mix with any other magma or see crystal accumulation or crustal contamination on its way up to the Martian surface. NWA 5298 is therefore a direct, albeit evolved, melt from the Martian mantle and, for its lithology (basaltic shergottite), it represents the oxidized end of the shergottite suite. It is thus a unique sample that has provided an end-member composition for Martian magmas.

Hui, Hejiu↗
NASA NTRS2016

Northwest Africa 8535 and Northwest Africa 10463: New Insights into the Angrite Parent Body

The angrite meteorites are valuable samples of igneous rocks formed early in Solar System history (approx.4.56 Ga, summarized in [1]). This small meteorite group (approx.24 individually named specimens) consists of rocks with somewhat exotic mineral compositions (e.g., high Ca olivine, Al-Ti-bearing diopside-hedenbergite, calcium silico-phosphates), resulting in exotic bulk rock compositions. These mineral assemblages remain fairly consistent among angrite samples, which suggests they formed due to similar processes from a single mantle source. There is still debate over the formation process for these rocks (see summary in [1]), and analysis of additional angrite samples may help to address this debate. Toward this end, we have begun to study two new angrites, Northwest Africa 8535, a dunite, and Northwest Africa 10463, a basaltic angrite.

Santos, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Germanium Dichotomy in Martian Meteorites

Germanium is a moderately volatile and siderophile element that follows silicon in its compatibility during partial melting of planetary mantles. Despite its obvious usefulness in planetary geochemistry germanium is not analyzed routinely, with there being only three prior studies reporting germanium abundances in Martian meteorites. The broad range (1-3 ppm) observed in Martian igneous rocks is in stark contrast to the narrow range of germanium observed in terrestrial basalts (1.5 plus or minus 0.1 ppm). The germanium data from these studies indicates that nakhlites contain 2-3 ppm germanium, while shergottites contain approximately 1 ppm germanium, a dichotomy with important implications for core formation models. There have been no reliable germanium abundances on chassignites. The ancient meteoritic breccia, NWA 7533 (and paired meteorites) contains numerous clasts, some pristine and some impact melt rocks, that are being studied individually. Because germanium is depleted in the Martian crust relative to chondritic impactors, it has proven useful as an indicator of meteoritic contamination of impact melt clasts in NWA 7533. The germanium/silicon ratio can be applied to minerals that might not partition nickel and iridium, like feldspars. We report germanium in minerals from the 3 known chassignites, 2 nakhlites and 5 shergottites by LAICP- MS using a method optimized for precise germanium analysis.

Humayun, M.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Investigating Variations in Water Abundances in Lunar Felsite Clasts Using Coordinated Field-Emission STEM and NanoSIMS Analyses

As representatives of petrochemically-evolved igneous rocks on the Moon, the granitic felsite clasts in lunar breccias have come under renewed focus as part of new efforts to use feldspars for assessing the inventory of lunar water and other volatiles. Previous petrologic studies of these clasts were tilted towards finding those assemblages and relationships most likely to be direct products of magmatic processes. In support of our on-going NanoSIMS (Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) measurements of trace water contents in the feldspars in these clasts, we are using coordinated analytical SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and analytical field emission scanning transmission electron microscopy (FE-STEM) techniques to re-evaluate the full diversity of processes under which the feldspar-bearing assemblages in these clasts formed. Here we report a comparison of FE-STEM imaging and microanalysis results obtained on focused ion beam (FIB) sections extracted from felsite (alkali feldspar plus SiO2 plus or minus plagioclase) clasts in lunar breccias 15405 and 12013. The feldspars in these clasts have water contents which, although relatively low (7-18 ppm) by terrestrial standards, still show values significantly higher than measurements (approximately 0.5 ppm) of nominally anhydrous NanoSIMS standards.

Christoffersen, Roy↗
NASA NTRS2019

Spectral Interpretation of Magmatic Evolution, Oxidation, and Crystallinity in a Volcanic Planetary Analog System

Volcanic surfaces are common and varied throughout the terrestrial planets. Remote spectroscopy is often the only method for determining surface chemistry and mineralogy of such provinces, and is thus critical for understanding petrologic processes and constraining planetary interior evolution and chemistry. Natural volcanic systems exhibit variability in magmatic chemical evolution, crystallinity, oxidation, and eruption-related alteration (e.g. hydrothermal). The extent to which spectroscopy can identify these characteristics alongside each other is thus a key question for interpreting volcanic processes from orbit. While the effects of each of these on visible/near infrared (VNIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) spectra of igneous rocks has been studied separately to varying degrees, their combined spectral effects (and interpretability of such spectra) are understudied.

Scudder, N. A.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of Various Methods for Determining Bulk Compositions of Chondrules and Other Objects in Petrographic Thin Sections

Studies of many objects in petrographic thin section, such as melt inclusions in igneous rocks, chondrules and Ca-Al rich inclusions in chondritic meteorites, or clasts in lunar and other breccias, require or can benefit from knowledge of their bulk compositions. Given the scarcity of these materials, the reluctance of curators to provide more abundant material, and the extreme difficulty of cleanly separating such objects from their rock matrices, geochemical and cosmochemical studies need the ability to determine their bulk compositions from in situ methods, such as defocused beam analysis, or quantitative chemical mapping by electron beam methods.

Ross, Daniel Kent↗
NASA NTRS2020

Corrigendum to: Volatiles in Lunar Felsite Clasts: Impact-related Delivery of Hydrous Material to an Ancient Dry Lunar Crust

Hydrous components were measured in nominally anhydrous minerals, primarily lunar feldspar, and reported by Simon et al. (2020). In the feldspar mineral structure, these components are contained in the form of OH, H2O, and/or NH4+molecules (Johnson, 2006 and references therein). The advantages of the ion microprobe technique employed by Simon et al. (2020) include high spatial resolution, apparent insensitivity to crystal orientation, high precision, and low detection limits, but unlike complementary spectroscopy techniques (i.e., FTIR) they preclude assignment of molecular species(Mosenfelder et al. 2015). Convention in the lunar sample community is to report major elemental abundances and hydrogen as oxides, H2O is the oxide for H. This convention was not followed by Simon et al. (2020), but rather the measured hydrogen component was reported as H to avoid the appearance of assigning the measured hydrogen concentration to a specific molecular species. The speciation of the hydrous component in terrestrial feldspars varies predominantly between OH and H2O, with no apparent correlation to feldspar composition, and only slight correlation to volcanic-to-plutonic igneous rock type (Johnson and Rossman, 2004).

J. I. Simon↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Elemental Partitioning Constraints on the Mineralogy of the Martian Mantle

Incompatible elements weakly partition into mantle mineral phases so precise measurements of incompatible element abundances in mantle melts have been used to infer mineralogy of mantle sources [1, 2]. In a recent study [3], we showed that several incompatible chalcophile elements (As, Tl, Pb) relative to REE were more compatible in martian igneous rocks than in terrestrial basalts. This observation can be accounted for by (1) the bulk partition coefficients of chalcophile elements being higher due to the presence of more residual sulfide in the martian mantle [3] and/or (2) different relative compatibilities in the martian mantle due to differences in mineralogy. In this study, the compatibility sequences of lithophile elements in martian and MORB mantles are revised to better represent relative partitioning behavior during mantle differentiation and the influence of mantle mineralogy is examined.

mantle geochemistry↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of the Lower Delta Sequence, Jezero Crater, Mars.

In April 2022, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover arrived at the base of the ancient delta in Jezero crater after completing the first year of its mission exploring and sampling aqueously altered igneous rocks of the present-day crater floor. Perseverance then spent ~200 sols exploring the lower ~25 m of rock exposed within the eastern scarp of the Jezero delta, a sedimentary sequence informally named the ‘Shenandoah’ formation. This study describes the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Shenandoah formation explored by Perseverance at two sections—'Cape Nukshak’ and ‘Hawksbill Gap’—including a description, interpretation, and depositional framework for the facies that comprise it.

K. M. Stack↗