title: Surface-related mercury in lunar samples.
abstract: Lunar samples contain mercury, which may be volatilized at lunar daytime temperatures. Such mercury may constitute part of the tenuous lunar atmosphere. If mercury can escape from the atmosphere by a nonthermal mechanism, an interior reservoir or exterior sources (such as meteorite infall or solar wind, or both) are required to replenish it. Core samples exhibit an increase in surface-related mercury with depth, which suggests that a cold trap exists below the surface. The orientation of rocks on the lunar surface may be inferred by differences in the amounts of surface-related mercury found on exterior and interior samples.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Goleb
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jovanovic