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i

NASA/TM—2010–216444

Preliminary Geological Findings 

on the BP-1 Simulant

D.B. Stoeser, and S. Wilson

United States Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado

D.L. Rickman

Marshall Space Flight Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama

September 2010

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Marshall Space Flight Center • MSFC, Alabama 35812
ii

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iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1

2. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION .......................................................................................... 3

3. MINERALOGY ................................................................................................................. 5

4. PARTICLE SIZE ................................................................................................................ 7

5. HEALTH ............................................................................................................................ 9

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 11
iv

LIST OF FIGURES

1. The Black Point basalt lava flow as seen with Google Earth. The location 

of an aggregate quarry and two USGS geochemical samples sites is also shown .......... 2

2. Total alkali versus SiO2 rock type classification diagram .............................................. 4

3. Cumulative frequency less than a given particle size for BP-1 and JSC-1A 

compared to lunar values. Reproduced with permission from work done 

by Laila A. Rahmatian and Philip T. Metzger .............................................................. 7

4. Abundance versus particle size for BP-1 and JSC-1A compared to lunar values .......... 8
v

LIST OF TABLES

1. Whole rock major element geochemistry with normative mineralogy 

for the Black Point flow from the USGS National Geochemical Database 

<http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geochemistry/ngdbrock.html> ............................................. 3

2. CIPW cation normative minerals ............................................................................... 4

3. XRF analyses of BP-1 splits ....................................................................................... 4

4. XRD of bulk BP-1 simulant ....................................................................................... 5

5. XRD summary table for <10-μm splits of BP-1 in weight % ...................................... 6

6. Personal protective equipment recommendations for Lunabotics preparation 

and competition ......................................................................................................... 10
vi

LIST OF ACRONYMS

BP-1 Black Point 1

Ca calcium

CaSO4∙0.5H2O bassanite

CIPW Cross, Iddings, Pirsson, and Washington

CO2 carbon dioxide

Fe:Mg iron:magnesium

Fe2O3 ferric oxide

FeO ferrous oxide

HEPA high-efficiency particulate air

IHO Industrial Hygiene Office

JSC Johnson Space Center

K2O potassium oxide

KSC Kennedy Space Center

MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet

Na2O sodium oxide

NaCl halite (table salt)

NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration

RATS Research and Technology Studies

SiO2 silicon dioxide
vii

LIST OF ACRONYMS (Continued)

TiO2 titanium oxide

TM Technical Memorandum

USGS United States Geological Survey

XRD x-ray diffraction

XRF x-ray fluorescence
viii
1

TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM

PRELIMINARY GEOLOGICAL FINDINGS 

ON THE BP-1 SIMULANT

1. INTRODUCTION

The following is a summation of information and discussion between Doug Stoeser of the 

USGS and Doug Rickman of NASA in February and March 2010 pertaining to the Black Point 1 

(BP-1) simulant. The analytical results and the bulk of the text are from communications from 

Dr. Stoeser. Their form and final content, as presented in this Technical Memorandum (TM), are 

the responsibility of Doug Rickman. Information on particle size distribution provided by Laila A. 

Rahmatian and health recommendations from Greg Galloway of Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC’s) 

Industrial Hygiene Office (IHO) are also included.

The BP-1 simulant is made from the Black Point basalt flow, San Francisco Volcanic Field, 

in northern Arizona. The Black Point flow is about 60 miles (100 km) NNE of Flagstaff, AZ just 

east of state highway 89. It is over 40-km long and one of the younger flows of the San Francisco 

Volcanic Field (Pliocene age). In contrast, the Johnson Space Center (JSC)-1 and -1A simulants are 

made from Merriam Crater, an ash cone volcano in the San Francisco Field, and have a different 

composition.1 

There is an aggregate (road metal) quarry on the northern margin of the flow towards the 

west end (fig. 1) that was used as a Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) analog 

test site. The quarry site also contains piles of silt-sized washing waste that was included in the testing.2 This silty material was also used in laboratory tests and found to have geotechnical properties 

similar to the NU-LHT-2M and Chenobi regolith simulants and is being proposed as a possible 

simulant for geotechnical use.2 It currently has the designation of BP-1.
2

Figure 1. The Black Point basalt lava flow as seen with Google Earth. The location of

an aggregate quarry and two USGS geochemical samples sites is also shown.
3

2. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Geochemical Database contained 

two whole rock analyses of the Black Point flow (tables 1 and 2). The Black Point basalt is fairly 

alkaline (fig. 2) (i.e., it has high total alkalis (Na2O + K2O) and chemically is typical of continental 

basalts). The flow also has a high iron:magnesium (Fe:Mg) ratio relative to most basalts. As is the 

case with terrestrial alkaline basalts, it has a somewhat elevated titanium oxide (TiO2) content of 

2.2–2.3%. The high alkali content relative to lunar basalts possibly precludes the Black Point basalt 

from being appropriate for simulants where composition is a critical aspect, but the high Fe:Mg 

ratio is mare-like. These issues have nothing to do with BP-1 as a geotechnical material.

In figure 1, note that the flow distinctly changes color laterally from black to dark brown 

going eastwards and is distinctly brown at its east end (at its toe), suggesting oxidation of the basalt 

in that area. The eastern W172154 analysis seems to reflect a very high Fe2O3:FeO ratio relative to 

the W172158 western analysis. Fortunately, the quarry is located near the west end and thus in a 

good location to minimize oxidation in the simulant.

Under the direction of Robert Mueller, samples from five different 1-ton lots of BP-1 were 

taken. From each split, a <10-mm split was provided to the USGS. Table 3 compares the x-ray fluorescence (XRF) chemical analysis of the <10-μm splits of BP-1 versus the database values for the 

flow. The higher calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and carbon dioxide (CO2) values are compatible 

with secondary minerals as indicated by other observations.

Table 1. Whole rock major element geochemistry with normative mineralogy 

for the Black Point flow from the USGS National Geochemical Database 

<http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geochemistry/ngdbrock.html>. 

Sample W172158 W172154

Latitude

Longitude

SiO2

Al2O3

TiO2

Fe2O3

FeO

MgO

MnO

CaO

Na2O

K2O

P2O5

H2O–

H2O+

CO2

Total

35.67

–111.47

47.2

16.7

2.3

5.9

6.2

6.5

0.21

9.2

3.5

1.1

0.52

0.11

0.41

0.05

99.90

35.67

–111.35

46.9

16.4

2.2

8.2

3.7

5.6

0.21

9.6

3.4

1.1

0.51

0.51

0.69

0.26

99.28

FeOtotal

% An

11.7

47.1

11.4

46.7
4

Table 2. CIPW cation normative minerals.

Sample W172158 W172154

orthoclase

albite

anorthite

nepheline

diopside

olivine

magnetite

ilmenite

apatite

6.6

30.3

27

0.9

12.7

14.2

4

3.2

1.1

6.7

31

27.1

0.4

14.9

11.6

4

3.2

1.1

Foidite

Tephrite 

Basanite

TrachyAndesite

Basaltic 

Trachy- Andesite

PhonoTephrite

TephriPhonolite Trachyte

Phonolite

LeBas et al 1986

Na2O

+

K2O

SiO2

Trachydacite Rhyolite

Dacite

Basalt

PicroBasalt

Andesite Basaltic 

Andesite

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75

Trachy- Basalt

Figure 2. Total alkali versus SiO2 rock type classification diagram.

Table 3. XRF analyses of BP-1 splits.

Bag 1 Bag 2 Bag 3 Bag 4 Bag 5 Bag All W172158 W172154

Fe2O3

CaO

K2O

SO2

SiO2

Al2O3

MgO

Na2O

CO2

Total

11

13

0

0

45

16

10

3

1

99

11

13

0

0

44

18

7

4

2

99

11

13

0

0

44

18

7

4

2

99

13

12

0

2

43

16

9

4

1

100

9

14

0

1

45

17

9

2

2

99

11

14

0

0

44

17

8

3

3

100

11.7

9.2

1.1

–

47.2

16.7

6.5

3.5

0.05

95.95

11.4

9.6

1.1

–

46.9

16.4

5.6

3.4

0.26

94.66
5

3. MINERALOGY

A small hand sample of the source rock was provided to Dr. Stoeser. He visually characterized it as an amygdaloidal basaltic material. The amygdules are filled with secondary minerals 

containing opaline silica, calcium carbonate, and ferric iron minerals based on hand examination 

of a limited sample. The formal petrography of the Black Point basalt and the BP-1 quarry waste 

remains to be determined.

An x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of a bulk simulant sample provided to the USGS 

yielded the preliminary data presented in table 4.

Table 4. XRD of bulk BP-1 simulant.

Mineral Weight %

Labradorite

Augite FeCa4Si8Mg2.96O24

Quartz

Magnetite

Calcite

Olivine

Hematite

 60.7

 23.7

 1.7

 3

 2.7

 6.2

 2

Calcite and quartz and possibly some or all of the hematite are not primary minerals. They 

are derived from weathering or alteration of the original basalt.

From each of the <10-mm splits, an XRD analysis was done. The results of these analyses 

are given in table 5. For the most part, the mineralogy is typical for a basalt plus a small amount 

of quartz, calcite, and hematite. Depending on the mineral (i.e., well separated peaks in the XRD 

spectrum), the XRD results are good down to 2–3%, and thus the numbers for the minor phases 

are only approximate. The plagioclase composition fitted to the spectrum has the composition 

An65 (i.e., Ca0.65Na0.32(Al1.62Si2.38O8)). The pyroxene augite spectrum matches the composition 

(CaMg0.74Fe0.25)Si2O6. 

That differences exist between the single bulk sample and the <10-mm splits is not surprising. Plagioclase is apparently much more abundant in the whole than the splits. Conversely, 

olivine is more abundant in the splits than in the whole sample. The source of the differences is 

unexplained. As the whole sample analysis is preliminary and unverified, conclusions on this topic 

should be withheld.
6

Table 5. XRD summary table for <10-μm splits of BP-1 in weight %.

Mineral Bag 1 Bag 2 Bag 3 Bag 4 Bag 5 Bag All

Primary Minerals

 Plagioclase

 Augite

 Olivine

 Nepheline

 Magnetite

Total Primary

50

17

14

3

8

92

53

13

10

3

7

86

48

11

8

2

6

75

49

15

13

2

10

89

48

15

12

1

5

81

48

14

11

2

6

81

Secondary Minerals

 Quartz

 Hematite

 Calcite

 Muscovite (sericite)

 Halite

 Bassanite

Total Secondary

3

2

3

0

1

0

9

3

3

5

3

2

0

16

0

2

9

5

5

3

24

3

2

1

0

3

4

13

3

2

 –

5

1

2

8

3

4

7

5

1

2

22

There are apparently substantial variations in the mineralogy of the samples. The variation in calcite, from 9 wt. % to nil, and variation of olivine, from 14 to 8 wt. %, are probably real. 

Chemically, the basalt is such that it should not have any primary silica (quartz); note the presence 

of nepheline. So the quartz is almost certainly all secondary and coming primarily from vesicle 

fillings and possibly seams. The total secondary minerals in the <10-mm splits range from 9 to 24%, 

which is high. The secondary minerals may be concentrating in the fine fractions used to make the 

BP-1 simulant because of the how they occur in the source rock and the way the rock is processed.

Of special note are the bassanite CaSO4·0.5H2O and halite (NaCl). The halite, common 

table salt, was confirmed by washing the material with distilled water, which removed the salt. 

Halite is not a constituent of basalts, neither is bassanite. It is hypothesized that the wash water 

used at the quarry probably comes from a saline aquifer. With reuse of the water, the dissolved salts 

will concentrate and eventually start to precipitate minerals. 
7

4. PARTICLE SIZE

Rahmatian and Metzger provide particle size and several geotechnical measures of the BP-1 

material.2 Figure 3 is provided courtesy of these authors.

Lunar Soil Average

Lunar Soil Avg +1 Std Dev

Lunar Soil Avg-1 Std Dev

JSC-1A

BP-1 (Wet Seiving)

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001

Particle Diameter (mm)

% Finer

Figure 3. Cumulative frequency less than a given particle size for BP-1 

and JSC-1A compared to lunar values. Reproduced 

with permission from work done by Laila A. Rahmatian 

and Philip T. Metzger.

An alternative plot of the same data is given in figure 4. To make this plot the first derivative of the source data behind figure 3, abundance versus particle size was computed. BP-1 has an 

unusual distribution. It has a large percentage in a narrow range while it also contains relatively 

high amounts of fine and coarse particles. The significance of such a distribution for any application of the simulant is unknown. In some respects, when compared to other simulants, it is likely 

that this broad distribution will yield a superior performance for some mechanical or geotechnical 

applications. The abundance of fine particles is certainly a concern for health applications should 

they become airborne.
8

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

10.000 1.000 0.100 0.010 0.001

Particle Size (mm)

Relative Abundance

“BP-1 (Smoothed)”

Lunar Fine

Lunar Coarse

Lunar Average

JSC-1A

Figure 4. Abundance versus particle size for BP-1 and JSC-1A 

compared to lunar values.
9

5. HEALTH

The following information is abstracted from a report done by the IHO at KSC.3 The IHO 

was asked to evaluate the BP-1 material for possible use in a “sandbox” trial, a use that would 

involve students. The office performed bulk sampling of 10 1-ton bags. Using a certified laboratory, the samples were evaluated according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health (NIOSH) 7500 standard method using XRD. The purpose of the evaluation is to measure 

the abundance of three polymorphs of SiO2, cristobalite, quartz, and tridymite. These minerals are 

causative agents for the disease called silicosis. The report states that all 10 sample results contain 

between 0.57 and 2.9 wt. % cristobalite and up to 2.3 wt. % quartz.

Geologically, the cristobalite values are highly improbable for two reasons. First, the 

source rock is a nepheline basalt, which means the melt was undersaturated with respect to SiO2. 

Had more SiO2 been available in the liquid, more plagioclase would have been formed. Only 

with substantially more dissolved SiO2 than occurs in this source rock will a discrete SiO2 phase 

form. Second, cristobalite is a high temperature polymorph. In this rock, it would have to be a 

primary mineral (i.e., formed before the molten rock solidified completely). At Earth surface pressure, cristobalite’s stability field does not begin until approximately 1,470 °C, which is hotter than 

most lavas. Tridymite, which was not detected, forms in the range between approximately 900 and 

1,470 °C. Thus, the NIOSH test is reporting the presence of a very high temperature phase without 

the intermediate temperature phase in a rock that is originally undersaturated with respect to SiO2. 

The total amount of cristobalite plus quartz reported in the IHO report does correspond with the 

total quartz seen in the analyses by the USGS. As noted previously, the quartz in the BP-1 

feedstock is a secondary mineral.

As a result of the mineralogical analyses and the particle size data for BP-1, the IHO recommended that personal protective equipment and controls be used. The measures recommended 

should be used until measurements of potential exposure could be obtained. Recommended controls exclude nonessential personnel from the area, provide a decontamination area with a highefficiency particle air (HEPA) vacuum for equipment, a hand-wash area that can be utilized when 

exiting the box, and an eye-wash station was to be available. Recommendations for personnel 

protective equipment are presented in table 6, which is taken from the Galloway IHO report.2

The report states:

“The use of respiratory protection for judges must comply with OSHA Respiratory Standard 1910.134 to include medical certification, fit testing, and training. There is a duty under the 

OSHA Hazard Communication standard to communicate the potential hazards to all individuals 

who will be entering the lunar sandbox. Prior to entrance into the sandbox, each individual should 

receive a pretask briefing and an MSDS should be provided for review.”
10

Table 6. Personal protective equipment recommendations 

for Lunabotics preparation and competition.

Exposure 

Group

Estimated Exposure 

Frequency/Duration

Recommended Personal 

Protective Equipment

Students Short term, as required estimated to be <45 min 

per day.

Filtering facepiece with N95, Tyvek suits and booties 

(or equivalent), dust goggles.

NASA Several times per day. Additional exposure possible 

through continued work with sandbox.

Half-face respirator with P100 cartridge, Tyvek suits 

and booties (or equivalent), dust goggles.
11

REFERENCES

1. Carpenter, P.: “Characterization Strategies and Requirements for Lunar Regolith Simulant 

Materials,” In Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials Workshop, Presentation, Huntsville, AL, 

Jan 24–25, 2005.

2. Galloway, G.M.: “Silica Content, Cristobalite, Quartz, and Tridymite Aggregate Products Black 

Point Lava (BP-1),” Industrial Hygiene Office, Kennedy Space Center, NASA, Report T201003–

1540, 2010.

3. Rahmatian, L.A.; and Metzger, P.T.: “Soil Test Apparatus for Lunar Surface,” Twelfth Biennial 

ASCE Aerospace Division International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction, and 

Operations in Challenging Environments Paper Number 629, Honolulu, HA, March 14–17, 2010.
12

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Preliminary Geological Findings on the BP-1 Simulant

D.B. Stoeser,* S. Wilson,* and D.L. Rickman

George C. Marshall Space Flight Center

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Washington, DC 20546–0001

Unclassified-Unlimited

Subject Category 91

Availability: NASA CASI (443–757–5802)

Prepared by the Earth Sciences Office

* United States Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225

M–1293

Technical Memorandum

NASA/TM—2010–216444

lunar simulant, BP-1, source, chemistry, mineralogy, particle size, health

01–09–2010

UU 20

NASA

U U U

A waste material from an aggregate producing quarry has been used to make an inexpensive lunar simulant called 

BP-1. The feedstock is the Black Point lava flow in northern Arizona. Although this is part of the San Francisco 

volcanic field, which is also the source of the JSC-1 series feedstock, BP-1 and JSC-1 are distinct. Chemically, the 

Black Point flow is an amygdaloidal nepheline-bearing basalt. The amygdules are filled with secondary minerals 

containing opaline silica, calcium carbonate, and ferric iron minerals. X-ray diffraction (XRD) detected approximately 3% quartz, which is in line with tests done by the Kennedy Space Center Industrial Hygiene Office. Users of 

this material should use appropriate protective equipment. XRD also showed the presence of significant halite and 

some bassanite. Both are interpreted to be evaporative residues due to recycling of wash water at the quarry. The 

size distribution of BP-1 may be superior to some other simulants for some applications.

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