Petrologic Characteristics of the Lunar Surface

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Wang, Xianmin, Pedrycz, Witold
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2015
• Subjects: Article; Aitken; South Pole; South pole
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4661461/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26611148; https://doi.org/10.1038/srep17075

Petrologic analysis of the lunar surface is critical for determining lunar formation and evolution. Here, we report the first global petrologic map that includes the five most important lunar lithological units: the Ferroan Anorthositic (FAN) Unit, the Magnesian Suite (MS) Unit, the Alkali Suite (AS) Unit, the KREEP Basalt (KB) Unit and the Mare Basalt (MB) Unit. Based on the petrologic map and focusing on four long-debated and important issues related to lunar formation and evolution, we draw the following conclusions from the new insights into the global distribution of the five petrologic units: (1) there may be no petrogenetic relationship between MS rocks and KB; (2) there may be no petrogenetic link between MS and AS rocks; (3) the exposure of the KREEP component on the lunar surface is likely not a result of MB volcanism but is instead mainly associated with the combined action of plutonic intrusion, KREEP volcanism and celestial collision; (4) the impact size of the South Pole-Aitken basin is constrained, i.e., the basin has been excavated through the whole crust to exhume a vast majority of lower-crustal material and a very limited mantle components to the lunar surface.