The antiquity indicator argon-40/argon-36 for lunar surface samples calibrated by uranium-235-xenon-136 dating

Otto Eugster, Dario Terribilini, Ernst Polnau, Jan Kramers

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

57 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Several solar gas rich lunar soils and breccias have trapped 40Ar/36Ar ratios > 10, although solar Ar is expected to yield a ratio of <0.01. Radiogenic 40Ar produced in the lunar crust from 40K decay was outgassed into the lunar atmosphere, ionized, accelerated in the electromagnetic field of the solar wind, and reimplanted into lunar surface material. The 40Ar loss rate depends on the decreasing abundance of 40K. In order to calibrate the time dependence of the 40Ar/36Ar ratio in lunar surface material, the period of reimplantation of lunar atmospheric ions and of solar wind Ar was determined using the 235U-136Xe dating method that relies on secondary cosmic-ray neutron-induced fission of 235U. We identified the trapped, fissiogenic, and cosmogenic noble gases in lunar breccia 14307 and lunar soils 70001-8, 70181, 74261, and 75081. Uranium and Th concentrations were determined in the 74261 soil for which we obtain the 235U-136Xe time of implantation of 3.25+0.38-0.60 Ga ago. On the basis of several cosmogenic noble gas signatures we calculate the duration of this near surface exposure of 393 ± 45 Ma and an average shielding depth below the lunar surface of 73 ± 7 g/cm2. A second, recent exposure to solar and cosmic-ray particles occurred after this soil was excavated from Shorty crater 17.2 ± 1.4 Ma ago. Using a compilation of all lunar data with reliable trapped Ar isotopic ratios and pre-exposure times we infer a calibration curve of implantation times, based on the trapped 40Ar/36Ar ratio. A possible trend for the increase with time of the solar 3He/4He and 20Ne/22Ne ratios of about 12%/Ga and about 2%/Ga, respectively, is also discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1097-1115
Number of pages19
JournalMeteoritics and Planetary Science
Volume36
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2001
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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