Mantle Melting Conditions of Mare Lavas on South Pole–Aitken Basin of Lunar Farside

Abstract The understanding of thermal evolution and magmatic history of the Moon has so far been informed by studies of rock samples from the nearside. However, the recently completed Chang'E‐6 mission by China National Space Administration has returned the first samples from the lunar farside,...

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Main Authors: Yishen Zhang, Rajdeep Dasgupta, Dian Ji, Cin‐Ty Lee, Ye Peng, Bernard Charlier, Ziliang Jin, Jian Chen, Olivier Namur
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112418
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author Yishen Zhang
Rajdeep Dasgupta
Dian Ji
Cin‐Ty Lee
Ye Peng
Bernard Charlier
Ziliang Jin
Jian Chen
Olivier Namur
author_facet Yishen Zhang
Rajdeep Dasgupta
Dian Ji
Cin‐Ty Lee
Ye Peng
Bernard Charlier
Ziliang Jin
Jian Chen
Olivier Namur
author_sort Yishen Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The understanding of thermal evolution and magmatic history of the Moon has so far been informed by studies of rock samples from the nearside. However, the recently completed Chang'E‐6 mission by China National Space Administration has returned the first samples from the lunar farside, providing a unique opportunity to refine our understanding of the Moon's history. To provide context for future research on these returned samples, we use remote sensing data and geochemical modeling to infer temperature and pressure conditions of the lunar mantle that could generate the surface lavas in Apollo basin on the lunar farside. The estimated melt‐mantle equilibration conditions cover a temperature range from 1,170°C to 1,430°C and a pressure range from 0.3 to 1.7 GPa, requiring mantle potential temperatures of 1,220°C–1430°C. The mantle melting conditions on farside are cooler and shallower than those on the nearside mantle, if the mantle compositions are similar.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-e0d9c0dc113f4ad6ae07e7a77b45a6122025-08-20T03:10:57ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-03-01526n/an/a10.1029/2024GL112418Mantle Melting Conditions of Mare Lavas on South Pole–Aitken Basin of Lunar FarsideYishen Zhang0Rajdeep Dasgupta1Dian Ji2Cin‐Ty Lee3Ye Peng4Bernard Charlier5Ziliang Jin6Jian Chen7Olivier Namur8Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Rice University Houston TX USADepartment of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Rice University Houston TX USADepartment of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Rice University Houston TX USADepartment of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Rice University Houston TX USADepartment of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Rice University Houston TX USADepartment of Geology University of Liège Liège BelgiumState Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences Macau University of Science and Technology Macao ChinaShandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar‐Terrestrial Environment Institute of Space Sciences School of Space Science and Physics Shandong University Weihai ChinaDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences KU Leuven Leuven BelgiumAbstract The understanding of thermal evolution and magmatic history of the Moon has so far been informed by studies of rock samples from the nearside. However, the recently completed Chang'E‐6 mission by China National Space Administration has returned the first samples from the lunar farside, providing a unique opportunity to refine our understanding of the Moon's history. To provide context for future research on these returned samples, we use remote sensing data and geochemical modeling to infer temperature and pressure conditions of the lunar mantle that could generate the surface lavas in Apollo basin on the lunar farside. The estimated melt‐mantle equilibration conditions cover a temperature range from 1,170°C to 1,430°C and a pressure range from 0.3 to 1.7 GPa, requiring mantle potential temperatures of 1,220°C–1430°C. The mantle melting conditions on farside are cooler and shallower than those on the nearside mantle, if the mantle compositions are similar.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112418lunar farsidemantle meltingmare basaltSouth Pole‐Aitken
spellingShingle Yishen Zhang
Rajdeep Dasgupta
Dian Ji
Cin‐Ty Lee
Ye Peng
Bernard Charlier
Ziliang Jin
Jian Chen
Olivier Namur
Mantle Melting Conditions of Mare Lavas on South Pole–Aitken Basin of Lunar Farside
Geophysical Research Letters
lunar farside
mantle melting
mare basalt
South Pole‐Aitken
title Mantle Melting Conditions of Mare Lavas on South Pole–Aitken Basin of Lunar Farside
title_full Mantle Melting Conditions of Mare Lavas on South Pole–Aitken Basin of Lunar Farside
title_fullStr Mantle Melting Conditions of Mare Lavas on South Pole–Aitken Basin of Lunar Farside
title_full_unstemmed Mantle Melting Conditions of Mare Lavas on South Pole–Aitken Basin of Lunar Farside
title_short Mantle Melting Conditions of Mare Lavas on South Pole–Aitken Basin of Lunar Farside
title_sort mantle melting conditions of mare lavas on south pole aitken basin of lunar farside
topic lunar farside
mantle melting
mare basalt
South Pole‐Aitken
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112418
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AT cintylee mantlemeltingconditionsofmarelavasonsouthpoleaitkenbasinoflunarfarside
AT yepeng mantlemeltingconditionsofmarelavasonsouthpoleaitkenbasinoflunarfarside
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