| Title | Prospecting for Fe-Ti oxides in lunar regolith using ilmenite on Earth |
| |
| Author | Morisset, C -E; Williamson, M -C; Hipkin, V |
| Source | Proceedings of the 15th CASI Astronautics Conference ASTRO 2010; 2010 p. 1-6 |
| Image |  |
| Year | 2010 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20110401 |
| Meeting | 15th CASI Astronautics Conference ASTRO 2010; Toronto; CA; May 4-6, 2010 |
| Document | book |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper |
| Province | Quebec |
| NTS | 13M/14; 31J/01 |
| Area | Moon; Degrosbois; Saint-Hippolyte; Sandford Lake; Adirondack; Morin; Mirepoix; Mattawa; Disko Island; Mistastin; Canada; Greenland; United States of America |
| Lat/Long WENS | -65.5000 -65.0000 56.0000 55.7500 |
| Lat/Long WENS | -74.5000 -74.0000 52.2500 52.0000 |
| Lat/Long WENS | -54.0000 -52.0000 70.5000 69.5000 |
| Lat/Long WENS | -74.5000 -73.5000 44.5000 44.0000 |
| Subjects | extraterrestrial geology; economic geology; mineralogy; prospecting techniques; prospecting; regoliths; mineralization; iron; titanium; ilmenite; igneous rocks; mineral occurrences; petrography;
Mistastin impact structure |
| Illustrations | location maps; photomicrographs |
| Abstract | Studies focusing on the resource potential of the lunar regolith have been recommended as high-priority scientific objectives for the Moon by the Planetary Geology and Geophysics community in Canada. As
a result, a post-doctoral project was initiated in September 2009 on the origin of Fe-Ti geochemical anomalies on the lunar surface, with implications for strategic mineral exploration and resource utilization on the Moon. An important goal of the
project is to identify ilmenite on Earth that is of similar composition to the ilmenite found in lunar rocks. Achieving this goal will help us to identify (1) potential sources of lunar simulant and (2) analogue sites where scientific instruments can
be used to test their abilities to prospect for Fe-Ti oxides in igneous rocks. For this purpose, we are investigating five geological sites located in Canada, United States, and Greenland. Lunar ilmenite does not contain ferric iron but most
terrestrial ilmenites do. A petrographic study of samples from one of the selected sites, the Sanford deposit in the Adirondack Mountains, USA, has revealed that ilmenite from two of the three samples examined so far does not display hematite
exsolution, a textural outcome of the presence of ferric iron in terrestrial ilmenite. A geochemical study is underway to confirm that the ilmenite present at Sanford Lake is similar in composition to lunar ilmenite. Once we have confirmed that
lunar-like ilmenite is indeed present at Sanford Lake, we will compare the samples with ilmenite from Apollo samples, and test a suite of portable field instruments for the reconnaissance prospecting of Fe-Ti oxides in anorthositic and basaltic rocks
as a precursor to lunar exploration missions. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 290142 |
|
|