Lunar meteorites: Finally, a few anorthosites

UCLA Meteorite Gallery Lecture Series: December 2022 Title: Lunar meteorites: Finally, a few anorthosites Lecturer: Dr. Paul Warren; UCLA By some estimates, most of the Moon’s outsized crust consists of anorthosite, an igneous rock with more than 90% of the calcium-aluminum silicate mineral plagioclase. Plagioclase has an unusually low density, and the lunar crust is believed to have formed in a unique way by buoyant flotation of plagioclase over a global magma ocean. Some authors have even claimed the lunar-crustal plagioclase abundance is generally greater than 98%. Yet only within the past year were the first three anorthosite lunar meteorites discovered. I will discuss these new anorthosite meteorites and some other aspects of lunar rock studies that constrain the magma ocean hypothesis. Join our newsletter by contacting [email protected] to hear about other monthly lectures and events we are hosting!