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    The comparative behaviour of apatite-zircon U-Pb systems in Apollo 14 breccias: implications for the thermal history of the Fra Mauro Formation

    135016_18327__Nemchin_1138.pdf (5.036Mb)
    Access Status
    Open access
    Authors
    Nemchin, Alexander
    Pidgeon, Robert
    Healy, David
    Grange, Marion
    Whitehouse, M.
    Vaughan, Jeffrey Patrick
    Date
    2009
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
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    Citation
    Nemchin, A. A. and Pidgeon, R. T. and Healy, D. and Grange, M.L. and Whitehouse, M.J. and Vaughan, J. 2009. The comparative behaviour of apatite-zircon U-Pb systems in Apollo 14 breccias: Implications for the thermal history of the Fra Mauro Formation. Meteoritics and Planetary Science. 44 (11): pp. 1717-1734.
    Source Title
    Meteoritics and Planetary Science
    ISSN
    10869379
    Faculty
    Department of Applied Geology
    Faculty of Science and Engineering
    WA School of Mines
    School
    WASM - Western Australian School of Mines
    Remarks

    © The Meteoritical Society, 2009.

    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/13005
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    We report secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U-Pb analyses of zircon and apatite from four breccia samples from the Apollo 14 landing site. The zircon and apatite grains occur as cogenetic minerals in lithic clasts in two of the breccias and as unrelated mineral clasts in the matrices of the other two. SIMS U-Pb analyses show that the ages of zircon grains range from 4023 ± 24 Ma to 4342 ± 5 Ma, whereas all apatite grains define an isochron corresponding to an age of 3926 ± 3 Ma. The disparity in the ages of cogenetic apatite and zircon demonstrates that the apatite U-Pb systems have been completely reset at 3926 ± 3 Ma, whereas the U-Pb system of zircon has not been noticeably disturbed at this time. The apatite U-Pb age is slightly older than the ages determined by other methods on Apollo 14 materials highlighting need to reconcile decay constants used for the U-Pb, Ar-Ar and Rb-Sr systems. We interpret the apatite age as a time of formation of the Fra Mauro Formation. If the interpretation of this Formation as an Imbrium ejecta is correct, apatite also determines the timing of Imbrium impact. The contrast in the Pb loss behavior of apatite and zircon places constraints on the temperature history of the Apollo 14 breccias and we estimate, from the experimentally determined Pb diffusion constants and an approximation of the original depth of the excavated samples in the Fra Mauro Formation, that the breccias experienced an initial temperature of about 1300-1100 C, but cooled within the first five to ten years.

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