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Volatile content of lunar volcanic glasses and the presence of water in the Moon’s interior

Author

Listed:
  • Alberto E. Saal

    (Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA)

  • Erik H. Hauri

    (Carnegie Institution of Washington)

  • Mauro L. Cascio

    (Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA)

  • James A. Van Orman

    (Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA)

  • Malcolm C. Rutherford

    (Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA)

  • Reid F. Cooper

    (Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA)

Abstract

Lunar glass: Reflections on a watery Moon Although it has been suggested — controversially — that water ice might be found in the permanently shadowed deep polar craters on the Moon, the bulk Moon is thought to have lost virtually all of the highly volatile elements, including water, long ago during the catastrophic heating events that led to its formation. Hydrogen, as the lightest element, is thought to have been completely lost. Saal et al. used the latest secondary ion mass spectrometry techniques to derive improved limits on the indigenous volatile (CO2, H2O, F, S, Cl) contents of the most primitive basalts in the Moon, the lunar volcanic glasses. Their best estimate of the pre-eruptive water content is 745 p.p.m., with 260 p.p.m. as a minimum. This suggests that the bulk Moon is not entirely depleted in water and other highly volatile elements.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto E. Saal & Erik H. Hauri & Mauro L. Cascio & James A. Van Orman & Malcolm C. Rutherford & Reid F. Cooper, 2008. "Volatile content of lunar volcanic glasses and the presence of water in the Moon’s interior," Nature, Nature, vol. 454(7201), pages 192-195, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:454:y:2008:i:7201:d:10.1038_nature07047
    DOI: 10.1038/nature07047
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    Cited by:

    1. Yunhua Fu & Renbiao Tao & Lifei Zhang & Shijie Li & Ya-Nan Yang & Dehan Shen & Zilong Wang & Thomas Meier, 2024. "Trace element detection in anhydrous minerals by micro-scale quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Tabb C. Prissel & Kelsey B. Prissel, 2021. "A lunar sample renaissance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-3, December.
    3. 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.

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