IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v461y2009i7261d10.1038_nature08317.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The global distribution of pure anorthosite on the Moon

Author

Listed:
  • Makiko Ohtake

    (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshino-dai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan)

  • Tsuneo Matsunaga

    (Center for Global Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan)

  • Junichi Haruyama

    (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshino-dai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan)

  • Yasuhiro Yokota

    (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshino-dai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan)

  • Tomokatsu Morota

    (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshino-dai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan)

  • Chikatoshi Honda

    (The University of Aizu, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan)

  • Yoshiko Ogawa

    (The University of Aizu, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan)

  • Masaya Torii

    (Fujitsu Ltd., Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba, Chiba 261-8588, Japan)

  • Hideaki Miyamoto

    (University Museum, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan)

  • Tomoko Arai

    (Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, 2-17-1 Tsudanuma, Narashino, Chiba 275-0016, Japan)

  • Naru Hirata

    (The University of Aizu, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan)

  • Akira Iwasaki

    (Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan)

  • Ryosuke Nakamura

    (Information Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan)

  • Takahiro Hiroi

    (Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA)

  • Takamitsu Sugihara

    (Center for Deep Earth Exploration, Japan Agency for Marine Science and Technology, 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0001, Japan)

  • Hiroshi Takeda

    (Frontier Plasma Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, 2-17-1 Tsudanuma, Narashino, Chiba 275-0016, Japan)

  • Hisashi Otake

    (Lunar and Planetary Exploration Program Group, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan)

  • Carle M. Pieters

    (Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA)

  • Kazuto Saiki

    (Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan)

  • Kohei Kitazato

    (The University of Aizu, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan)

  • Masanao Abe

    (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshino-dai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan)

  • Noriaki Asada

    (The University of Aizu, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan)

  • Hirohide Demura

    (The University of Aizu, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan)

  • Yasushi Yamaguchi

    (Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, D2-1 (510) Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 Japan)

  • Sho Sasaki

    (RISE Project Office, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-12 Hoshigaoka, Mizusawa, Oshu 023-0861, Japan)

  • Shinsuke Kodama

    (Information Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan)

  • Junya Terazono

    (The University of Aizu, Ikki-machi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan)

  • Motomaro Shirao

    (1-3-11, Nishi-Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0035, Japan)

  • Atsushi Yamaji

    (Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan)

  • Shigeyuki Minami

    (Osaka City University, Sugimoto 3, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan)

  • Hiroaki Akiyama

    (Intercollegiate cooperation strategy, Wakayama University, 930, Sakaedani, Wakayama 640-8510, Japan)

  • Jean-Luc Josset

    (Space Exploration Institute CP 774)

Abstract

Pure lunar anorthosite Based on analyses of lunar samples of anorthosite, the igneous rock made up mainly of plagioclase feldspar that predominates there, the light-coloured crust of the lunar highlands is thought to have been formed by the crystallization and flotation of plagioclase from a global magma ocean. The exact mechanism by which such a crust formed remains a matter for debate. Spectroscopic data from SELENE, the main orbiter component of the Japanese KAGUYA lunar mission, have now been used to produce a clear and high spatial resolution view of the composition of the lunar crust. The data, from 69 different locations, reveal the widespread existence of virtually pure —100% plagioclase — anorthosite. This contrasts to previous estimates of 82 to 92 vol% plagioclase, providing a valuable constraint on models of lunar magma ocean evolution.

Suggested Citation

  • Makiko Ohtake & Tsuneo Matsunaga & Junichi Haruyama & Yasuhiro Yokota & Tomokatsu Morota & Chikatoshi Honda & Yoshiko Ogawa & Masaya Torii & Hideaki Miyamoto & Tomoko Arai & Naru Hirata & Akira Iwasak, 2009. "The global distribution of pure anorthosite on the Moon," Nature, Nature, vol. 461(7261), pages 236-240, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:461:y:2009:i:7261:d:10.1038_nature08317
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08317
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08317
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature08317?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    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:nature:v:461:y:2009:i:7261:d:10.1038_nature08317. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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.