Abstract
The bulk composition of the Moon was determined by the conditions in the solar nebula during its formation, and may be quantitatively estimated from the premise that the terrestrial planets were formed by cosmochemical processes similar to those recorded in the chondrites. The calculations are based on the Ganapathy-Anders 7-component model using trace element indicators, but incorportate improved geophysical data and petrological constraints.
A model Moon with 40 ppb U, a core 2% by weight (1.8% metal with ∼35% Ni and 0.2% FeS) and Mg/(Fe2++Mg)Δ∼0.75 meets the trace element restrictions, and has acceptable density, heat flow and moment of inertia ratio. The high Ni content of the core permits low-Ti mare basalts to equilibrate with metal, yet still retain substantial Ni. The silicate resembles the Taylor-Jakeš composition (and in some respects the waif Ganapathy-Anders Model 2a), but has lower SiO2.
Minor modifications of the model composition (U=30–35 ppb) yield a 50% melt approximating Apollo 15 green glass and a residuum of olivine plus 3 to 4% spinel; the low SiO2, favors spinel formation, and, contrary to expectation, Cr is not depleted in the liquid. There may no longer be any inconsistency between the cosmochemical approach and arguments based on experimental petrology.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ahrens, L. H.: 1970, ‘The Composition of Stony Meteorites—IX. Abundance Trends of the Refractory Elements in Chondrites, Basaltic Achondrites and Apollo 11 Fines’,Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 10, 1–6.
Alfvén, H. and Arrhenius, G.: 1969, ‘Two Alternatives for the History of the Moon’,Science 165, 11–17.
Alfvén, H. and Arrhenius, G.: 1976,Evolution of the Solar System, NASA SP-345, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C.
Anders, E.: 1977, ‘Chemical Compositions of the Moon, Earth and Eucrite Parent Body’.Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A285, 23–40.
Anders, E. and Owen, T.: 1977, ‘Mars and Earth: Origin and Abundance of Volatiles’.Science 198, 453–465.
Binder, A. B.: 1974, ‘On the Origin of the Moon by Rotational Fission’,The Moon 11, 53–67.
Blackshear, W. T. and Gapcynski, J. P.: 1977, ‘An Improved Value of the Lunar Moment of Inertia’,J. Geophys. Res. 82, 1699–1701.
Brett, R.: 1976, ‘Reduction of Mare Basalts by Sulfur Loss’,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 40, 997–1004.
Cameron, A. G. W.: 1973, ‘Abundances of the Elements in the Solar System’.Space Sci. Rev. 15, 121–146.
Chou, C. L., Boynton, W. V., Sundberg, L. L., and Wasson, J. T.: 1975, ‘Volatiles on the Surface of Apollo 15 Green Glass and Trace-Element Distributions among Apollo 15 Soils’.Proc. Sixth Lunar Sci. Conf. 1701–1727, Pergamon Press.
Clarke, R. S., Jr., Jarosewich, E., Mason, B., Nelen, J., Gomez, M., and Hyde, J. R.: 1970, ‘The Allende, Mexico, Meteorite Shower’.Smithson. Contrib. Earth Sci. 5, 1–53.
Dainty, A. M., Toksöz, M. N., Solomon, S. C., Anderson, K. R., and Goins, N. R.: 1974, ‘Constraints on Lunar Structure’.Proc. Fifth Lunar Sci. Conf. 3091–3114, Pergamon Press.
Canapathy, R. and Anders, E.: 1974, ‘Bulk Compositions of the Moon and Earth Estimated from Meteorites’.Proc. Fifth Lunar Sci. Conf. 1181–1206, Pergamon Press.
Ganapathy, R., Morgan, J. W., Krähenbühl, U., and Anders, E.: 1973, ‘Ancient Meteoritic Components in Lunar Highland Rocks: Clues from Trace Elements in Apollo 15 and 16 Samples’.Proc. Fourth Lunar Sci. Conf. 1239–1261, Pergamon Press.
Grossman, L. and Olsen, E.: 1974, ‘Origin of the High Temperature Fraction of C2 Chondrites’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 38, 173–187.
Grossman, L. and Larimer, J. W.: 1974, ‘Early Chemical History of the Solar System’.Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 12, 71–101.
Grossman, L., Ganapathy, R., and Davis, A. M.: 1977, ‘Trace Elements in the Allende Meteorite — III. Coarse-Grained Inclusions Revisited’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 41, 1647–1664.
Hertogen, J., Vizgirda, J., and Anders, E.: 1977, ‘Composition of the Parent Body of Eucritic Meteorites’.Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 9, 458–9.
Kaula, W. M.: 1977, ‘On the Origin of the Moon, with Emphasis on Bulk Compsition’.Proc. Eighth Lunar Sci. Conf. 321–331.
Keihm, S. J. and Langseth, M. G.: 1977, ‘Lunar Thermal Regime to 500 km’.Lunar Science VIII, 531–533. The Lunar Science Institute, Houston.
Kimura, K., Lewis, R. S., and Anders, E.: 1974, ‘Distribution of Gold and Rhenium between Nickel-Iron and Silicate Melts: Implications for the Abundance of Siderophile Elements on the Earth and Moon’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 38, 683–701.
Langseth, M. G., Keihm, S. J., and Chute, J. C., Jr.: 1973, ‘Heat Flow Experiment’.Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report, NASA SP-330, 9-1 through 9-24.
Langseth, M. G., Keihm, S. J. and Peters, K.: 1976, ‘Revised Lunar Heat-Flow Values’.Proc. Seventh Lunar Sci. Conf. 3143–3171, Pergamon Press.
Larimer, J. W. and Anders, E.: 1967, ‘Chemical Fractionations, in Meteorites — II. Abundance Patterns and their Interpretation’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 31, 1239–1270.
Larimer, J. W. and Anders, E.: 1970, ‘Chemical Fractionations in Meteorites — III. Major Element Fractionations in Chondrites’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 34, 367–387.
Longhi, J.: 1977, ‘Magma Oceanography 2: Chemical Evolution and Crustal Formation’.Proc. Eighth Lunar Sci. Conf. 601–621, Pergamon Press.
Mason, B.: 1962,Meteorites. Wiley, New York.
Metzger, A. E., Haines, E. L., Parker, R. E., and Radocinski, R. G.: 1977, ‘Thorium Concentrations in the Lunar Surface. I: Regional Values and Crustal Content’.Proc. Eighth Lunar Sci. Conf.: 949–999, Pergamon Press.
Mitler, H. E.: 1975, ‘Formation of an Iron-Poor Moon by Partial Capture, or: Yet Another Exotic Theory of Lunar Origin’.Icarus 24, 256–268.
Morgan, J. W., Higuchi H., Takahashi, H., and Hertogen, J.: 1978, ‘A “Chondritic” Eucrite Parent Body: Inference from Trace Elements’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 42, 27–38.
Nakamura, Y., Latham, G. V., Dorman, H. J., and Duennebier, F.: 1976, ‘Seismic Structure of the Moon: A Summary of Current Status’.Proc. Seventh Lunar Sci. Conf. 3113–3122, Pergamon Press.
Nichiporuk, W. and Moore, C. B.: 1974, ‘Lithium, Sodium and Potassium Abundances in Carbonaceous Chondrites’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 38, 1691–1701.
Öpik, E. J.: 1972, ‘Comments on Lunar Origin’.Irish Astron. J. 10, 190–238.
Parkin, C. W., Dyal, P., and Daily, W. D.: 1973, ‘Iron Abundance in the Moon from Magnetometer Measurements’.Proc. Fourth Lunar Sci. Conf. 2947–2961, Pergamon Press.
Reynolds, R. T. and Summers, A.: 1969, ‘Calculations on the Compositions of the Terrestrial Planets’.J. Geophys. Res. 74, 2494–2511.
Ridley, W. I., Reid, A. M., Warner, J. L., and Brown, R. W.: 1972, ‘Apollo 15 Green Glass’.Phys. Earth Planet. Interiors 7, 133–136.
Ringwood, A. E.: 1976, ‘Basaltic Magmatism and the Composition of the Moon. Part I, Major and Heat-Producting Elements’.Publication 1221, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra.
Ringwood, A. E.: 1977a, ‘Limits on the Bulk Composition of the Moon’.Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A285, 23–40.
Ringwood, A. E.: 1977b, ‘Composition of the Core and Implications for Origin of the Earth’.Publication 1227, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra.
Schmitt, R. A., Smith, R. H., and Goles, G. G.: 1965, ‘Abundances of Na, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Cu in 218 Individual Meteoritic Chondrules via Activation Analysis 1.J. Geophys. Res. 70, 2419–2444.
Schmitt, R. A., Smith, R. H., Ehmann, W. D., and McKeown, D.: 1967, ‘Silicon in Meteoritic Chondrules’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 31, 1975–1985.
Singer, S. F. and Bandermann, L. W.: 1970, ‘Where was the Moon Formed?’Science 170, 438–439.
Smith, J. V.: 1977, ‘Possible Controls on the Bulk Composition on the Earth: Implications for the Origin of the Earth and Moon’.Proc. Eighth Lunar Sci. Conf. 333–369, Pergamon Press.
Stolper, E.: 1975, ‘Petrogenesis of Eucrite, Howardite and Diogenite Meteorites’.Nature 258, 220–222.
Stolper, E.: 1977, ‘Experimental Petrology of Eucritic Meteorites’.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 41, 587–611.
Taylor, S. R.: 1976, ‘Geochemical Constraints on the Composition of the Moon’.Proc. Seventh. Lunar Sci. Conf. 3461–3477, Pergamon Press.
Taylor, S. R. and Jakeš, P.: 1974, ‘The Geochemical Evolution of the Moon’.Proc. Fifth Lunar Sci. Conf. 1287–1305, Pergamon Press.
Taylor, S. R. and Bence, A. E.: 1975, ‘Evolution of the Lunar Highland Crust’.Proc. Sixth Lunar Sci. Conf. 1121–1142, Pergamon Press.
Urey, H. C.: 1972, ‘Evidence for Objects of Lunar Mass in the Early Solar System’.The Moon 4, 383–389.
Walker, D., Longhi, J., and Hays, J. F.: 1975, ‘Differentiation of a very Thick Magma Body and Implications for the Source Regions of Mare Basalts’.Proc. Sixth Lunar Sci. Conf. 1102–1120, Pergamon Press.
Wänke, H. and Dreibus, G.: 1977, ‘The Earth-Moon-System. Chemistry and Origin’.Proc. 2nd Symposium Origin and Distribution of the Elements, Paris, in press.
Wänke, H., Palme, H., Baddenhausen, H., Dreibus, G., Jagoutz, E., Kruse, H., Spettel, B., Teschke, F., and Thacker, R.: 1974a, ‘Chemistry of Apollo 16 and 17 Samples. Bulk Composition, Late Stage Accumulation and Early Differentiation of the Moon’.Proc. Fifth Lunar Sci. Conf. 1307–1335, Pergamon Press.
Wänke, H., Baddenhausen, H., Palme, H., and Spettel, B.: 1974b, ‘On the Chemistry of the Allende Inclusions and Their Origin as High Temperature Condensates’.Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 23, 1–7.
Weill, D. F. and McKay, G. A.: 1976, ‘The Partitioning of Mg, Fe, Sr, Ce, Sm, Eu and Yb in Lunar Igneous Systems and a Possible Origin of KREEP by Equilibrium Partial Melting’.Proc. Sixth Lunar Sci. Conf. 1143–1158, Pergamon Press.
Weller, M. R., Furst, M., Tombrello, T. A., and Burnett, D. S.: 1977, ‘The Solar System Boron Abundance’.Astrophys. J. 214, L39-L43.
Whipple, F. L.: 1972, ‘On Certain Aerodynamic Processes for Asteroids and Comets’.Nobel Symposium 21, from Plasma to Planet (editor, A. Elvius), pp. 211–232, Almqvist and Wiksell, Stockholm.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 70th birthday, 30 May, 1978.
Unless otherwise stated, this ratio refers to themolar ratio throughout this paper.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Morgan, J.W., Hertogen, J. & Anders, E. The moon: Composition determined by nebular processes. The Moon and the Planets 18, 465–478 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00897296
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00897296