Lunar meteorite LaPaz Icefield 04841: Petrology, texture, and impact-shock effects of a low-Ti mare basalt

Abstract

Found during the 2004 U.S. Antarctic Search for Meteorites season, LaPaz Icefield (LAP) 04841 represents an addition to the LaPaz lunar basalts suite and brings the total mass collected to 1.93 kg. The presence of FeNi grains, troilite, and the anorthositic composition of plagioclase are evidence for the lunar origin of this meteorite. Pyroxene and olivine Mn/Fe values plot along the trend set for lunar basalts. Analyses of chromite grains provide a V/(Al + Cr) ratio of 1.33 ±  13, translating to an fO2 one log unit below the IW buffer, in accordance with previous fO2 estimates for lunar basalts. Application of the Zr-cooling speedometer, for ilmenite and ulvspinel pairs, gives a cooling rate of 5.2 C/day, matching previous estimates of cooling rates for the LaPaz lunar meteorites and Apollo mare basalts. Mineral modes and chemistries, as well as trace-element patterns, provide compelling evidence for pairing of this meteorite to others in the LaPaz lunar basalt suite.