Long-term reduced lunar mantle revealed by Chang’e-5 basalt

Huijuan Zhang, Wei Yang (), Di Zhang, Hengci Tian, Renhao Ruan, Sen Hu, Yi Chen, Hejiu Hui, Yanhao Lin, Ross N. Mitchell, Di Zhang, Shitou Wu, Lihui Jia, Lixin Gu, Yangting Lin, XianHua Li and Fuyuan Wu
Additional contact information
Huijuan Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wei Yang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Di Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hengci Tian: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Renhao Ruan: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Sen Hu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yi Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hejiu Hui: Nanjing University
Yanhao Lin: Center for High Pressure Science &Technology Advanced Research
Ross N. Mitchell: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Di Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shitou Wu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lihui Jia: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lixin Gu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yangting Lin: Chinese Academy of Sciences
XianHua Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fuyuan Wu: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The redox state of a planetary mantle affects its thermal evolution. The redox evolution of lunar mantle, however, remains unclear due to limited oxygen fugacity (fO2) constraints from young lunar samples. Here, we report vanadium (V) oxybarometers on olivine and spinel conducted on 27 Chang’e-5 basalt fragments from 2.0 billion years ago. These fragments yield an average fO2 of ΔIW -0.84 ± 0.65 (2σ), which closely aligns with the Apollo samples from 3.6–3.0 billion years ago. This temporal uniformity indicates the lunar mantle remained reduced. This observation reveals that the processes responsible for oxidizing mantles of Earth and Mars either did not occur or had negligible oxidizing effects on the Moon. The long-term reduced mantle may lead to a distinctive volatile degassing pathway for the Moon. It could also make the lunar mantle more difficult to melt, preventing internal heat dissipation and consequently resulting in a slow cooling rate.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52710-x

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