Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane
The role of widespread ilmenite in lunar mare regions in the abundance and diurnal variations of surficial OH/H<sub>2</sub>O remains controversial. Here, we report the water content and hydrogen isotopes in the rims of lunar ilmenites from Chang'e-5 soil samples using an ion microprobe. Ilmenite rims exhibit higher water contents (~730 - 3,700 ppm) and lower δD values (-884 to -482‰) than that of the lunar mantle, indicating a predominantly endogenic origin from solar-wind (SW) implantation. Our data further reveal that although ilmenite and silicate minerals overlap in the δD vs. H<sub>2</sub>O diagram, almost all ilmenites fall above those of silicates with SW-like δD values. This signature is consistent with the drastic difference in vesicle abundance between ilmenite and silicate minerals. Thus, the lower water content in ilmenite rims most likely reflects a faster dynamic equilibrium between SW-hydrogen implantation and outgassing than in other silicates. These findings suggest that ilmenite may play a critical role in the surface water cycle of lunar maria within the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. This is also crucial for assessing the in-situ resource utilization potential of the region, highlighting the need to reevaluate ilmenite as a viable resource for future lunar exploration.
Authors
- Heng‐Ci Tian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6556-3096)
- Jialong Hao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4898-1023)
- Yongliao Zou
- Wei Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6267-4981)
- Huaiyu He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4887-5274)
- Yang Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7699-2507)
- Lixin Gu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1254-8693)
- Christian Wöhler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0715-0955)
- Xu Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2476-1635)
- Liyu Shan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6700-1425)
- Zhuang Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4814-0910)
- Yangting Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3407-4329)
- Ruiying Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-6901)
- Tianxin Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5535-2976)
- Yuchen Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4603-0155)
- Xian‐Hua Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5512-7736)
- Sheng Gou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6872-6137)
Institutions
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- TU Dortmund University (DE)
- China National Space Administration (CN)
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics (AZ)
- Continental (United Kingdom) (GB)
- National Space Science Center (CN)
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-08-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62914-4
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.31
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Nuclear Safety and Security Commission
- Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
- National Key Research and Development Program of China
- Youth Innovation Promotion Association
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences