Lunar primitive mantle olivine returned by Chang’e-6

Si-Zhang Sheng, Shui-Jiong Wang (), Qiu-Li Li, Shitou Wu, Hao Wang, Jun-Xiang Hua, Zhenyu Chen, Jin-Hua Hao, Bo Zhang, Yongsheng He and Jian-Ming Zhu
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Si-Zhang Sheng: China University of Geosciences (Beijing)
Shui-Jiong Wang: China University of Geosciences (Beijing)
Qiu-Li Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shitou Wu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hao Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jun-Xiang Hua: China University of Geosciences (Beijing)
Zhenyu Chen: Institute of Mineral Resource, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences
Jin-Hua Hao: China University of Geosciences (Beijing)
Bo Zhang: Peking University
Yongsheng He: China University of Geosciences (Beijing)
Jian-Ming Zhu: China University of Geosciences (Beijing)

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The lunar mantle is important for unraveling the Moon’s formation and early differentiation processes. Here, we identify primitive lunar olivines in soils returned by the Chang’e-6 mission. These olivines have oxygen isotopic compositions plotting along the terrestrial fractionation line, and are characterized by high forsterite contents up to 95.6, and a broad range of nickel abundances from zero to 682 ppm. While the low-nickel (zero to 251 ppm), forsteritic olivines align with a Mg-suite origin, the most primitive, high-nickel olivines (337 to 682 ppm) have a different origin. They could be either the first olivine crystallized from the Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) with an Earth-like initial composition, or crystallized from a hitherto unrecognized ultra-magnesian lava produced by extensive melting of the early LMO cumulate. The exposure of these mantle olivines was facilitated by their entrainment in ascending high-Mg lavas and conveyed to the surface at the South Pole-Aitken Basin.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58820-4

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