Lunar glasses and micro-breccias: properties and origin.
Impact has been an important rock-forming process on the moon. Electron- and ion-probe analyses of major and minor elements show that most glasses and chondrule-like particles formed by shock melting of various proportions of mainly pyroxene, plagioclase, and ilmenite. This is the first direct evidence that chondrule-like molten droplets can form in impact events. Welding and shock lithification resulted in rocks texturally similar to chondrites but composition rules out the moon as source for chondrites. Impact craters on a nickel-iron sample evidence the importance of secondary impacts by accelerated lunar matter.
Fredriksson
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K
Nelen
J
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Melson
W G
WG
Henderson
E P
EP
Andersen
C A
CA