Timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon
The Moon is thought to have formed through the consolidationof debris from the collision of a Mars-sized body with the Earthmore than 4,500 million years ago. The primitive Moon wascovered with a thick layer of melt known as the lunar magmaocean1, the crystallization of which resulted in the Moon?ss...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Publishers Ltd
2009
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| Online Access: | http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v2/n2/full/ngeo417.html http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44375 |
| _version_ | 1848756982960357376 |
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| author | Nemchin, Alexander Timms, Nicholas Eric Pidgeon, Robert Geisler, T. Reddy, Steven Meyer, C |
| author_facet | Nemchin, Alexander Timms, Nicholas Eric Pidgeon, Robert Geisler, T. Reddy, Steven Meyer, C |
| author_sort | Nemchin, Alexander |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The Moon is thought to have formed through the consolidationof debris from the collision of a Mars-sized body with the Earthmore than 4,500 million years ago. The primitive Moon wascovered with a thick layer of melt known as the lunar magmaocean1, the crystallization of which resulted in the Moon?ssurface as it is observed today. There is considerable debate,however, over the precise timing and duration of the processof magma ocean crystallization. Here we date a zircon fromlunar breccias to an age of 4,4176 million years. This dateprovides a precise younger age limit for the solidification ofthe lunar magma ocean. We propose a model that suggestsan exponential rate of lunar crystallization, based on acombination of this oldest known lunar zircon and the age of theMoon-forming giant impact. We conclude that the formationof the Moon?s anorthositic crust followed the solidification of80?85% of the original melt, within about 100 million years ofthe collision. The existence of younger zircons2 is indicative ofthe continued solidification of a small percentage of melt for anextra 200?400 million years. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:20:51Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-44375 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:20:51Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Publishers Ltd |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-443752017-01-30T15:13:43Z Timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon Nemchin, Alexander Timms, Nicholas Eric Pidgeon, Robert Geisler, T. Reddy, Steven Meyer, C The Moon is thought to have formed through the consolidationof debris from the collision of a Mars-sized body with the Earthmore than 4,500 million years ago. The primitive Moon wascovered with a thick layer of melt known as the lunar magmaocean1, the crystallization of which resulted in the Moon?ssurface as it is observed today. There is considerable debate,however, over the precise timing and duration of the processof magma ocean crystallization. Here we date a zircon fromlunar breccias to an age of 4,4176 million years. This dateprovides a precise younger age limit for the solidification ofthe lunar magma ocean. We propose a model that suggestsan exponential rate of lunar crystallization, based on acombination of this oldest known lunar zircon and the age of theMoon-forming giant impact. We conclude that the formationof the Moon?s anorthositic crust followed the solidification of80?85% of the original melt, within about 100 million years ofthe collision. The existence of younger zircons2 is indicative ofthe continued solidification of a small percentage of melt for anextra 200?400 million years. 2009 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44375 http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v2/n2/full/ngeo417.html Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Publishers Ltd fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Nemchin, Alexander Timms, Nicholas Eric Pidgeon, Robert Geisler, T. Reddy, Steven Meyer, C Timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon |
| title | Timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon |
| title_full | Timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon |
| title_fullStr | Timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon |
| title_short | Timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon |
| title_sort | timing of crystallization of the lunar magma ocean constrained by the oldest zircon |
| url | http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v2/n2/full/ngeo417.html http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44375 |