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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Mineralogical, magnetic and geochemical data constrain the pathways and extent of weathering of mineralized sedimentary rocks

The oxidative weathering of sulfidic rock can profoundly impact watersheds through the resulting export of acidity and metals. Weathering leaves a record of mineral transformation, particularly involving minor redox-sensitive phases, that can inform the development of conceptual and quantitative models. In sulfidic sedimentary rocks, however, variations in depositional history, diagenesis and mineralization can change or overprint the distributions of these trace minerals, complicating the interpretation of weathering signatures. Here we show that a combination of bulk mineralogical and geochemical techniques, micrometer-resolution X-ray fluorescence microprobe analysis and rock magnetic measurements, applied to drill core samples and single weathered fractures, can provide data that enable the development of a geochemically consistent weathering model. This work focused on one watershed in the Upper Colorado River Basin sitting within the Mesaverde Formation, a sedimentary sandstone bedrock with disseminated sulfide minerals, including pyrite and sphalerite, that were introduced during diagenesis and subsequent magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization. Combined analytical methods revealed the pathways of iron (Fe), carbonate and silicate mineral weathering and showed how pH controls element retention or release from the actively weathering fractured sandstone. Drill core logging, whole rock X-ray diffraction, and geochemical measurements document the progression from unweathered rock at depth to weathered rock at the surface. X-ray microprobe analyses of a 1-cm size weathering profile along a fracture surface are consistent with the mobilization of Fe(II) and Fe(III) into acidic pore water from the dissolution of primary pyrite, Fe-sphalerite, chlorite, and minor siderite and pyrrhotite. These reactions are followed by the precipitation of secondary minerals such as of goethite and jarosite, a Fe-(oxyhydr)oxide and hydrous Fe(III) sulfate, respectively. Microscale analyses also helped explain the weathering reactions responsible for the mineralogical transformations observed in the top and most weathered section of the drill core. For example, dissolution of feldspar and chlorite neutralizes the acidity generated by Fe and sulfide mineral oxidation, oversaturating the solution in both Fe-oxides. The combination of X-ray spectromicroscopy and magnetic measurements show that the Fe(III) product is goethite, mainly present either as a coating on fracture surfaces in the actively weathering region of the core or more homogeneously contained within the unconsolidated regolith at the top of the core. Low-temperature magnetic data reveal the presence of ferromagnetic Fe-sulfide pyrrhotite that, although it occurs at trace concentrations, could provide a qualitative proxy for unweathered sulfide minerals because the loss of pyrrhotite is associated with the onset of oxidative weathering. Pyrrhotite loss and goethite formation are detectable through room-temperature magnetic coercivity changes, suggesting that rock magnetic measurements can determine weathering intensity in rock samples at many scales. In conclusion, this work contributes evidence that the weathering of sulfidic sedimentary rocks follows a geochemical pattern in which the abundance of sulfide minerals controls the generation of acidity and dissolved elements, and the pH-dependent mobility of these elements controls their export to the ground- and surface-water.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhanced Carbon Dioxide Uptake in Drilled Hollow Core Fibers for Raman Spectroscopy

Fiber-based Raman spectroscopy enhances the Raman signal by maximizing the overlap of the optical field and the gas species. However, filling the hollow-core fiber (HCF) with gas requires time that is dependent on the fiber core diameter, fiber length, and pressure of the gas. At ambient pressure, the fiber gas uptake is driven by diffusion into the fiber ends, severely limiting the response time of the system. By laser drilling access holes to the core along the length of the fiber, the uptake time of the gas is reduced, improving the system response time. In this work, we study the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sensor dynamics based on Raman signal intensity generated in HCFs. The signal intensity versus gas concentration is characterized by controlling the CO 2 concentration in the surrounding environment of the fiber. Next, we characterize the gas uptake time in HCFs as a function of fiber length. Finally, we optimize the access hole configuration along the fiber, demonstrating reduced sensor uptake time by a factor of three.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1986

In situ production of terrestrial cosmogenic helium and some applications to geochronology

The concentrations of cosmogenic He-3 have been measured in a series of basaltic drill core samples from Hawaiian volcanoes Haleakala and Mauna Loa. The He-3 concentration in the surface of a radiocarbon dated Mauna Loa flow (20,000 years) gives reasonable agreement with a theoretical production rate of 140 atoms/g/yr, and suggests that the uncertainty in this rate is roughly 10 percent. The results illustrate the feasibility of using He-3 to measure exposure ages of young basaltic lava flows and for measuring erosion rates. Erosion rates calculated from the three Haleakala cores range from 7 to 11 meters/million years. The drill core data demonstrate that accurate depth control is crucial to the use and evaluation of cosmogenic helium. Depth profiles from several of the older cores display a nonexponential depth dependence of He-3(c) below 170 g/sq cm, which is attributed to the contribution from Li-6(n, alpha)T, where the neutrons are from stopped muons. This has important implications for depth dependence of cosmogenic He-3 because muons are weakly attenuated compared to the nucleonic component that produces spallation.

Kurz, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Structural deformation at the Flynn Creek impact crater, Tennessee - A preliminary report on deep drilling

The geologic and core drilling studies described in the present paper show that the Flynn Creek crater has such distinctive morphological features as a broad flat hummocky floor; large central peak; locally terraced crater walls; uplifted, as well as flat-lying rim segments; and a surrounding ejecta blanket. The major structural features include a shallow depth of total brecciation and excavation as compared with apparent crater diameter; a thin breccia lens underlain by a thin zone of disrupted strata; concentric ring fault zones in inner rim, beneath crater wall, and outer crater floor regions; a large central uplift underlain by a narrow dipping zone of deeply disrupted strata; faulted, folded, brecciated, and fractured rim strata; and uplifted rim strata, which dip away from the crater, and flat-lying rim strata, which terminate as inward dipping rocks.

Roddy, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Trapped solar and cosmogenic noble gas abundances in Apollo 15 and 16 deep drill samples

Abundances and isotopic compositions of all the stable noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) were measured at different depths of the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 deep drill cores, and in several surface fines and breccias. All samples analyzed from both drill cores were found to contain large concentrations of solar wind implanted gases. This means that even the deepest layers of both cores have experienced a lunar surface history. The Apollo 15 core data are consistent with a combined accretion plus static time of a few hundred million years, and also indicate variable pre-accretion irradiation of core material. Depth profiles of cosmogenic gases in the Apollo 16 core show considerably larger concentrations of cosmic gases below 65 cm depth than above. This pattern may be interpreted either as an accretionary process, or by a more recent deposition of regolith to the upper 70 cm of the core.

Bogard, D. D.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Residual service life of carbonated structures based on site non-destructive tests

Assessing the residual service life of carbonated reinforced concrete structures is typically conducted by measuring cover depths and carbonation of drilled cores, assuming the ''square root law'' for the progress of the carbonation front. Given the large spatial variability of carbonation depths, the required number of cores becomes prohibitive. A model is presented, based on numerous experimental data, by which the carbonation rate can be estimated by means of non-destructive site measurements of the air-permeability kT. A Weibull distribution of the carbonation rate K{sub c} is fitted to the results, which is a function of kT. Hence, for each kT value measured on site coupled with the cover depth x{sub d}, expected, optimistic and pessimistic values of the corrosion initiation time can be obtained without the need of drilling cores. The method is validated on 111 paired results of kT and x{sub d}, obtained on the emblematic Tokyo's Museum of Western Art.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1974

Depth profiles of Mn-53 in lunar rocks and soils

Results of measurements of cosmic-ray-produced Mn-53 taken down the length of the Apollo 16 deep drill core are presented. They indicate that the lunar regolith has been unmixed, on a meter scale, for the past 5 million years at the location of this core. The data are in agreement with earlier Mn-53 measurements on the Apollo 15 drill core. Mn-53 activity profiles in 14310, 12002, and 14321 are compared to each other; all three rocks have probably been on the lunar surface long enough to saturate their solar cosmic-ray-produced Mn-53 (half-life = 3.7 m.y.) activity.

Imamura, M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 10th, Houston, Tex., March 19-23, 1979, Proceedings. Volume 2 - Early solar system and lunar regolith

Papers are presented concerning studies of the lunar regolith, the remote sensing of the surface compositions of the moon and planets, and the origin and evolution of the solar system. Specific topics include the stratigraphy and depositional history of the Apollo 17 deep drill core, the trace element and metallic iron abundances in fractions of the Apollo 15 deep drill core, the surface chemistry of lunar impact glasses, cosmic ray-produced noble gases in lunar samples, and the properties of microcraters and cosmic dust less than 1000 A in diameter. Attention is also given to the remote sensing of mare surface titanium concentrations, Viking Lander multispectral images, star and planetary system formation in collapsing, viscous, rotating clouds and the importance of planet size to basaltic volcanism.

Merrill, R. B.↗
DOE OSTI2012

High-density PhyloChip profiling of stimulated aquifer microbial communities reveals a complex response to acetate amendment

There is increasing interest in harnessing the functional diversity of indigenous microbial communities to transform and remediate a wide range of environmental contaminants. Understanding the response of communities to stimulation, including flanking taxa, presents important opportunities for optimizing remediation approaches. We used high-density PhyloChip microarray analysis to comprehensively determine community membership and abundance patterns amongst a suite of samples from U(VI) bioremediation experiments. Samples were unstimulated or collected during Fe(III) and sulfate reduction from an acetate-augmented aquifer in Rifle, Colorado, and from laboratory experiments using field-collected materials. Results showed the greatest diversity in abundant SRB lineages was present in naturally-reduced sediment. Desulfuromonadales and Desulfobacterales were consistently identified as the dominant Fe(III)- and sulfate-reducing bacteria (IRB and SRB) throughout acetate amendment experiments. Stimulated communities also exhibited a high degree of functional redundancy amongst enriched flanking members. Not surprisingly, competition for both sulfate and iron was evident amongst abundant taxa, but the distribution and abundance of these ancillary SRB (Peptococcaceae, Desulfovibrionales and Syntrophobacterales), and lineages containing IRB (excluding Desulfobacteraceae) was heterogeneous amongst sample types. Interesting, amongst the most abundant taxa, particularly during sulfate reduction, were Epsilonproteobacteria that perform microaerobic or nitrate-dependant sulfur oxidation, and a number of bacteria other than Geobacteraceae that may enzymatically reduce U(VI). Finally, in depth community probing with PhyloChip determined the efficacy of experimental approaches, notably revealing striking similarity amongst stimulated sediment (from drill cores and in-situ columns) and groundwater communities, and demonstrating that sediment-packed in-situ (down-well) columns served as an ideal method for subsurface biostimulation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2005

Hydrothermal Processes and Mobile Element Transport in Martian Impact Craters - Evidence from Terrestrial Analogue Craters

Hydrothermal alteration and chemical transport involving impact craters probably occurred on Mars throughout its history. Our studies of alteration products and mobile element transport in ejecta blanket and drill core samples from impact craters show that these processes may have contributed to the surface composition of Mars. Recent work on the Chicxulub Yaxcopoil-1 drill core has provided important information on the relative mobility of many elements that may be relevant to Mars. The Chicxulub impact structure in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the largest impact craters identified on the Earth, has a diameter of 180-200 km, and is associated with the mass extinctions at the K/T boundary. The Yax-1 hole was drilled in 2001 and 2002 on the Yaxcopoil hacienda near Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula. Yax-1 is located just outside of the transient cavity, which explains some of the unusual characteristics of the core stratigraphy. No typical impact melt sheet was encountered in the hole and most of the Yax-1 impactites are breccias. In particular, the impact melt and breccias are only 100 m thick which is surprising taking into account the considerably thicker breccia accumulations towards the center of the structure and farther outside the transient crater encountered by other drill holes.

Newsom, H. E.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Characterizing Natural Attenuation of Cr(VI) in a Chromium Plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory - 18594

Characterization of natural attenuation of hexavalent (Cr(VI)) on aquifer sediments within the Cr plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory has been conducted to (1) refine conceptual and numerical models of chromium fate and transport, (2) evaluate the long-term stability of Cr(III)/Cr(VI) in the complex groundwater system along flow paths from the source to the regional aquifer, and (3) evaluate and develop options for successful remediation. The naturally high chromium abundance in aquifer sediments at Los Alamos pose an unique challenge for characterization of chromium reduction, making conventional approaches such as uptake tests and advanced spectroscopic measurements ineffective in identifying relatively small amounts of anthropogenic Cr(VI) in the sediments. To address this challenge and as complimentary to these conventional methods, sequential leaching tests were conducted on core hole sediments obtained from sonic drilled cores taken from both contaminated and non-contaminated horizons among two mineralogically distinct formations (Puye formation and Miocene Pumiceous Unit) within the Cr plume. A series of three and coherent sequential leaching steps were conducted: 1) an alkaline leach to determine the amount of Cr(VI) sorbed on the sediments. 2) a weak acid leach (using 0.01 M and 0.1 M HNO{sub 3}) to determine the amount of anthropogenic chromium (Cr(III) and Cr(VI)) on aquifer sediment surfaces, and 3) a strong acid leach (using 2 M HNO{sub 3}) to characterize the amount of releasable Cr(III) from aquifer minerals. Additionally we tested the efficiency and detection limit of sequential leaching on bentonite, which consists mainly of smectite, used in drill muds and laboratory-grade biotite spiked with known concentrations of Cr(VI). Smectite and biotite are two phases considered to be potentially important host minerals in aquifer sediments within the plume. Thus, by comparing contaminated and uncontaminated sediment leachate results of chromium and other major and trace elements, the signature and quantity of anthropogenic Cr(VI) can be derived. Our results from the weak acid leaching test indicate that the method detection limit for Cr 'uptake' was about 1 μg/g for biotite and about 0.5 μg/g for bentonite. Our results also indicate that all samples taken from known contaminated horizons in comparison to non-contaminated ones within the Puye formation showed no statistical difference in the amount of Cr leached indicative of its insignificant Cr(VI) attenuation capacity. The amount of excess Cr leached from the magnetic fraction of the contaminated Miocene Pumiceous samples was about 2 μg/g of sediment. Considering that the magnetic fraction was about 11% by mass of the bulk sample, the excess amount of Cr leached from the bulk material would be about 0.2 μg/g of sediment, suggesting the potential for some Cr(VI) attenuation capacity in the Miocene pumice unit. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1977

Nitrogen isotopes in lunar soils as a measure of cosmic-ray exposure and regolith history

Previous studies have shown that the bulk of the nitrogen in soils has been implanted by the solar wind, that the N-15/N-14 ratio of the implanted nitrogen has apparently increased with time, and that both soils and rocks contain a nitrogen component greatly enriched in N-15, relative to natural abundance ratios, due to cosmic-ray spallation. An investigation was, therefore, conducted to test the feasibility of using spallation-produced N-15 for determining cosmic-ray exposure ages. Samples from several depths in the Apollo 15 deep drill core were analyzed. The data obtained have also been evaluated with regard to possible models for the prior history of the material now in the Apollo 15 core. In addition, analyses have been performed of several other soil samples considered for various reasons to be of particular interest, such as orange soil 74220 and its companion 74240, Apollo 16 drill core sample 60002, and the apparently peculiar fillet soil 67461. Wherever possible, analyses were carried out by step-wise heating rather than by total pyrolysis. On the basis of the results of the investigation it is concluded that nitrogen isotope ratio determinations provide a usable method for determining cosmic-ray exposures for soils.

Becker, R. H.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Rare Earth Elements (REE) and Critical Minerals (CM) in Middle Pennsylvanian-Age Coals and Associated Sediments in the Central Appalachian Basin, Eastern U.S.A.

The Central Appalachian Basin (CAB) of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia has a long history of coal mining and oil and gas extraction that has empowered the regional and national economies, the development of infrastructure, and a highly trained energy resources work force. As our societal demands for advanced technologies have rapidly increased in recent years, coal-related materials are viewed as an important new unconventional domestic source of critical minerals (CM) that are required for telecommunications, aerospace and transportation industries, electronics, the transition to low-carbon emissions energy production, and many consumer products. Coal-related materials encompass coal, associated sediments, coal mining waste materials, produced waters, and ash residues from coal-fired power plants. An important objective of the Evolve Central Appalachia Project (Evolve CAPP), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is to assess the quantity and distribution of CM resources in the CAB region. The rare earth elements (REE) are considered highest priority, although other important CM such as niobium, gallium, and zirconium are known to occur in the Middle Pennsylvanian-age coals and sediments. Working with coal industry partners who provided access to drill cores, coal-related sediments and waste materials, over 600 samples have been collected for laboratory analysis, and over 730 materials have been scanned using portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) equipment. The application of pXRF provides the means for real-time semiquantitative analysis of CM content at very close spacings (typically 2-3 inch intervals) along drill core and in-situ channel samples that span the roof, coal seam, and floor rock. The comparison of pXRF geochemical data with laboratory results, geologic data, and downhole spectral gamma logs can provide high resolution input to lithologic and depositional models for future CM resource evaluations. The preliminary findings show that pXRF is capable of accurately measuring low concentrations of many of the CM with a high level of confidence (Ba, Cr, Ga, K, Nb, Rb, Sr, Th, Y), whereas for others (La, Ce, Co, Mn, Nd, Ni, Sc, Ti, V) the detection limits are very high or spectral interferences increase the uncertainty. Notably, the mean abundances of Y (34 ppm), La (86 ppm), Ga (40 ppm), and V (146 ppm) in coal underclays in the CAB region are up to 7X enriched compared with the overlying coal. These values also exceed the reported concentrations in published reference materials for upper continental crustal rocks (Rudnick and Gao, 2003), North American Shale Composite (Gromet et al., 1984), and North American coal (Finkelman, 1993). The pXRF data are in part verified by laboratory results that indicate the mean Y abundance (36 ppm) is highly correlated (R2 = 0.807) with total REE (ΣREE). The correlation is even higher (R2 = 0.957) with heavy REE (ΣHREE). Applying these correlations to the pXRF data for the coal underclays, the mean estimated values for ΣREE+Y and ΣHREE+Y are 270 ppm and 58 ppm, respectively. Although these average values are not considered high, the range of Y measured by pXRF in the coal underclays extended as high as 114 ppm, which would suggest ΣREE+Y equal to 847 ppm. The mean abundances of Zr (192 ppm) and Th (21 ppm) in coal underclays are also enriched compared with the overlying coal and these results likely reflect the presence of resistant detrital heavy minerals such as monazite, xenotime, and zircon in the underclay matrix. Several of the profiled coal seams and associated wall rocks contained thin volcanic ash layers up to 4-5 inches in thickness. The extent to which these ash fall layers provided a source for CM under the paleoenvironmental conditions that resulted in coal deposits in the CAB remains to be fully studied. Continuing investigations in the Evolve CAPP study area will include laboratory determinations of mineralogic and clay compositions, and evaluations of CM geochemical mobility in the coal and coal underclays.

Lassetter, Billy↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advances in X-ray Instruments to Support Mars Sample Return

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is currently collecting drill cores of ancient igneous and sedimentary rock in and around Jezero crater for potential transport to Earth. These samples from the martian surface will enable detailed mineralogical, geochemical, and petrological measurements to characterize ancient depositional and diagenetic environments, quantitatively age-date the samples, and identify the building blocks for life or evidence for life itself. Furthermore, these drill cores are especially precious because they may represent the most pristine samples from the martian surface and our best chance at identifying martian life, as future sample return missions may be conducted by humans that can introduce biological contaminants to the samples. Because of the importance of these samples, we must take great care in their handling, curation, and preliminary analyses so that they are preserved for scientific measurements for decades to come. In-situ measurements by Perseverance have identified minerals that further warrant special treatment of the returned samples. Hydrated sulfate carbonate, swelling clay minerals, and oxychlorine salts are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and relative humidity. The structures of hydrated sulfates and oxychlorine minerals, in particular, readily change when exposed to different conditions, meaning the mineral assemblage of the as-returned samples may be lost if the samples aren’t handled properly. Characterizing the as-returned mineral assemblage, particularly of the salts, is essential for reconstructing past aqueous conditions and habitability. To characterize the as-returned mineral assemblage, the samples must be analyzed rapidly before phase changes occur and/or under controlled conditions (e.g., within a glove box). Significant recent advances in X-ray instrumentation for robotic exploration of the solar system have resulted in high-resolution miniaturized instruments that would provide mineralogical, geochemical, and petrological information on the returned martian samples without degradation of the mineral assemblage. Here, we describe a combined X-ray diffractometer/X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRD/XRF), an X-ray computed tomographic (XCT) instrument, and a scanned beam XRF mapping instrument that could be used in a glove box so that the martian samples remain under controlled conditions.

E. B. Rampe↗
NASA NTRS2014

Single Piezo-Actuator Rotary-Hammering (SPaRH) Drill

A Single Piezo-Actuator Rotary-Hammering (SPaRH) Drill includes a horn actuator having high power piezoelectric materials and a flexure pre-stress to increase the actuators effectiveness. The drill is a low mass, low power, compact coring drill measuring 20-cm high by 7-cm diameter and having a total weight of 2 kg including drive electronics. Using an average power of 50-Watts, the drill basalt is expected to cut basalt at a rate of 0.2 cm/min down to depth of 10-cm and create cuttings and an intact core. The drill is expected to operate under different environments including Martian ambient (6 Torr and down to -50 degree C), and liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K) and low pressure (<<1 Torr) to simulate lunar polar and Europa conditions. Materials expected to be sampled include Kaolinite, Saddleback Basalt, Limestone, Volcanic Breccia, Siltstone, ice, permafrost and layered rocks with different hardness.

Sherrit, Stewart↗
NASA NTRS1980

The lunar regolith - Comparative chemistry of the Apollo sites

In a grain-size study of various sections of the Apollo 17 drill core conducted by Laul et al. (1978, 1979), it was found that the fine fractions were consistently more enriched in highland material than the coarse fractions. Relative to the coarse fractions, the fine fractions contained 6-20% more KREEP material. In connection with these observations, an investigation was conducted to find out whether KREEP enrichment in fines occurs in soils from other sites. The investigation is also concerned with possibilities regarding any preferential lateral transport of the finest soil fractions relative to the coarser fractions. A description is presented of the chemical study of eight soils from five landing sites, taking into account also data on soil 70009 from the Apollo 17 drill core. Relative to the coarse fractions, no mare enrichment is found in the fines of highland soils. This argues strongly against preferential transport of fine fractions relative to coarse.

Laul, J. C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Collection, Usage, and Preliminary Examination of the Apollo Sample Suite: Lessons for Artemis

Apollo Sample Collection and Usage: From 1969 to 1972 there were six Apollo missions to the surface of the Moon during which the astronauts collected 382 kg of rock and regolith (~2200 samples). The samples collected fall into these general categories: rocks (~66% by mass), rake samples (~4%), bulk regolith (~24%), and specialty regolith (deep drill cores, drive tubes, sealed bulk regolith) samples (~6%). In each category there are a variety of different subtypes available for study, e.g., among the bulk regolith samples there are also skim, trench, and (partially) shaded regolith samples each sampling unique types or depths of regolith. This variety of subsamples has enabled a multitude of different studies over the past 55 years (>3400 individual requests). We are still averaging ~50 unique requests and have allocated >500 individual Apollo samples annually for the past 10 years (2020 excepted). Looking at the 4,675 non-ANGSA (Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis) samples allocated over the past 10 years, the proportions of allocated samples do not precisely align with the abundance (by mass) of those samples withing the collection: Rock (69.4 %); Rake (10.8 %); Bulk Regolith (15.5 %); Drive Tube (3.3 %); Core/Specialty (1.0 %). Apollo Preliminary Examination (PE): The PE process differs significantly for the various sample types enumerated above; we focus on regolith and rock samples here. During the Apollo mission era, the PE process evolved over the course of the missions; below is what was done for the Apollo 17 mission. For regolith samples, the PE process was: (1) documented bags containing regolith are opened, photographed, and described; (2) large rocks are removed and treated separately; (3) 25% to 33% of the bulk soil is scooped out, weighed, and stored in reserve; (4) the remaining sample is sieved to produce the size fractions <1, 1- 2, 2-4, and 4-10 mm, all of which are weighed. For rock samples, the process is: (1) removing rocks from the container(s) it came back from the Moon in; (2) rematching any materials that spalled off the rock to their original location; (3) numbering, weighing, and basic photographic documentation; (4) dusting with a gentle N2 gas jet; (5) Orthogonal photography; (6) detailed description of the textures and features of the rock; (7) rock modelling and measurement; (8) stereophotography; (9) determination of the orientation of the rock on the lunar surface. Drive tubes and deep drill cores were not characterized during PE beyond an initial weight and a sketch of the interior tube materials derived from 2D medical X-ray images. Catalogs: The ongoing utility of the Apollo samples is enabled by the robust cataloguing process for the samples [3-5], which allows the scientific community to accurately request samples uniquely suited to their proposed studies. A common misconception, however, is the amount of detail that goes into the initial catalog (e.g., [6]) for a collection from the preliminary examination (PE) period, versus what goes into the catalogs that come later in the life cycle of the samples from that mission (e.g., [7]). The only required data for a PE catalog is a weight, a basic photograph, and a description of the nature of the sample. Artemis PE: Over the past few years, the ongoing ANGSA project studied previously unopened Apollo 17 double drive tube samples 73001/2 [1], and a PE of the drive tubes was done. The PE took the existing core dissection process (developed during PE of Apollo cores in the 1970s, 1980s), and modernized it [7]. The main lesson from the ANGSA PE relative to future missions was that the physical work done during PE of lunar samples has not changed much over the past 5 decades. The use of “modern” technology during PE (e.g., XCT; multispectral analyses) resulted in an enhanced initial understanding of the 73001 and 73002 drive tubes, but greatly increased the time required. The lessons learned from recent astromaterial PEs (e.g., ANGSA and OREx) are important to consider when planning for Artemis, but the unique nature of the Artemis Campaign means many lessons learned from these mission will not be applicable. Given the time constraints (6 months) and likely number of samples that will be returned by Artemis (>200), the Artemis PE catalog will necessarily look much more like [4] than [6].

J Gross↗