Wikipedia has a decent write-up.
In addition to titanium, iron is also produced from anorthosites. Common mineral phases are ilmenite, magnetite, titanomagnetite, rutile, and apatite. Vanadium is common in these ores, but at low concentration.
These ores occur as stringers, blebs, and layers within the anorthosite. Basically, as plagioclase crystalizes, there is no room in the crystal structure for these two metals, and the Fe-Ti melt is squeezed out into the spaces between the crystals where it can then collect into larger pockets or layers.
If these anorthosites were producted by fractionation of a mafic magma, there would be the possibility of other ores deeper in the system, like copper and the platinum group elements.
Space/Science » in reply to A question for Podrock on the discovery of a crystal lunar outcrop.
more anorthosite info
The whole thread (12 posts)
- A question for Podrock on the discovery of a crystal lunar outcrop.
