IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-35260-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A changing thermal regime revealed from shallow to deep basalt source melting in the Moon

Author

Listed:
  • Yash Srivastava

    (Physical Research Laboratory
    Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar)

  • Amit Basu Sarbadhikari

    (Physical Research Laboratory)

  • James M. D. Day

    (University of California San Diego)

  • Akira Yamaguchi

    (National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR))

  • Atsushi Takenouchi

    (National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR)
    The Kyoto University Museum, Kyoto University)

Abstract

Sample return missions have provided the basis for understanding the thermochemical evolution of the Moon. Mare basalt sources are likely to have originated from partial melting of lunar magma ocean cumulates after solidification from an initially molten state. Some of the Apollo mare basalts show evidence for the presence in their source of a late-stage radiogenic heat-producing incompatible element-rich layer, known for its enrichment in potassium, rare-earth elements, and phosphorus (KREEP). Here we show the most depleted lunar meteorite, Asuka-881757, and associated mare basalts, represent ancient (~3.9 Ga) partial melts of KREEP-free Fe-rich mantle. Petrological modeling demonstrates that these basalts were generated at lower temperatures and shallower depths than typical Apollo mare basalts. Calculated mantle potential temperatures of these rocks suggest a relatively cooler mantle source and lower surface heat flow than those associated with later-erupted mare basalts, suggesting a fundamental shift in melting regime in the Moon from ~3.9 to ~3.3 Ga.

Suggested Citation

  • Yash Srivastava & Amit Basu Sarbadhikari & James M. D. Day & Akira Yamaguchi & Atsushi Takenouchi, 2022. "A changing thermal regime revealed from shallow to deep basalt source melting in the Moon," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-35260-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35260-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35260-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-35260-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel P. Moriarty & Nick Dygert & Sarah N. Valencia & Ryan N. Watkins & Noah E. Petro, 2021. "The search for lunar mantle rocks exposed on the surface of the Moon," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tabb C. Prissel & Nan Zhang & Colin R. M. Jackson & Haoyuan Li, 2023. "Rapid transition from primary to secondary crust building on the Moon explained by mantle overturn," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Liang Ding & Ruyi Zhou & Tianyi Yu & Huaiguang Yang & Ximing He & Haibo Gao & Juntao Wang & Ye Yuan & Jia Wang & Zhengyin Wang & Huanan Qi & Jian Li & Wenhao Feng & Xin Li & Chuankai Liu & Shaojin Han, 2024. "Lunar rock investigation and tri-aspect characterization of lunar farside regolith by a digital twin," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-35260-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.