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The origin of volatile elements in the Earth–Moon system

Journal Article · · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
 [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Nuclear and Chemical Science Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550
  2. Nuclear and Chemical Science Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, Department of Solar System, Impacts &, Meteorites, Museum fur Naturkunde, Berlin 10115, Germany
Significance

Understanding the history of volatile species such as water in the Earth–Moon system is a major objective of planetary science. In this work, we use the moderately volatile element Rb, which has a long-lived isotope ( 87 Rb) that decays to 87 Sr, to show that lunar volatile element depletion was not caused by the Moon-forming impact. The Rb–Sr systematics of lunar rocks mandate that the bodies involved in the impact that formed the Earth–Moon system were depleted in volatile elements relative to the bulk solar system prior to the impact. As such, Earth’s relatively small proportion of water is either primarily indigenous or was added after the Giant Impact from a source that contained essentially no moderately volatile elements.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1845032
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1862734
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-827054; e2115726119
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 119; ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher:
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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