Potential mineral resources in the planets and preliminary discussion on planetary resource geology

Abstract

了解并利用行星矿产资源、可持续永久开发太空成为行星科学与深空探测的一项重要研究任务。而行星矿产资源的开发利用，需要运用行星科学与地质学特别是矿床学的基础理论，利用行星观测、探测及开发技术方法，研究行星矿产资源形成演化规律，查明行星矿产资源的类型、特征、储量和分布规律；进行行星矿产资源的地质调查、岩石-矿石成分、结构与性能、元素赋存状态、开发利用条件评价与预测，为行星矿产资源开发与太空的可持续永久开发建设提供基础理论与关键技术方法。因此，行星矿产资源学是研究行星矿产资源的品种、类型与分布规律、行星矿产资源成因演化与比较行星成矿学、行星矿产资源勘查评价技术与开采利用工程学的交叉学科。笔者从行星资源地质学的视角，从地球与月球的层圈结构、演化历史、岩石组成与表生环境，研判月球可能产出的矿产资源类型。认为与月海玄武岩、月幔（柱）和陨石撞击成因的层状岩体与镁铁-超镁铁质小岩体有关的铬铁矿-铜镍钴硫化物-铂族元素-钒钛磁铁矿-金刚石矿产，KREEP岩以及月幔柱熔融上覆岩石圈所产生碱性岩相伴的铌-钽-铍-铀等稀有-稀土矿产，具有形成条件与产出可能，从而拓展可能的矿产类型、品种，从更宽广的视角研究月球矿产并规划月球基地建设资源供给。火星上由于水（以及可能存在的板块构造）的存在，除岩浆矿床之外，火星可能具备发育与化学风化沉积、次生富集作用以及变质作用有关矿产的形成条件，具有形成金属与非金属资源的禀赋，可与地球矿产相媲美。未来行星资源地质学应加强地质学、行星化学、行星地质学、行星物理学、矿业工程、冶金工程和材料学的交叉融合及理论应用，发展行星地质勘探方法与智能机器人工程技术，发展高/低温、高/低压、高辐照、低/微重力环境条件下样品采集、加工、多尺度测试分析理论与方法，培养行星资源地质资源与开发工程学科人才。;How to understand and utilize planetary mineral resources and make a sustainable and permanent development of space has become a new frontier research direction of planetary science. The exploration and development of planetary mineral resources require the understanding of the types, characteristics, reserves and distribution and evaluating development and utilization conditions of planetary mineral resources, by using the basic theories of planetary science and geology, especially economic geology, combined with planetary observation and exploration techniques. Therefore, Planetary Resource Geology (PRG) is an interdisciplinary subject, contains the study of the variety, type and distribution law of planetary mineral resources, genetic evolution and comparison of planetary mineral resources, planetary metallogeny, exploration and evaluation technology and mining and utilization engineering of PRG. From the perspective of PRG, we try to predict the possible types of mineral resources in Lunar from the similarity of Earth and Lunar in the lithosphere structure, the rock composition and the supergene environment. There should be the chromite, Cu-Ni-Co sulfide, PGE (platinum group element), V-Ti magnetite minerals related to the layered rock mass and mafic-ultramafic small rock mass of the origin of the lunar mantle (even mantle plume) and meteorite impact, the REE and Nb-Ta hosted by KREEP rocks, thus will hopefully expand the possible types and commodities and provide a broader resource perspective for the construction of the lunar bases. Due to existence of water and possible plate tectonics, Mars can host a variety of metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits related to magmatism, sedimentation, metamorphism, chemical weathering and secondary enrichment which has a lot in common with the Earth. In the future, the discipline of PRG should strengthen the cross-integration and theoretical application of geology, metallurgical engineering, materials science, planetary chemistry, planetary geology and planetary physics, develop planetary geological exploration technology, including intelligent robot engineering, sample collection, multi-scale test and analysis under extreme high/low temperature, high irradiation and low microgravity environment, and cultivate talents of planetary resources, geological resources development engineering.