Sulfur on the Moon – A sample inventory. C. J. Renggli1, E. Steenstra1, A. E.
Saal2, 1University of Münster,
Institute for Mineralogy, Corrensstr. 24, 48149 Münster, renggli@uni-muenster.de, 2Brown University, Department
of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, 324 Brook Street, 02912 Providance, RI.
Introduction: 50 years after the return of
Apollo 17, the analysis of returned lunar samples has
become a priority for planetary scientists across the
world. The advances in analytical technology have
made an important contribution to this development.
As we expect a significant increase of available lunar
materials through upcoming missions including
ARTEMIS, it is worth taking a look at the published
record.
Here, we present a compilation of all published
S-concentration and S-isotope data from bulk mare
basalts, soil samples, as well as impact and regolith
breccias from the Apollo and two Luna landing sites,
[1-26]. We also include more recent in-situ
measurements of S-concentrations and isotopic
compositions from pyroclastic glass beads [27-33].
Recent studies reported rare data on S-concentrations
in Mg-suite samples and anorthosites [34]. Finally, we
include data on the S concentration and isotopic
composition in the basalt lava flow sampled by
Chang’e-5 [35].
Discussion: In our review we gathered a total of
163 mare basalt, 165 soil, 57 breccia, 12 anorthosite, 6
Mg-suite, and 142 pyroclastic glass S-concentration
measurements, presented in Figure 1 as a function of
the TiO2 concentration. Sulfur concentrations in the
impact breccias and soils broadly reflect those of the
target basalts, highland rocks, and pyroclastic glasses
of the landing sites. However, their heavy δ34S isotopic
signatures contrast with the light δ34S compositions of
the volcanic glasses. The former most likely originates
from solar-wind sputtering, proton stripping, micro-
meteorite impact vaporization and later condensation,
or a combination of these processes, whereas the latter
probably formed during degassing at low fO2
conditions [26,33]. The S systematics of magmatic
lunar rocks are controlled by the composition of the
rocks (e.g. TiO2 content), degree of degassing, impact
gardening of soils (resulting in high δ34S), mantle
source compositions and the early history of the Moon.
However, the behavior of S during many of these lunar
processes remains poorly constrained. This is of
particular importance in the light of constraints on the
volatile element budget and evolution of the Moon.
Acknowledgments: CJR acknowledges funding by
the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) – project
442083018.
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Figure 1: Compilation of Sulfur concentrations (ppm) and δ 34S-isotopic compositions (‰) of
lunar samples as a function of their TiO2 concentrations (wt.%). The highest S concentrations
are measured in high-Ti mare basalts, whereas Mg-suite rocks and anorthosites are very poor
in S. The lunar soils are systematically enriched in heavy S-isotopes, and the degassed picritic
pyroclastic glasses are depleted due to degassing of reduced S-gas species.