Venus Rocks Petrogenesis as Constrained by K, U and Th Data
Abstract
Relative to Earth's N-MORB, all of four K-U-Th measured basaltic rocks of Venus are moderately enriched in all of these incompatible elements and similar to each other, but differ from the highly enriched Venera 8 material, in their U-to-K trend. The K-U-Th pattern for the Venera 8 material might be controlled by 1-2 percent partial melting of eclogitic N-MORB-like tholeite. But the Venus basalts could be produced by neither crystallization of N-MORB-type magma, nor contamination of that magma by the Venera 8 material, nor batch partial melting of eclogitic N-MORB-like tholeite or primitive mantle. This suggests an unusual composition of the basalt source(s) and/or unusual fractionation process(es) on Venus.
- Publication:
-
Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
- Pub Date:
- March 1997
- Bibcode:
- 1997LPI....28.1025N
- Keywords:
-
- Venus Surface;
- Rocks;
- Petrogenesis;
- Potassium;
- Uranium;
- Thorium;
- Basalt;
- Crystallization;
- Magma;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration;
- PETROGENESIS