Experimental petrology of very low Ti /VLT/ basalts

Synthetic analogs of Luna 24 ferrobasalt and an Apollo 15 green glass were subjected to iron capsule experiments to test hypotheses concerning the generation of Luna 24 ferrobasalt. Results of the experiments indicated that the Luna 24 ferrobasalt may be generated by near-surface fractionation of a Luna 24 green glass parent. Evidence for the parent magma which differentiated at or near the Mare Crisium site to yield the Luna 24 ferrobasalt may be found in the Luna 24 green glass and lithic fragments of vitrophyres.