Forsteritic olivine and magnesium-rich orthopyroxene materials measured by Chang'e-4 rover

• Published in: Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962) Vol. 345; p. 113776
• Main Authors: Gou, Sheng, Di, Kaichang, Yue, Zongyu, Liu, Zhaoqin, He, Zhiping, Xu, Rui, Liu, Bin, Peng, Man, Wan, Wenhui, Wang, Yexin, Liu, Jianzhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 15.07.2020
• Subjects: Chang'e-4 rover; Differentiated impact melt pool; Finsen crater ejecta; In situ spectral measurements; Mg-suite pluton; Mg-suite pluton; In situ spectral measurements; Chang'e-4 rover; Differentiated impact melt pool; Finsen crater ejecta
• ISSN: 0019-1035; 1090-2643
• DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113776

China's Chang'e-4 probe achieved the first soft landing within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, which is the oldest, largest, and deepest basin on the lunar farside. The deployed Chang'e-4 rover made in situ spectral measurements along the rover traverse during a nominal three-month mission period. Spectral analyses imply that materials at the Chang'e-4 landing site have a forsteritic olivine (OL) and magnesium (Mg)-rich orthopyroxene (OPX) assemblage in almost equal fractions. The Chang'e-4 rover measured materials, which were essentially mixture of multiple sources, were primarily the weathering products of Finsen crater ejecta. Plagioclase (PLG), which has significant implication for the provenance, is often spectrally transparent or featureless in the wavelength range (450–2395 nm) of the in situ measured spectrum. Depending on the possible absence or presence of abundant PLG, the materials likely originated from a differentiated SPA impact melt pool or from an Mg-suite pluton in the lunar lower crust, and were less likely to originate from the lunar upper mantle. •Chang'e-4 rover made in situ spectral measurements on materials within SPA basin on the lunar farside.•The materials have a forsteritic OL and Mg-rich OPX assemblage in almost equal fractions.•The materials were essentially mixture of multiple sources and were primarily the weathering products of Finsen crater ejecta.•The materials might originate from a differentiated SPA impact melt pool or from an Mg-suite pluton.