Origin and Evolution of the Earth

Report on Hydrogen Isotopes in Lunar Volcanic

Glasses and Melt Inclusions Reveal a
Carbonaceous Chondrite Heritage

Introduction
The paper talks about the origin of water on the Moon and subsequent occurrence
of it on planetary bodies like the Earth. The samples brought back by the lunar
missions were examined for their isotopic compositions of hydrogen. These included
the primitive volcanic glass and olivine-hosted melt inclusions.

Methodology
The hydrogen isotopes (H and D) provide a very unique insight into the origin of
water in planetary bodies. Using isotope fractionation i.e. the D/H ratio in this case
one can extract information about the origin and geologic history of the fluid, and
about the fluid rock interactions. One can compare this to other available sources of
this isotopic compositions and determine the origin of water on the moon. The
Moon is thought to have been formed by a collision between a planet and an early
proto-Earth.
The samples include different rock types like very low Ti glasses, low Ti glasses, high
Ti melt inclusions, matrix glass and glass beads. Correcting for the solar wind
implantation, cosmic-ray spallation processes, magma degassing, etc. It was found
that these have had very less impact on the D/H isotopic compositions of the high
melt inclusions. Thus, they provide the most direct constraints on the isotopic
compositions. Therefore, they were deemed ideal samples to determine the
primitive δD of the lunar water.

Implications
These examinations provide conclusive evidence for carbonaceous chondrites being
the source of water on the Moon, as opposed to other plausible sources like the
Oort cloud comets, Jupiter Family Comets (JFC), asteroids, etc.
Even though it is said that the various factors that lead to variation of the isotopic
composition in the samples like spallation, degassing, etc. have minimal effects on
them, it is not possible to determine to what extent the samples have been affected.
Especially the degassing processes, there is no way of determining to what extent
the inclusions have degassed before they were formed. Presence of certain metal
blebs trapped inside have been interpreted to as evidence for degassing, and thus
led to believe that the δD value was lower previously and that kinetic D/H
fractionation has led to loss of H. It is possible that the H got oxidised and the sample
became D enriched. Originally the δD values might have been lower due to
significant loss of water and ice during and after accretion. The heat of the accretion
could have caused expulsion of the water from the warm interiors to the surface,
where it would refreeze. These ice-rich surfaces may have been stripped off over
time by impacts, etc. Heating and freezing leave behind the heavier hydrogen
isotope, implying that the residual parent body water would become D-enriched,
and therefore the increased δD value.
The paper also shows the relation between 15N/14N ratio in different solar system
bodies and the Earth, the Moon and the carbonaceous chondrites have similar
values. The H, C, and N isotopic similarities between the Earth and potentially the
Moon allow us to place important limits on the timing of water delivery to the inner
solar system. Earth cannot provide timing of water delivery because it is currently
geologically active. The Moon likely accreted its water at or before ~200 million
years after CAIs, or around 4367 Ma but such a constraint is not very rigorous, given
that all the planets in the inner solar system are thought to have fully accreted by
this time.
It can be inferred that carbonaceous chondrities delivered water during primary
accretion of Earth. In addition, it is believed that the water on Earth condensed in
the outer asteroid belt and giant planet regions and was then transported to Earth
by dynamical processes related to giant planet migration. The implications are that
(i) the migration of water in the inner solar system must have started by 8 to 20
million years after CAIs, or (ii) water was always present in the inner solar system, in
which case no water migration is needed to satisfy the H isotopic composition of
terrestrial planets.

Conclusion
If we remove the effects of secondary processes, the original hydrogen isotope ratios
of water in the Earth and the Moon suggests that this relative water homogeneity is
due to a shared water source. The differentiated body (the Earth) could have
sourced its water from the chondrites, since they formed prior to terrestrial planet
accretion. This simplistic view is complicated by the fact that no combination of
chondrite meteorite compositions (as a proxy for parental asteroid compositions)
has been able to recreate the bulk Earth.

References
 Hydrogen Isotopes in Lunar Volcanic Glasses and Melt Inclusions Reveal a
Carbonaceous Chondrite Heritage by Alberto E. Saal, Erik H. Hauri, James A. Van
Orman, Malcolm J. Rutherford.
 D/H ratio; encyclopedia.com
 D/H ratios of the inner Solar System, L. J. Hallis
 Early accreton of water in the inner solar system from a carbonaceous
chondrite-like source, www.sciencemag.org