Investigating the crystallisation history of Apollo 15 mare basalts using quantitative textural analysis

Samantha Bell; Katherine Joy; John Pernet-Fisher; Margaret Hartley

doi:10.1111/maps.14032

Investigating the crystallisation history of Apollo 15 mare basalts using quantitative textural analysis

Samantha Bell, Katherine Joy, John Pernet-Fisher, Margaret Hartley

Earth and Environmental Sciences - Academic & Research

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Abstract

Mare basalts collected at the Apollo 15 landing site are classified as belonging to either the quartz-normative suite or the olivine-normative suite, based on differences in whole-rock major element chemistry. A wide range of textures are displayed within samples from both suites, which provide insight into eruption processes on the Moon. Here we use crystal size distribution analysis (CSD) and spatial distribution pattern (SDP) analysis of pyroxene, olivine and plagioclase crystals in eight Apollo 15 mare basalt samples to investigate the crystallisation and emplacement of the quartz normative and olivine-normative suites. In general, our results show similarities between the CSDs and SDPs for both mare basalt suites. However, we also report two distinct groups of pyroxene CSD trends that likely represent samples with common cooling histories, originating from comparable depths within respective olivine-normative and quartz-normative lava flows. We use our results to determine the relative depths of samples within the lava flows at the Apollo 15 landing site.

Original language	English
Journal	Meteoritics and Planetary Science
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14032
Publication status	Published - 23 Jun 2023

Keywords

Crystal size distribution
mare basalts
lunar magmatism
spatial distribution pattern
Apollo 15

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10.1111/maps.14032Licence: CC BY

Bell_et_al_2023_MaPSAccepted author manuscript, 11.2 MBLicence: CC BY

Planetary Science
Gilmour, J. (PI), Joy, K. (PI), Lyon, I. (CoI), Burgess, R. (PI), Jones, R. (PI), Tartese, R. (PI), Holland, G. (PI), Clay, P. (CoI), Crowther, S. (Researcher), Pernet-Fisher, J. (Researcher), Ruzie, L. (Researcher), Assis Fernandes, V. (CoI), MacArthur, J. (Researcher), Nottingham, M. (Researcher), Bell, S. (Researcher), Baker, E. (Researcher), Hartley, M. (PI), Neave, D. (PI), Snape, J. (PI), Almayrac, M. (Researcher), Broadley, M. (PI), Barrett, T. (Researcher) & Neukampf, J. (Researcher)
Project: Research
Petrology and volcanology
Burton, M. (PI), Hartley, M. (PI), Mccormick Kilbride, B. (PI), Mitchell, N. (PI), Neave, D. (PI), Pawley, A. (PI), Polacci, M. (PI), Biagioli, E. (Researcher), Bonechi, B. (Researcher), Buso, R. (Researcher), Davies, B. (Researcher), Esse, B. (Researcher), Bronziet, J. (PGR student), Delbrel, J. (PGR student), Höhn, M. (PGR student), Kember, A. (PGR student), Pardo Cofrades, A. (PGR student), Sen, R. (PGR student), Stewart, A. (PGR student) & Subbaraman, R. (PGR student)
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Investigating the crystallisation history of Apollo 15 mare basalts using quantitative textural analysis",

abstract = "Mare basalts collected at the Apollo 15 landing site are classified as belonging to either the quartz-normative suite or the olivine-normative suite, based on differences in whole-rock major element chemistry. A wide range of textures are displayed within samples from both suites, which provide insight into eruption processes on the Moon. Here we use crystal size distribution analysis (CSD) and spatial distribution pattern (SDP) analysis of pyroxene, olivine and plagioclase crystals in eight Apollo 15 mare basalt samples to investigate the crystallisation and emplacement of the quartz normative and olivine-normative suites. In general, our results show similarities between the CSDs and SDPs for both mare basalt suites. However, we also report two distinct groups of pyroxene CSD trends that likely represent samples with common cooling histories, originating from comparable depths within respective olivine-normative and quartz-normative lava flows. We use our results to determine the relative depths of samples within the lava flows at the Apollo 15 landing site.",

keywords = "Crystal size distribution, mare basalts, lunar magmatism, spatial distribution pattern, Apollo 15",

author = "Samantha Bell and Katherine Joy and John Pernet-Fisher and Margaret Hartley",

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T1 - Investigating the crystallisation history of Apollo 15 mare basalts using quantitative textural analysis

AU - Bell, Samantha

AU - Joy, Katherine

AU - Pernet-Fisher, John

AU - Hartley, Margaret

PY - 2023/6/23

Y1 - 2023/6/23

N2 - Mare basalts collected at the Apollo 15 landing site are classified as belonging to either the quartz-normative suite or the olivine-normative suite, based on differences in whole-rock major element chemistry. A wide range of textures are displayed within samples from both suites, which provide insight into eruption processes on the Moon. Here we use crystal size distribution analysis (CSD) and spatial distribution pattern (SDP) analysis of pyroxene, olivine and plagioclase crystals in eight Apollo 15 mare basalt samples to investigate the crystallisation and emplacement of the quartz normative and olivine-normative suites. In general, our results show similarities between the CSDs and SDPs for both mare basalt suites. However, we also report two distinct groups of pyroxene CSD trends that likely represent samples with common cooling histories, originating from comparable depths within respective olivine-normative and quartz-normative lava flows. We use our results to determine the relative depths of samples within the lava flows at the Apollo 15 landing site.

AB - Mare basalts collected at the Apollo 15 landing site are classified as belonging to either the quartz-normative suite or the olivine-normative suite, based on differences in whole-rock major element chemistry. A wide range of textures are displayed within samples from both suites, which provide insight into eruption processes on the Moon. Here we use crystal size distribution analysis (CSD) and spatial distribution pattern (SDP) analysis of pyroxene, olivine and plagioclase crystals in eight Apollo 15 mare basalt samples to investigate the crystallisation and emplacement of the quartz normative and olivine-normative suites. In general, our results show similarities between the CSDs and SDPs for both mare basalt suites. However, we also report two distinct groups of pyroxene CSD trends that likely represent samples with common cooling histories, originating from comparable depths within respective olivine-normative and quartz-normative lava flows. We use our results to determine the relative depths of samples within the lava flows at the Apollo 15 landing site.

KW - Crystal size distribution

KW - mare basalts

KW - lunar magmatism

KW - spatial distribution pattern

KW - Apollo 15

U2 - 10.1111/maps.14032

DO - 10.1111/maps.14032

M3 - Article

SN - 1086-9379

JO - Meteoritics and Planetary Science

JF - Meteoritics and Planetary Science

ER -

Investigating the crystallisation history of Apollo 15 mare basalts using quantitative textural analysis

Abstract

Keywords

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Planetary Science

Petrology and volcanology

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