Lunar surface mineralogy using hyperspectral data: Implications for primordial crust in the Earth-Moon system

- Hyperspectral data identify pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase and spinel in lunar surface.
- Dominance of plagioclase confirms anorthositic nature of primordial crust in Earth-Moon system.
- OH/H2O band suggests incorporation of magmatic water in lunar olivine.

Mineralogy of the Lunar surface provides important clues for understanding the composition and evolution of the primordial crust in the Earth-Moon system. The primary rock forming minerals on the Moon such as pyroxene, olivine and plagioclase are potential tools to evaluate the Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) hypothesis. Here we use the data from Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) onboard the Chandrayaan-1 project of India, which provides Visible/Near Infra Red (NIR) spectral data (hyperspectral data) of the Lunar surface to gain insights on the surface mineralogy. Band shaping and spectral profiling methods are used for identifying minerals in five sites: the Moscoviense basin, Orientale basin, Apollo basin, Wegener crater-highland, and Hertzsprung basin. The common presence of plagioclase in these sites is in conformity with the anorthositic composition of the Lunar crust. Pyroxenes, olivine and Fe-Mg-spinel from the sample sites indicate the presence of gabbroic and basaltic components. The compositional difference in pyroxenes suggests magmatic differentiation on the Lunar surface. Olivine contains OH/H2O band, indicating hydrous phase in the primordial magmas.

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