Experimental lunar magma ocean crystallization

The accretion of the Moon was followed by a lunar magma ocean stage. The fractional crystallization of this magma ocean was experimentally simulated. The results yield the primordial stratification of the Moon from the cumulative mantle to the primordial crust. In detail, the mineral composition, the thickness of each layer and the evolving melt composition are determined. The results show that reworking (likely through overturn induced by Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities) of this primordial cumulate layers is required to explain some of the lunar magmatic suites and also to explain a very much reduced modern crustal thickness with respect to the primordial one. The data file contains the analyses of minerals and melts across the entire fractional crystallization interval as well as mineral modes and layer thicknesses of each fractionation step.

月球的形成过程随后进入月壳熔岩海洋阶段。该熔岩海洋的分数结晶过程已通过实验进行模拟。实验结果揭示了月球从累积地幔至原始地壳的原始层状结构。具体而言，确定了各层的矿物组成、层厚度以及熔融成分的演变。研究表明，通过瑞利-泰勒不稳定性引发的翻转型动所导致的原始层状岩层的再加工（可能通过翻转型动）是解释某些月球岩浆系列以及相对于原始地壳的显著减少的现代地壳厚度所必需的。数据文件包含了整个分数结晶间隔内矿物和熔融物的分析，以及每一步分馏的矿物模式和层厚度。