Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane
Abstract The role of widespread ilmenite in lunar mare regions in the abundance and diurnal variations of surficial OH/H2O remains controversial. Here, we report the water content and hydrogen isotopes in the rims of lunar ilmenites from Chang’e-5 soil samples using an ion microprobe. Ilmenite rims...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62914-4 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849234700269256704 |
|---|---|
| author | Yuchen Xu Liyu Shan Heng-Ci Tian Jialong Hao Yangting Lin Christian Wöhler Lixin Gu Zhuang Guo Ruiying Li Tianxin Zhang Wei Yang Yang Liu Xu Tang Sheng Gou Huaiyu He Yongliao Zou Xianhua Li |
| author_facet | Yuchen Xu Liyu Shan Heng-Ci Tian Jialong Hao Yangting Lin Christian Wöhler Lixin Gu Zhuang Guo Ruiying Li Tianxin Zhang Wei Yang Yang Liu Xu Tang Sheng Gou Huaiyu He Yongliao Zou Xianhua Li |
| author_sort | Yuchen Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The role of widespread ilmenite in lunar mare regions in the abundance and diurnal variations of surficial OH/H2O remains controversial. Here, we report the water content and hydrogen isotopes in the rims of lunar ilmenites from Chang’e-5 soil samples using an ion microprobe. Ilmenite rims exhibit higher water contents (~730 − 3,700 ppm) and lower δD values (−884 to −482‰) than that of the lunar mantle, indicating a predominantly endogenic origin from solar-wind (SW) implantation. Our data further reveal that although ilmenite and silicate minerals overlap in the δD vs. H2O diagram, almost all ilmenites fall above those of silicates with SW-like δD values. This signature is consistent with the drastic difference in vesicle abundance between ilmenite and silicate minerals. Thus, the lower water content in ilmenite rims most likely reflects a faster dynamic equilibrium between SW-hydrogen implantation and outgassing than in other silicates. These findings suggest that ilmenite may play a critical role in the surface water cycle of lunar maria within the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. This is also crucial for assessing the in-situ resource utilization potential of the region, highlighting the need to reevaluate ilmenite as a viable resource for future lunar exploration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-947236a5e8174147b3f07ee3d02edeaa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-947236a5e8174147b3f07ee3d02edeaa2025-08-20T04:03:03ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-0116111010.1038/s41467-025-62914-4Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP TerraneYuchen Xu0Liyu Shan1Heng-Ci Tian2Jialong Hao3Yangting Lin4Christian Wöhler5Lixin Gu6Zhuang Guo7Ruiying Li8Tianxin Zhang9Wei Yang10Yang Liu11Xu Tang12Sheng Gou13Huaiyu He14Yongliao Zou15Xianhua Li16State Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesImage Analysis Group, TU Dortmund UniversityKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics & NWU-HKU Joint Center of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Department of Geology, Northwest UniversityKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesDeep Space Exploration LaboratoryKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract The role of widespread ilmenite in lunar mare regions in the abundance and diurnal variations of surficial OH/H2O remains controversial. Here, we report the water content and hydrogen isotopes in the rims of lunar ilmenites from Chang’e-5 soil samples using an ion microprobe. Ilmenite rims exhibit higher water contents (~730 − 3,700 ppm) and lower δD values (−884 to −482‰) than that of the lunar mantle, indicating a predominantly endogenic origin from solar-wind (SW) implantation. Our data further reveal that although ilmenite and silicate minerals overlap in the δD vs. H2O diagram, almost all ilmenites fall above those of silicates with SW-like δD values. This signature is consistent with the drastic difference in vesicle abundance between ilmenite and silicate minerals. Thus, the lower water content in ilmenite rims most likely reflects a faster dynamic equilibrium between SW-hydrogen implantation and outgassing than in other silicates. These findings suggest that ilmenite may play a critical role in the surface water cycle of lunar maria within the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. This is also crucial for assessing the in-situ resource utilization potential of the region, highlighting the need to reevaluate ilmenite as a viable resource for future lunar exploration.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62914-4 |
| spellingShingle | Yuchen Xu Liyu Shan Heng-Ci Tian Jialong Hao Yangting Lin Christian Wöhler Lixin Gu Zhuang Guo Ruiying Li Tianxin Zhang Wei Yang Yang Liu Xu Tang Sheng Gou Huaiyu He Yongliao Zou Xianhua Li Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane Nature Communications |
| title | Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane |
| title_full | Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane |
| title_fullStr | Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane |
| title_full_unstemmed | Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane |
| title_short | Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane |
| title_sort | widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar procellarum kreep terrane |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62914-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuchenxu widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT liyushan widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT hengcitian widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT jialonghao widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT yangtinglin widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT christianwohler widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT lixingu widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT zhuangguo widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT ruiyingli widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT tianxinzhang widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT weiyang widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT yangliu widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT xutang widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT shenggou widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT huaiyuhe widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT yongliaozou widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane AT xianhuali widespreadilmenitecontributionstothesurfacewatercycleinlunarprocellarumkreepterrane |