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Anorthosite

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Anorthosite is a magmatic intrusive rock. It is light colored (leucocratic) and has a medium to coarse grain size (phaneritic). It is mainly composed of plagioclase (andesine, labradorite, bytownite) and minor pyroxene, olivine, and iron-titanium oxides (ilmenite, magnetite). Proterozoic anorthosite forms large massifs associated with granitoids (North America, Scandinavia). Archean coarse-grained (megacrystic) anorthosite occurs in intrusions (dikes and sills) and flows of basaltic composition.

Anorthosite is a common constituent of the lighter surfaces of the Moon called lunar highlands or terrae. Formation of anorthosite requires the concentration of plagioclase from mafic magma by flotation in a magma ocean (as is proposed to have occurred on the Moon), ascent of plagioclase-rich mushes, or low-pressure crystallization in magma chambers.

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  1. Maison des Géosciences, LGCA, Université J. Fourier, 1381, rue de la Piscine, 38400, St-Martin d’Hères, France

    Nicholas Arndt

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  1. Nicholas Arndt
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Correspondence to Nicholas Arndt .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Arndt, N. (2014). Anorthosite. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_81-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_81-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Anorthosite
    Published:
    27 December 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_81-4

  2. Original

    Anorthosite
    Published:
    28 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_81-3

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