# Presentation: 948588

## MOUNTAIN

**THE APOLLO EXPERIENCE**

**HARRISON H. SCHMITT**
**UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON**

**BREAKING NEWS!**

**MOUNTAIN**
**LION AT **
**AMES!!!**

## THE REGOLITH..............

**THE REGOLITH..............**

## DISTURBED REGOLITH............

**DISTURBED REGOLITH............**

## BASIC PROCESSES IN LUNAR SOIL FORMATION 

***  ***_***COMMINUTION:***_**  breaking of rocks, minerals, and glasses****      into smaller particles;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 **
***  ***_***AGGLUTINATION:***_**  welding of rock, mineral, and glass****      fragments together by micrometeorite-produced, impact-****      generated melt (quenched to glass);**
_***IMPACT-MELT VAPORIZATION AND DEPOSITION:***_**      Vaporization of components in the micrometeorite-****      produced, impact- generated melt with loss and re-deposition   of volatiles.**
_***SOLAR-WIND SPALLATION***__** **__***AND PARTICLE IMPLANTATION***__**:**__***  ***_      **Erosion and vaporization caused by sputtering  from impacting  ****      high-energy particles;**_***  ***_

**The only Weathering and Erosional Agents on the Moon **
**are Meteorite and Micrometeorite Impact and the **
**Solar Wind.**

## Space Weathering

-                 **Cumulative Effects due to :**
**  ****Deep Vacuum ****: ~10****-12**** torr**
**  ****Micrometeorite Impact ****:  Velocities to >>10****5**** km/hr **
**  ****Radiation****: Solar-wind Particles / Galactic / Cosmic **
**  ****Temperature ****: +125 °C to -240 °C**

## TIME

**TIME**

## Lunar Regolith Formation

**Lunar Regolith Formation**

**Comminution, Agglutination, & Vapor Deposition**

**The Major Weathering and Erosional agent on the Moon **
**is Meteorite and Micrometeorite Impact****.**

## REGOLITH SUMMARY - 1

**REGOLITH (mantle of fragmental, unconsolidated material overlying bedrock) **
**>6M DEEP ON 3.8 B.Y. OLD SURFACES **
**CONSTITUENTS: **
**ROCK FRAGMENTS **
**MINERAL FRAGMENTS **
**VOLCANIC GLASS SPHERES AND FRAGMENTS **
**AGGLUTINATES (IMPACT GLASS WELDING TOGETHER ROCK, MINERAL & GLASS FRAGMENTS) **
**METEORITIC CONTAMINATION (<0.3%) **
**ADSORBED SOLAR WIND VOLATILES **
**PRODUCTS OF SOLAR AND COSMIC RADIATION**** **

## REGOLITH SUMMARY - 2

**LATERAL MIXING RATE **
**ON THE ORDER OF 10S OF METERS PER 100 MY **
**~100S OF METERS PER BILLION YEARS SINCE 3.8 B.Y. AGO **
**VERTICAL MIXING IRREGULAR **
**3M DRILL CORES INDICATE TEXTURAL LAYERING BUT NO SIGNIFICANT AVERAGE CHEMICAL CHANGE WITH DEPTH **

## REGOLITH SUMMARY - 3

**GEOTECHNICAL PARAMETERS (ENGINEERING DESIGN CONSTRAINTS)**
**DENSITY ~1.9 GM/CM****3**** **
**HIGH BEARING STRENGTH **
**LOW COHESION (~DAMP BEACH SAND)**
**>60% PARTICLES <100m**** (THAT IS, PENETRATING DUST!!!!!)**
**HIGHLY ABRASIVE ****(THAT IS, RELIABLE SEALS REQUIRED!!!!)**
**DISSEMINATED, FINE GRAIN NATIVE IRON**
**DISSEMINATED, FINE GRAIN IRON SULFIDE **
**HIGHLY REDUCING (HYDROGEN)**

## Slide 11

## Slide 12

## Slide 13

## Mare-Soil

**Agglutinate**

**Pieces of minerals, rocklets, and glass **
**cemented  together by shock-melt glass**

**Courtesy**
** ****Dave McKay**

## Mare-Soil Agglutinates

**Mare-Soil Agglutinates**

**Polished section ****as viewed in ****Reflected Light**

## SEM BSE-Image of Mare Agglutinitic Glass

**SEM BSE-Image of Mare Agglutinitic Glass**

- Courtesy – Dave McKay

- Milky Way of np-Feo

## TEM-measured Size Distribution of Fe Metal Spheres

**Fe****o ****Metal spheres**

**TEM-measured Size Distribution of Fe Metal Spheres**
**       ****in Agglutinitic Glass of Apollo 11 Soil 10084**

## NANOPHASE Fe° in VAPOR-DEPOSITED PATINAS (RIMS) 

**NANOPHASE Fe° in VAPOR-DEPOSITED PATINAS (RIMS) **
**on VIRTUALLY ALL GRAINS of a MATURE MARE SOIL **
**PROVIDES an ADDITIONAL and ABUNDANT SOURCE **
**for the ****GREATLY INCREASED I****s**** / FeO VALUES**
** ****for the FINEST GRAIN SIZES.**

## Vapor-Deposited Nanophase Feo on Plagioclase

- Plagioclase

**100 Å**

**SiO****2****-rich**
**   ****glass**

**Keller et al. (1999)**

## Multiple Layers of Vapor Deposition

**rim**

**Multiple Layers of Vapor Deposition**

**Agglutinitic Glass**

**Np Fe****0**

**Wentworth et al., 1999**

**Layer 1**

**Layer 2**

## LARGE VESICLE

**LARGE VESICLE**
**ORIGINALLY OPEN**
**TO SPACE FOR **
**AT LEAST 800,000 YRS**

## MAGNETIC PROPERTIESOF LUNAR SOILS

**  ****Effects of Vapor-Deposited Nanophase Fe****o****    are a Direct Function of Surface Area and Most**
**Pronounced in the Finest Grain Sizes;**

**  ****Virtually All <10 ********m Particles are Easily Attracted by a Simple Hand-held Magnet, Plg, Pyx, Ol, and Agglutinitic Glass alike.**

**  ****Magnetic Susceptibility of Soil Particles ****Increases as Grain Size Decreases;**

**Notes:**
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES

## SOLUTIONS: Dust Lock, Magnetic brushes ??

**  ****Potential for dust ****coatings**** on seals, gaskets, optical lens,  ****      windows, electrical components, et cetera;**
**  ****Abrasiveness****, with regards to friction-bearing surfaces;**
**  ****Potential for ****settling**** on all thermal and optical surfaces, ****      such as Solar cells and mirrors; and**
**  ****Physiological effects**** on humans, especially with respect****      to the lungs and potentially the cardiovascular system****      in the case of extremely fine particles. **

**SOLUTIONS: Dust Lock, Magnetic brushes ??**
**Electostatic Repulsion ?? Seal off by Design**

## HUMAN EXPOSURE TO LUNAR DUST

**APOLLO 11: TWO INHALATIONS**
**APOLLO 12 &14: THREE INHALATIONS**
**APOLLO 15, 16 & 17: FOUR INHALATIONS**
**PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS:**
**“****SPENT GUNPOWDER” SMELL**
**SHORT-TERM NASAL IRRITATION**
**NO KNOWN LONG-TERM EFFECTS**
**NO SPECIFIC INVESTIGATIONS**

## RETURN TO THE MOON

_**RETURN TO THE MOON**_

**BY**
**HARRISON H. SCHMITT, Ph.D.**
**A PRAXIS-SPRINGER BOOK**
**THIS BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED LATER THIS YEAR AND WILL COVER THESE CONCEPTS IN A BROADER CONTEXT**

- NASA PHOTO

## Slide 26

## REGOLITH MATURATION

**BEGINS WITH SURFACE STABLIZATION**
**MODIFICATION BY:**
**PRIMARY IMPACTS**
**SECONDARY IMPACTS**
**HYDROGEN REDUCTION OF FEO**
**PLASMA GLASS DEPOSITION**
**SPACE RADIATION**
**INTERNAL VOLATILE MIGRATION**
**SPACE RADIATION**
**COSMIC RAYS**
**SOLAR-WIND IONS**

## Slide 28

## Slide 29