Sample 72155
Ilmenite Basalt 238.5 grams
Section titled “Ilmenite Basalt 238.5 grams”
Figure 1: Photo of freshly brokne side of 72155. Cube is 1 cm. NASA S73-16918.
Basalt sample 72155 was picked up from the mare surface near the edge of the light mantle deposit (see section on 72150). It has a few micrometeorite pits on rounded surfaces, and has numerous vugs and cavities lined with crystals. Detailed mineral analyses and absolute age dating have not been reported.
Petrography
Section titled “Petrography”Brown et al. (1975) reported the mineral mode. There is very little plagioclase. The texture is microporphritic with both olivine and abundant ilmenite phenocrysts set in holocrystalline groundmass (figure 6). The average grain size is about 0.5 mm with a few ilmenite blades up to 1 mm.
Introduction Mineralogical Mode for 72155
Section titled “Introduction Mineralogical Mode for 72155”| Brown et | ||
|---|---|---|
| al. 1975 | ||
| Olivine | 3.5 | |
| Pyroxene | 42.8 | |
| Plagioclase | 14.7 | |
| Opaques | 38.6 | |
| Silica | 0.4 | |
| Chemistry | Mesostasis | - |
The chemical composition of 72155 has been reported by Laul et al. (1974), Shih et al. (1975), Boynton et al. (1975), Wanke et al. (1975), Rhodes et al. (1976) and Eldridge et al. (1975) (table 1, figures 4 and 5). If you classify basalts by trace elements, this would be a type A basalt.
Figure 2: Photo of 72155 illustrating zap pits. Cube is 1 cm. NASA S73-18234.
Figure 3: Composition of 72155 compared with other Apollo basalts.
Radiogenic age dating
Section titled “Radiogenic age dating”Nyquist et al. (1975) and Nunes et al. (1974) reported the isotopic composition of Sr and Pb, respectively. Apollo 17 mare basalts are generally considered 3.72 $\pm$ 0.04 b.y. old (see Paces et al. 1991).
Cosmogenic isotopes and exposure ages
Section titled “Cosmogenic isotopes and exposure ages”Eldridge et al. (1975) determined the cosmic-rayinduced activity of $^{22}$ Na = 68 dpm/kg, $^{26}$ Al = 54 dpm/kg, and $^{54}$ Mn =125 dpm/kg.
Figure 4: Classification of Apollo 17 basalts.
Figure 5: Normalized rare-earth-element diagrsam for 72155 compared with A and B types of Apollo 17 basalt.
Lunar Sample Compendium C Meyer 2011
Lunar Sample Compendium C Meyer 2011
Table 1. Chemical composition of 72155.
| reference weight SiO2 % TiO2 Al2O3 FeO MnO MgO CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 S % sum | Eldridge75 | Shih75 | Laul74 Wanke75 | Boynton75 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.063 | Rhodes75 38.67 12.32 8.64 18.77 0.28 8.47 10.69 0.4 (a) 0.067 0.05 0.15 | (e) (e) 8 (e) 9 (e) (e) | (e) 12.1 (e) 18.6 (e) 0.234 (e) 10.4 (e) 0.4 (b) 0.072 | 38.95 (c ) 12.2 (c ) 8.54 (c ) 19.4 (c ) 0.25 (c ) 8.72 (c ) 10.4 (c ) 0.38 (c ) 0.067 0.135 | (d) (d) 12.3 (d) 8.88 (d) 17.4 (d) 0.25 (d) (d) 9.24 (d) 0.43 (d) (d) | 8.5 18.5 0.26 10.9 0.4 | (c ) (c ) (c ) (c ) (c ) (c ) | ||
| Sc ppm | 83 | (c ) 80 100 | (c ) | (c ) 84 | (c ) 77 | 80 | (c ) | ||
| V Cr Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge ppb As Se Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Ru Rh Pd ppb Ag ppb Cd ppb In ppb Sn ppb Sb ppb Te ppb Cs ppm Ba La Ce Pr Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu Hf Ta W ppb Re ppb Os ppb Ir ppb Pt ppb Au ppb Th ppm 0.36 U ppm 0.13 technique: (a) radiation counting, (b) IDMS, (c ) INAA, (d) mixed, (e) XRF | 2942 19 | (e) | (c ) 20 | 3200 (c ) 19.5 | (d) 2910 (c ) 20 | 3110 20 | (c ) (c ) | ||
| 0.609 180 267 | (b) (b) (b) | 195 93 271 22 | (c ) (c ) (c ) (c ) | ||||||
| 78.1 6.38 22.1 | (b) 90 (b) 7.2 (b) 26 | (c ) 85 (c ) 7.08 (c ) 27.5 | (c ) (c ) 6.5 (c ) 33 | 100 7.3 35 | (c ) (c ) (c ) | ||||
| 24.4 10.2 2.02 | (b) 2 | (b) 32 (b) 10.2 | (c ) 28 (c ) 10.8 (c ) 2.19 | (c ) (c ) 10.2 (c ) 2 | 11.2 2.1 | (c ) (c ) | |||
| 15.6 18.3 | (b) | 3 (b) 18 | (c ) 2.7 | (c ) 2.1 (c ) | 2.8 16 | (c ) (c ) | |||
| 10.8 | (b) | (c ) 20.5 4.5 | (c ) | ||||||
| 9.77 | (b) 10 1.5 8.7 1.6 | (c ) 10.7 (c ) 1.44 (c ) 8.82 (c ) 1.78 | (c ) 9.5 (c ) 1.37 (c ) 8.6 (c ) | 10.4 1.48 9 2.2 | (c ) (c ) (c ) (c ) | ||||
| (a) | (a) 0.12 | (b) | 0.3 | (c ) | Nunes 0.388 0.118 | (b) (b) |
Figure 7: Slab cut from 72155.
Processing
Section titled “Processing”Subdivision of 72155 is shown in figures 7 and 8. There are 12 thin sections.
References for 72155
Section titled “References for 72155”,37 2g
Brown G.M., Peckett A., Emeleus C.H., Phillips R. and Pinsent R.H. (1975a) Petrology and mineralogy of Apollo 17 mare basalts. Proc. 6th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1-13.
Boynton W.V., Baedecker P.A., Chou C.-L., Robinson K.L. and Wasson J.T. (1975a) Mixing and transport of lunar surface materials: Evidence obtained by the determination of lithophile, siderophile, and volatile elements. Proc. 6th Lunar Sci. Conf. 2241-2259.
Butler P. (1973) Lunar Sample Information Catalog Apollo 17. Lunar Receiving Laboratory. MSC 03211 Curator’s Catalog. pp. 447.
Figure 8: Group photo of processing of 72155. NASA S74-19026. Scale is cm.
Eldridge J.S., O’Kelley G.D. and Northcutt K.J. (1975a) Primordial and cosmogenic radionuclides in Descartes and Taurus-Littrow materials: extension of studies by nondestructive x-my spectrometry. Proc. 6th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1407-1418.
Laul J.C., Hill D.W. and Schmitt R.A. (1974d) Chemical studies of Apollo 16 and 17 samples. Proc. 5th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1047-1066.
LSPET (1973) Apollo 17 lunar samples: Chemical and petrographic description. Science 182, 659-672.
LSPET (1973) Preliminary Examination of lunar samples. Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Rpt. NASA SP-330. 7-1 – 7-46.
Muehlberger et al. (1973) Documentation and environment of the Apollo 17 samples: A preliminary report. Astrogeology 71 322 pp superceeded by Astrogeolgy 73 (1975) and by Wolfe et al. (1981)
Muehlberger W.R. and many others (1973) Preliminary Geological Investigation of the Apollo 17 Landing Site*. In* Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report. NASA SP-330.
Neal C.R. and Taylor L.A. (1993) Catalog of Apollo 17 rocks. Vol. 3 Central Valley
Nunes P.D., Tatsumoto M. and Unruh D.M. (1974b) U-Th-Pb systematics of some Apollo 17 lunar samples and implications for a lunar basin excavation chronology. Proc. 5th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1487-1514.
Nyquist L.E., Bansal B.M., Wiesmann H. and Jahn B.-M. (1974a) Taurus-Littrow chronology: some constraints on early lunar crustal development. Proc. 5th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1515-1539.
Nyquist L.E., Bansal B.M. and Wiesmann H. (1975a) Rb-Sr ages and initial 87Sr/86Sr for Apollo 17 basalts and KREEP basalt 15386. Proc. 6th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1445-1465.
Nyquist L.E., Bansal B.M. and Wiesmann H. (1976a) Sr isotopic constraints on the petrogenesis of Apollo 17 mare basalts. Proc. 7th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1507-1528.
Rhodes J.M., Hubbard N.J., Wiesmann H., Rodgers K.V., Brannon J.C. and Bansal B.M. (1976a) Chemistry, classification, and petrogenesis of Apollo 17 mare basalts. Proc. 7th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1467-1489.
Shih C.-Y., Haskin L.A., Wiesmann H., Bansal B.M. and Brannon J.C. (1975a) On the origin of high-Ti mare basalts. Proc. 6th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1255-1285.
Wänke H., Palme H., Baddenhausen H., Dreibus G., Jagoutz E., Kruse H., Palme C., Spettel B., Teschke F. and Thacker R. (1975a) New data on the chemistry of lunar samples: Primary matter in the lunar highlands and the bulk composition of the moon. Proc. 6th Lunar Sci. Conf. 1313 1340.