Glazed Lunar Rocks: Origin by Impact
John W. Morgan 1,
J. C. Laul 1,
R. Ganapathy 2, and
Edward Anders 1
1 Enrico Fermi Institute and Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
2 Enrico Fermi Institute and Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago,
Chicago, Illinois 60637
The glassy coating of lunar rock 12017 is enriched in 15 trace elements relative to the crystalline interior. It apparently consists chiefly of shock-melted rock, somewhat richer in rare earth elements and alkali metals than rock 12017 itself. The glass has been contaminated by about 0.5 percent carbonaceous-chondrite-like material or, alternatively, by a mixture of 0.06 to 0.3 percent fractionated meteoritic material and approximately 10 to 15 percent local soil. The glazing seems to represent molten material splashed from a nearby meteorite impact and not in situ melting by a sudden increase in solar luminosity.
