Apollo 12 Soil Samples

Incomplete. I’m putting this task on hold until I figure out how useful it really is.

  • 12001 (Reference soil sample)
    • Samples 12001 and 12003 were collected as the same sample. Sample 12001 is the < 1 mm fraction, while Sample 12003 is > 1 mm fraction and some friable material found at the bottom of the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container (ALSRC)(1).
    • Collected about 35 meters from the Lunar Module (1). Returned under vacuum in the ALSRC (1).
    • Mass = 2216 grams (1).
    • Average grain size = 73 microns (1). Another researcher has the average grain size as 60 micron (1). Average grain size for 12001 and 12003 combined is 65 microns (1).
    • Maturity index (Is/FeO) = 56 (1)
    • Mineralogical Mode (Frondel et al. 1971)(1)
      • Olivine + Pyroxene = 61.8%
      • Plagioclase = 15.7%
      • Opaques = 9.5%
      • Glass, angular = 10.8%
      • Glass, rounded = 2%
      • Silica = 0.1%
    • Mineralogical Mode (Labotka et al. 1980)(1)
      • 90-20 micron
        • Lithic clasts = 2.9
        • Agglutinates = 21.3
        • Pyroxene = 27.5
        • Plagioclase = 17.4
        • Olivine = 5.3
        • Silica = 0.8
        • Ilmenite = 1.2
        • Mare glass = 18.4
        • Highland glass = 4.7
      • 20-10 micron
        • Agglutinates = 4.7
        • Pyroxene = 31
        • Plagioclase = 18
        • Olivine = 10.2
        • Silica = 1.5
        • Ilmenite = 2.7
        • Mare glass = 24.1
        • Highland glass = 6.4
    • Modal Minerology (Simon et al. 1981)(1)
      • Lithic Fragments
        • Mare Basalt = 12.9
        • Highland Component
          • ANT = 1
          • LMB = 0.1
          • Feld. Basalt = 0.5
          • RNB/POIK = 2.3
        • Fused Soil Component
          • DMB = 9.5
          • Agglutinate = 40.1 (mostly in the coarse grain fraction as agglutinates become unrecognizable in the finer fractions).
        • Mineral Fragments
          • Mafic = 18.3
          • Plag = 3.9
          • Opaque = 0.2
        • Glass Fragments
          • Orange/Black = 0.5
          • Yellow/Green = 2.8
          • Brown = 1.5
          • Clear = 1
        • Misc
          • Devitrified glass = 5
          • Others = 0.5
    • 0.06%  (by weight) metallic iron was attracted to a hand magnet (from a 10 gram split of Sample 12001)(1).
    • Chemistry (3 different researchers)
      • Carbon = 120 ppm, 102 ppm, 96 ppm (1).
      • Nitrogen = 110 ppm, 54 ppm, 78(1)
    • Photos
      • AS12-47-6960

 

  • 12003 (Reference soil sample)
    • Samples 12001 and 12003 were collected as the same sample. Sample 12001 is the < 1 mm fraction, while Sample 12003 is > 1 mm fraction and some friable material found at the bottom of the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container (ALSRC)(1).
    • Collected about 35 meters from the Lunar Module (1). Returned under vacuum in the ALSRC (1).
    • Split off during initial processing and studied under nitrogen (1).
    • Collected about 35 meters from the Lunar Module (1)
    • Mass = 300 grams (1).
    • Average grain size = 66 microns (1).
    • Maturity index (Is/FeO) = 56 (1)
    • Mineralogical Mode (Frondel et al. 1971)(1)
      • Olivine + Pyroxene = 63.4%
      • Plagioclase = 17.2%
      • Opaques = 9.6%
      • Glass, angular = 6.1%
      • Glass, rounded = 3.5%
      • Silica = 0.3%
    • Chemistry
      • Carbon = 180 ppm (1).
      • Nitrogen = 85 ppm (1).
    • Photos
      • AS12-47-6960

 

  • 12023
  • 12024
  • 12029
  • 12030
  • 12032
  • 12033
  • 12037
  • 12041
  • 12042
  • 12044
  • 12057
  • 12060
  • 12070

 

Resources
  1. The Lunar Sample Compendium (curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/lsc/index.cfm) – Details about every Lunar sample.

 

Charts, pictures, etc.

Sample 12001 and 12003

Sample 12001 FeO and Al2O3

Composition of 12001 compared with that of other Apollo soil samples. (1)

 

Sample 12001 and 12003 maturity

Carbon content and maturity index for 12001 and 12003. (1)

 

Sample 12001 and 12003 grain size

Sample 12001. Source (1)

 

Sample 12001 and 12003 grain size distribution histogram

Sample 12001. Source (1)

 

Sample 12001 and 12003 grain size distribution

Source (1)

 

 

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