The lunar magma ocean hypothesis suggests that the primordial KREEP(an acronym of potassium(K),rare earth element(REE),and phosphorus(P))was the final product of fractional crystallization.However,the primordial KREEP...The lunar magma ocean hypothesis suggests that the primordial KREEP(an acronym of potassium(K),rare earth element(REE),and phosphorus(P))was the final product of fractional crystallization.However,the primordial KREEP(a.k.a.urKREEP)has never been identified in previous lunar samples or meteorites.The Moon is the focus of many countries’and agencies’space exploration plans,and with the advancement of technology,crewed missions have been proposed.We propose two candidate landing sites,located respectively in the northwest(9.5°W,0.9°S)and southeast(11.1°W,6.2°S)of Lalande crater(8.6°W,4.5°S),for future crewed missions,with the primary goal of sampling the speculated urKREEP.Both sites are situated on the Th-(a critical marker of KREEP)and silica-rich Lalande ejecta in the Mare Insularum and Mare Nubium,respectively.Their geolocations at the low latitude on the lunar nearside,the flat surface,and the low rock abundance suggest the sites are safe for landing and meet the needs of real-time Earth-Moon communication.The astronauts could perform many extravehicular activities,such as collecting KREEP-rich samples,screening clast samples,and drilling regolith cores,to gather a variety of samples,such as Lalande ejecta,basalts,Copernicus ejecta,and regolith.The returned samples are valuable to explore the speculated urKREEP,to reveal the relationship between heat-producing elements and volcanism,to refine the lunar cratering chronology function,and to investigate volatiles in the regolith.展开更多
Hydrogen partitioning between liquid iron alloys and silicate melts governs its distribution and cycling in Earth’s deep interior.Existing models based on simplified Fe-H systems predict strong hydrogen sequestration...Hydrogen partitioning between liquid iron alloys and silicate melts governs its distribution and cycling in Earth’s deep interior.Existing models based on simplified Fe-H systems predict strong hydrogen sequestration into the core.However,these models do not account for the modulating effects of major light elements such as oxygen and silicon in the core during Earth’s primordial differentiation.In this study,we use first-principles molecular dynamics simulations,augmented by machine learning techniques,to quantify hydrogen chemical potentials in quaternary Fe-O-Si-H systems under early core-mantle boundary conditions(135 GPa,5000 K).Our results demonstrate that the presence of 5.2 wt%oxygen and 4.8 wt%silicon reduces the siderophile affinity of hydrogen by 35%,decreasing its alloy-silicate partition coefficient from 18.2(in the case of Fe-H)to 11.8(in the case of Fe-O-Si-H).These findings suggest that previous estimates of the core hydrogen content derived from binary system models require downward revision.Our study underscores the critical role of multicomponent interactions in core formation models and provides first-principles-derived constraints to reconcile Earth’s present-day hydrogen reservoirs with its accretionary history.展开更多
Lunar exploration is deemed crucial for uncovering the origins of the Earth-Moon system and is the first step for advancing humanity’s exploration of deep space.Over the past decade,the Chinese Lunar Exploration Prog...Lunar exploration is deemed crucial for uncovering the origins of the Earth-Moon system and is the first step for advancing humanity’s exploration of deep space.Over the past decade,the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program(CLEP),also known as the Chang’e(CE)Project,has achieved remarkable milestones.It has successfully developed and demonstrated the engineering capability required to reach and return from the lunar surface.Notably,the CE Project has made historic firsts with the landing and on-site exploration of the far side of the Moon,along with the collection of the youngest volcanic samples from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane.These achievements have significantly enhanced our understanding of lunar evolution.Building on this success,China has proposed an ambitious crewed lunar exploration strategy,aiming to return to the Moon for scientific exploration and utilization.This plan encompasses two primary phases:the first crewed lunar landing and exploration,followed by a thousand-kilometer scale scientific expedition to construct a geological cross-section across the lunar surface.Recognizing the limitations of current lunar exploration efforts and China’s engineering and technical capabilities,this paper explores the benefits of crewed lunar exploration while leveraging synergies with robotic exploration.The study refines fundamental lunar scientific questions that could lead to significant breakthroughs,considering the respective engineering and technological requirements.This research lays a crucial foundation for defining the objectives of future lunar exploration,emphasizing the importance of crewed missions and offering insights into potential advancements in lunar science.展开更多
The tidal locking effect keeps the Moon consistently presents its one side—the near side—to Earth,rendering the other side—the far side—inaccessible for people standing on Earth.Consequently,the far side of the Mo...The tidal locking effect keeps the Moon consistently presents its one side—the near side—to Earth,rendering the other side—the far side—inaccessible for people standing on Earth.Consequently,the far side of the Moon remained shrouded in mystery for human observers until the onset of space exploration.In 1959,the Soviet Union’s Luna 3 spacecraft returned the first views ever of the far side of the Moon.Despite the blurriness of the photo by contemporary standards,the stark contrast between the near side and far side of the Moon was striking.Since then,a growing number of orbital probes have revealed significant differences between the two sides of the Moon,including lunar crust thickness,magma activities,and compositions.However,the origins of these differences remain unexplained.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2022YFF0503104)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42241111,62227901,and 42441826)+1 种基金the Macao Young Scholars Program(Grant No.AM201902)the Key Research Program of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.IGGCAS-202401).
文摘The lunar magma ocean hypothesis suggests that the primordial KREEP(an acronym of potassium(K),rare earth element(REE),and phosphorus(P))was the final product of fractional crystallization.However,the primordial KREEP(a.k.a.urKREEP)has never been identified in previous lunar samples or meteorites.The Moon is the focus of many countries’and agencies’space exploration plans,and with the advancement of technology,crewed missions have been proposed.We propose two candidate landing sites,located respectively in the northwest(9.5°W,0.9°S)and southeast(11.1°W,6.2°S)of Lalande crater(8.6°W,4.5°S),for future crewed missions,with the primary goal of sampling the speculated urKREEP.Both sites are situated on the Th-(a critical marker of KREEP)and silica-rich Lalande ejecta in the Mare Insularum and Mare Nubium,respectively.Their geolocations at the low latitude on the lunar nearside,the flat surface,and the low rock abundance suggest the sites are safe for landing and meet the needs of real-time Earth-Moon communication.The astronauts could perform many extravehicular activities,such as collecting KREEP-rich samples,screening clast samples,and drilling regolith cores,to gather a variety of samples,such as Lalande ejecta,basalts,Copernicus ejecta,and regolith.The returned samples are valuable to explore the speculated urKREEP,to reveal the relationship between heat-producing elements and volcanism,to refine the lunar cratering chronology function,and to investigate volatiles in the regolith.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFF0503203)National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)projects(Grant Nos.42441826 and 42173041)+1 种基金the Key Research Program of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.IGGCAS-202204)the computational facilities of the Computer Simulation Laboratory at IGGCAS and the Beijing Super Cloud Computing Center(BSCC).
文摘Hydrogen partitioning between liquid iron alloys and silicate melts governs its distribution and cycling in Earth’s deep interior.Existing models based on simplified Fe-H systems predict strong hydrogen sequestration into the core.However,these models do not account for the modulating effects of major light elements such as oxygen and silicon in the core during Earth’s primordial differentiation.In this study,we use first-principles molecular dynamics simulations,augmented by machine learning techniques,to quantify hydrogen chemical potentials in quaternary Fe-O-Si-H systems under early core-mantle boundary conditions(135 GPa,5000 K).Our results demonstrate that the presence of 5.2 wt%oxygen and 4.8 wt%silicon reduces the siderophile affinity of hydrogen by 35%,decreasing its alloy-silicate partition coefficient from 18.2(in the case of Fe-H)to 11.8(in the case of Fe-O-Si-H).These findings suggest that previous estimates of the core hydrogen content derived from binary system models require downward revision.Our study underscores the critical role of multicomponent interactions in core formation models and provides first-principles-derived constraints to reconcile Earth’s present-day hydrogen reservoirs with its accretionary history.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(L2224032)the Research Project on the Discipline Development Strategy of Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XK2022DXC004).
文摘Lunar exploration is deemed crucial for uncovering the origins of the Earth-Moon system and is the first step for advancing humanity’s exploration of deep space.Over the past decade,the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program(CLEP),also known as the Chang’e(CE)Project,has achieved remarkable milestones.It has successfully developed and demonstrated the engineering capability required to reach and return from the lunar surface.Notably,the CE Project has made historic firsts with the landing and on-site exploration of the far side of the Moon,along with the collection of the youngest volcanic samples from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane.These achievements have significantly enhanced our understanding of lunar evolution.Building on this success,China has proposed an ambitious crewed lunar exploration strategy,aiming to return to the Moon for scientific exploration and utilization.This plan encompasses two primary phases:the first crewed lunar landing and exploration,followed by a thousand-kilometer scale scientific expedition to construct a geological cross-section across the lunar surface.Recognizing the limitations of current lunar exploration efforts and China’s engineering and technical capabilities,this paper explores the benefits of crewed lunar exploration while leveraging synergies with robotic exploration.The study refines fundamental lunar scientific questions that could lead to significant breakthroughs,considering the respective engineering and technological requirements.This research lays a crucial foundation for defining the objectives of future lunar exploration,emphasizing the importance of crewed missions and offering insights into potential advancements in lunar science.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62227901,42241103)the Key Research Program of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics,Chinese Academy of Sciences(IGGCAS-202401).
文摘The tidal locking effect keeps the Moon consistently presents its one side—the near side—to Earth,rendering the other side—the far side—inaccessible for people standing on Earth.Consequently,the far side of the Moon remained shrouded in mystery for human observers until the onset of space exploration.In 1959,the Soviet Union’s Luna 3 spacecraft returned the first views ever of the far side of the Moon.Despite the blurriness of the photo by contemporary standards,the stark contrast between the near side and far side of the Moon was striking.Since then,a growing number of orbital probes have revealed significant differences between the two sides of the Moon,including lunar crust thickness,magma activities,and compositions.However,the origins of these differences remain unexplained.
