Removal of a constraint on the composition of the lunar interior

Abstract

Ringwood and Essene (1970) proposed that the CaO and Al2O3 contents of the deep interior of the moon must be less than 6% each. This constraint has been generally accepted and has led to models of the lunar interior that are dominated by ferromagnesium silicates. This constraint is invalid. High CaO and Al2O3 peridotites have broader intermediate-density (3.3–3.4 g/cm3) fields than the Ringwood-Essene ‘lunar pyroxenite’, and the high-density phase occurs at higher pressure. Likewise, the gabbro-eclogite transformation pressure increases with Al2O3 content. The moon can have a thick plagioclase rich outer shell and a high Ca-Al interior.