Lead isotopic evidence for an old and rapid lunar magma ocean.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40768592.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adu5111 and PMC identifier 12327474.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The Moon's early history remains enigmatic, with intensive debate over the timing and duration of the lunar magma ocean (LMO) and its consequences on the early thermal and chemical evolution of the Moon. Here, we report a lead-lead isochron age of 4406.1 ± 3.2 million years ago (Ma) with an extraordinarily high initial lead (Pb) composition (HIP) for a lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 14729. The HIP at ~4406 Ma implies Pb isotopic evolution from an early-formed, high-μ (<sup>238</sup>U/<sup>204</sup>Pb > 5000) reservoir that is genetically linked to the last remaining liquid of the LMO called urKREEP. This requires that lunar primordial differentiation was completed within approximately 150 million years (Myr) after the Solar System's formation.