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Petrologic Insights Into the South Pole‐Aitken Basin From Raman Spectroscopy of Returned Chang'e‐6 Coarse Clasts.

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Title: Petrologic Insights Into the South Pole‐Aitken Basin From Raman Spectroscopy of Returned Chang'e‐6 Coarse Clasts.
Authors: Lu, Xuejin1 (AUTHOR), Jia, Ziyi1 (AUTHOR), Cao, Haijun1 (AUTHOR), Chen, Jian1 (AUTHOR), Cao, Chenyu1 (AUTHOR), Liu, Yiheng1 (AUTHOR), Yin, Chengxiang1 (AUTHOR), Su, Bowen1 (AUTHOR), Xin, Yanqing1 (AUTHOR), Qiao, Le1 (AUTHOR), Fu, Xiaohui1 (AUTHOR), Lu, Ying‐Bo1 (AUTHOR), Ling, Zongcheng1 (AUTHOR) zcling@sdu.edu.cn
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets. Apr2026, Vol. 131 Issue 4, p1-14. 14p.
Subject Terms: Raman spectroscopy, Breccia, Orthopyroxene, Lunar surface, Moon, Lunar south pole, Basalt
Geographic Terms: South Pole, China
Abstract: As the largest and oldest impact basin on the Moon, the South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) basin preserves critical information about the composition and evolution of the deep lunar crust and may even expose materials from the lunar mantle. China's Chang'e‐6 mission returned the first farside samples from the southern mare unit of the Apollo basin within the SPA basin, where the regolith records a complex geological history and diverse non‐mare lithologies. In this study, Raman spectroscopy was applied to 50 coarse‐grained clasts (average diameter of ∼950 μm) from the Chang'e‐6 samples to investigate their mineral composition and reveal the lithological diversity of the farside crust within the SPA basin. Based on modal mineralogy, these clasts are classified into breccias (n = 34), basalts (n = 8), and non‐mare lithologies (n = 8). The non‐mare clasts are dominated by norite (n = 5), anorthosite (n = 2), and troctolite (n = 1), exhibiting Mg# values (molar [Mg/(Mg + Fe)] × 100) of olivine and/or pyroxene ranging from 53 to 73. Notably, noritic clasts provide direct sample‐based evidence that the Mg‐rich pyroxene annulus of the SPA basin is predominantly composed of ferroan norite, with an average Mg# of ∼64 and model abundances of ∼61 vol% plagioclase and ∼29 vol% orthopyroxene. These results provide new insights into the crustal composition and evolution of the lunar farside within the SPA basin. This study demonstrates the capability of Raman‐based lithologic classification and highlights its potential for future in situ mineralogical investigations in forthcoming lunar exploration by Chang'e‐7 Lunar Raman Spectrometer. Plain Language Summary: The Moon's South Pole–Aitken basin is the largest and oldest impact structure on the lunar surface, making it a key region for understanding how the Moon's crust formed and evolved. China's Chang'e‐6 mission returned the first samples from the South Pole‐Aitken basin, providing a rare opportunity to directly study materials from this region. In this study, we examined individual rock fragments in the Chang'e‐6 samples using Raman spectroscopy, a technique that identifies minerals based on how they interact with laser light. We found that most fragments are impact‐mixed breccias, but some are volcanic rocks formed from lunar lava, and others represent deeper crustal rocks such as norite, anorthosite, and troctolite. By comparing these results with mineral maps derived from spacecraft observations, we infer that some of these crustal rocks were transported to the landing site by large impacts within the South Pole‐Aitken basin. Our findings improve our understanding of the composition and history of the Moon's farside crust and show that Raman spectroscopy is an effective tool for identifying lunar rock types, supporting its future use in upcoming missions such as the Chang'e‐7 rover. Key Points: Raman analysis of Chang'e‐6 clasts reveals diverse lithologies and heterogeneous South Pole‐Aitken basin farside crustNon‐mare clasts indicate ferroan norite dominates the Mg‐rich pyroxene annulus of the South Pole‐Aitken basinA Raman‐based lithologic classification supports in situ mineralogical investigations by Chang'e‐7 mission [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Abstract:As the largest and oldest impact basin on the Moon, the South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) basin preserves critical information about the composition and evolution of the deep lunar crust and may even expose materials from the lunar mantle. China's Chang'e‐6 mission returned the first farside samples from the southern mare unit of the Apollo basin within the SPA basin, where the regolith records a complex geological history and diverse non‐mare lithologies. In this study, Raman spectroscopy was applied to 50 coarse‐grained clasts (average diameter of ∼950 μm) from the Chang'e‐6 samples to investigate their mineral composition and reveal the lithological diversity of the farside crust within the SPA basin. Based on modal mineralogy, these clasts are classified into breccias (n = 34), basalts (n = 8), and non‐mare lithologies (n = 8). The non‐mare clasts are dominated by norite (n = 5), anorthosite (n = 2), and troctolite (n = 1), exhibiting Mg# values (molar [Mg/(Mg + Fe)] × 100) of olivine and/or pyroxene ranging from 53 to 73. Notably, noritic clasts provide direct sample‐based evidence that the Mg‐rich pyroxene annulus of the SPA basin is predominantly composed of ferroan norite, with an average Mg# of ∼64 and model abundances of ∼61 vol% plagioclase and ∼29 vol% orthopyroxene. These results provide new insights into the crustal composition and evolution of the lunar farside within the SPA basin. This study demonstrates the capability of Raman‐based lithologic classification and highlights its potential for future in situ mineralogical investigations in forthcoming lunar exploration by Chang'e‐7 Lunar Raman Spectrometer. Plain Language Summary: The Moon's South Pole–Aitken basin is the largest and oldest impact structure on the lunar surface, making it a key region for understanding how the Moon's crust formed and evolved. China's Chang'e‐6 mission returned the first samples from the South Pole‐Aitken basin, providing a rare opportunity to directly study materials from this region. In this study, we examined individual rock fragments in the Chang'e‐6 samples using Raman spectroscopy, a technique that identifies minerals based on how they interact with laser light. We found that most fragments are impact‐mixed breccias, but some are volcanic rocks formed from lunar lava, and others represent deeper crustal rocks such as norite, anorthosite, and troctolite. By comparing these results with mineral maps derived from spacecraft observations, we infer that some of these crustal rocks were transported to the landing site by large impacts within the South Pole‐Aitken basin. Our findings improve our understanding of the composition and history of the Moon's farside crust and show that Raman spectroscopy is an effective tool for identifying lunar rock types, supporting its future use in upcoming missions such as the Chang'e‐7 rover. Key Points: Raman analysis of Chang'e‐6 clasts reveals diverse lithologies and heterogeneous South Pole‐Aitken basin farside crustNon‐mare clasts indicate ferroan norite dominates the Mg‐rich pyroxene annulus of the South Pole‐Aitken basinA Raman‐based lithologic classification supports in situ mineralogical investigations by Chang'e‐7 mission [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:21699097
DOI:10.1029/2025JE009620