IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-61705-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Magnetic signatures and origins of ferromagnetic minerals in Chang’e-6 lunar farside soils

Author

Listed:
  • Jinhua Li

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Lin Xing

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zheng Gong

    (Nanjing University)

  • Jiawei Liu

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yan Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Weiwei Wu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Kelei Zhu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yuqin Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xu Tang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Lixin Gu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yi Chen

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Qiuli Li

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zhaoyang Cao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Shuangchi Liu

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Shuhui Cai

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yongxin Pan

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Ferromagnetic minerals in lunar materials record key information regarding the Moon’s ancient dynamo, impact events, and space weathering. However, interpreting the magnetic signals is complicated by their diverse origins and properties. Here, we present comprehensive magnetic and mineralogical results of farside lunar soils returned by Chang’e-6 mission from the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Compared to nearside samples, these soils exhibit higher magnetic susceptibility and saturation magnetization, and the highest saturation remanence, despite weak local crustal magnetic anomalies. Advanced electron microscopy reveals two primary mineralogical populations: nickel-poor iron particles with euhedral shapes in basalt clasts (magmatic origin) and nickel-rich metallic iron and Fe-Ni alloys in breccias, agglutinates, and glassy materials (impact origin). These findings offer insights into the formation of magnetic minerals on the lunar farside, thereby enhancing our understanding of lunar dynamo evolution and crustal magnetic anomalies.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinhua Li & Lin Xing & Zheng Gong & Jiawei Liu & Yan Liu & Weiwei Wu & Kelei Zhu & Yuqin Wang & Xu Tang & Lixin Gu & Yi Chen & Qiuli Li & Zhaoyang Cao & Shuangchi Liu & Shuhui Cai & Yongxin Pan, 2025. "Magnetic signatures and origins of ferromagnetic minerals in Chang’e-6 lunar farside soils," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61705-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61705-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61705-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-61705-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Huijuan Zhang & Wei Yang & Di Zhang & Hengci Tian & Renhao Ruan & Sen Hu & Yi Chen & Hejiu Hui & Yanhao Lin & Ross N. Mitchell & Di Zhang & Shitou Wu & Lihui Jia & Lixin Gu & Yangting Lin & XianHua Li, 2024. "Long-term reduced lunar mantle revealed by Chang’e-5 basalt," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. David A. Kring & Danielle P. Kallenborn & Gareth S. Collins, 2025. "Grand canyons on the Moon," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-7, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      More about this item

      Statistics

      Access and download statistics

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-61705-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.