The Ca isotope composition of mare basalts as a probe into the heterogeneous lunar mantle

Klaver, Martijn, Luu, Tu-Han, Lewis, Jamie, Jansen, Maximiliaan N., Anand, Mahesh, Schwieters, Johannes and Elliott, Tim 2021. The Ca isotope composition of mare basalts as a probe into the heterogeneous lunar mantle. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 570 , 117079. 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117079

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Abstract

The Ca isotope compositions of mare basalts offer a novel insight into the heterogeneous nature of the lunar mantle. We present new high-precision Ca isotope data for a suite of low-Ti and high-Ti mare basalts obtained using our collision cell MC-ICP-MS/MS instrument, Proteus. Mare basalts were found to have a Ca isotope composition resembling terrestrial basalts (CaSRM 915a =0.78–0.89‰) even though they are derived from a differentiated, refractory cumulate mantle source. Modelling of Ca isotope fractionation during crystallisation of a lunar magma ocean (LMO) indicates that the dominantly harzburgitic cumulates of the lunar interior should be isotopically heavier than Earth's mantle (CaSRM 915a =1.1–1.2‰ versus 0.93‰, respectively). These are balanced by an isotopically light lunar anorthosite crust, consistent with data for lunar anorthosite and feldspathic breccia meteorites.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Earth and Environmental Sciences
ISSN:	1385-013X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 July 2021
Date of Acceptance:	22 June 2021
Last Modified:	01 Dec 2024 21:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/143068

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