Crystal chemistry of lunar merrillite and comparison to other meteoritic and planetary suites of whitlockite and merrillite

Jolliff, Bradley L.; Hughes, John M.; Freeman, John J.; Zeigler, R. A.

doi:10.2138/am.2006.2185

Cited by 114 publications

(175 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Most of the extra-terrestrial phosphates from the whitlockite group are compositionally close to merrillite, i.e., they are dry with variable amounts of Na, Fe and Mg [4][5][6]. Trace abundances of halogens in extra-terrestrial merrillite have also been reported [6,12,50].…”

Section: Phosphate Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some grains contain Cl amounts at the limit of detection (<50 ppm). Trace abundances of halogens in extra-terrestrial merrillites have been reported [6,12,50].…”

Section: Phosphate Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phosphates that occur in extra-terrestrial mafic rocks may provide information regarding water (volatiles) content in the environment leading to their formation and transformation (e.g., [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]). The magma source for Martian basalts is the Martian mantle; thus, the basaltic phosphates provide information on the Martian mantle composition as well as its evolution in the course of melting progression [11,[18][19][20][21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The magma source for Martian basalts is the Martian mantle; thus, the basaltic phosphates provide information on the Martian mantle composition as well as its evolution in the course of melting progression [11,[18][19][20][21]. Volatile-bearing apatite (Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (Cl, F, OH) 2 ), volatile-free merrillite (Ca 18 Na 2 Mg 2 (PO 4 ) 14 ) and the high-pressure phase tuite (γ-Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ) are frequently observed in extra-terrestrial bodies ( [1,3,5,6,12,[22][23][24][25] and references therein). These minerals are thought to be of different origins due to their joint or separate occurrence and their chemical and structural transformation processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Validity of the Apatite/Merrillite Relationship in Evaluating the Water Content in the Martian Mantle: Implications from Shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2975

et al. 2017

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Abstract:Phosphates from the Martian shergottite NWA 2975 were used to obtain insights into the source and subsequence differentiation of the melt/melts. The crystallization of two generations of fluorapatite (F > Cl~OH and F-rich), chlorapatite and ferromerrillite-merrillite were reconstructed from TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) and geochemical analyses. The research results indicated that the recognized volatiles budget of the two generations of fluorapatite was related to their magmatic origin. The apatite crystals crystallized from an evolved magma during its final differentiation and degassing stage. In turn, chlorapatite replaced ferromerrillite-merrillite and was not related to, mantle-derived shergottite magma. The relationship between merrillite and apatite indicates that apatite is most probably a product of merrillite reacting with fluids. REE (rare earth elements) pattern of Cl-apatite might point to an origin associated with exogenous fluids mixed with fluids exsolved from evolved magma. The study shows that, among the three types of apatite, only the fluorapatite (F > Cl~OH) is a reliable source for assessing the degree of Martian mantle hydration. The occurrence of apatite with merrillite requires detailed recognition of their relationship. Consequently, the automatic use of apatite to assess the water content of the magma source can lead to false assumptions if the origin of the apatite is not precisely determined.

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Section: Phosphate Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some grains contain Cl amounts at the limit of detection (<50 ppm). Trace abundances of halogens in extra-terrestrial merrillites have been reported [6,12,50].…”

Section: Phosphate Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Validity of the Apatite/Merrillite Relationship in Evaluating the Water Content in the Martian Mantle: Implications from Shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2975

et al. 2017

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“…However, the majority of lunar samples contain apatite and/or merrillite as a trace phase (Figure 6), and in samples which exhibit a KREEP signature, merrillite (H-free whitlockite) is almost always present, often co-existing with apatite [120]. The majority of the ITEs on the lunar surface, in rocks and soils, are associated with the PKT (Figure 5).…”

Section: Lunar Ree-bearing Mineralsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of Extraterrestrial Rare Earth Elements: To the Moon and Beyond

McLeod

Krekeler

2017

Resources

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Abstract:The resource budget of Earth is limited. Rare-earth elements (REEs) are used across the world by society on a daily basis yet several of these elements have <2500 years of reserves left, based on current demand, mining operations, and technologies. With an increasing population, exploration of potential extraterrestrial REE resources is inevitable, with the Earth's Moon being a logical first target. Following lunar differentiation at~4.50-4.45 Ga, a late-stage (after~99% solidification) residual liquid enriched in Potassium (K), Rare-earth elements (REE), and Phosphorus (P), (or "KREEP") formed. Today, the KREEP-rich region underlies the Oceanus Procellarum and Imbrium Basin region on the lunar near-side (the Procellarum KREEP Terrain, PKT) and has been tentatively estimated at preserving 2.2 × 10 8 km 3 of KREEP-rich lithologies. The majority of lunar samples (Apollo, Luna, or meteoritic samples) contain REE-bearing minerals as trace phases, e.g., apatite and/or merrillite, with merrillite potentially contributing up to 3% of the PKT. Other lunar REE-bearing lunar phases include monazite, yittrobetafite (up to 94,500 ppm yttrium), and tranquillityite (up to 4.6 wt % yttrium, up to 0.25 wt % neodymium), however, lunar sample REE abundances are low compared to terrestrial ores. At present, there is no geological, mineralogical, or chemical evidence to support REEs being present on the Moon in concentrations that would permit their classification as ores. However, the PKT region has not yet been mapped at high resolution, and certainly has the potential to yield higher REE concentrations at local scales (<10s of kms). Future lunar exploration and mapping efforts may therefore reveal new REE deposits. Beyond the Moon, Mars and other extraterrestrial materials are host to REEs in apatite, chevkinite-perrierite, merrillite, whitlockite, and xenotime. These phases are relatively minor components of the meteorites studied to date, constituting <0.6% of the total sample. Nonetheless, they dominate a samples REE budget with their abundances typically 1-2 orders of magnitude enriched relative to their host rock. As with the Moon, though phases which host REEs have been identified, no extraterrestrial REE resource, or ore, has been identified yet. At present extraterrestrial materials are therefore not suitable REE-mining targets. However, they are host to other resources that will likely be fundamental to the future of space exploration and support the development of in situ resource utilization, for example: metals (Fe, Al, Mg, PGEs) and water.

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Crystallization of Baddeleyite in Basaltic Rocks from Mars, and Comparisons with the Earth, Moon, and Vesta

Herd

Moser

Tait

et al. 2017

Microstructural Geochronology

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Crystal chemistry of lunar merrillite and comparison to other meteoritic and planetary suites of whitlockite and merrillite

Cited by 114 publications

References 34 publications

Validity of the Apatite/Merrillite Relationship in Evaluating the Water Content in the Martian Mantle: Implications from Shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2975

Validity of the Apatite/Merrillite Relationship in Evaluating the Water Content in the Martian Mantle: Implications from Shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2975

Sources of Extraterrestrial Rare Earth Elements: To the Moon and Beyond

Crystallization of Baddeleyite in Basaltic Rocks from Mars, and Comparisons with the Earth, Moon, and Vesta

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