Published 1982 | Version v1
Journal article

Natural radioactivity of the rocks from the Moon and planets

Creators

  • 1. AN SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Geokhimii i Analiticheskoj Khimii

Description

Tha data on natural radioactivity of rocks (U, Th and K contents) from the Moon, Venus and Mars obtained by means of cosmic means are analyzed. The Moon rock radioactivity has been measured in situ (from orbital vehicles) as well as in the samples of lunar material delivered to the Earth and as for Venus and Mars rocks - by landing vehicles. It has been found that the main specific feature of the Moon and the Earth group planets is the presence of two geomorphological types of the structure of their surface composed by two different types of the matter. The ancient contineent regions are made up by feldspar rock - gabbroanorthosite at the Moon (and possibly at the Mars) and granite-metamorphic at the Earth (and possibly at the Venus). The younger ''marine'' regions are composed by basalt rock. The presence at the Moon of two types of crust (marine and continental ones) having a different nature is clearly reflected on the Moon radioactivity map where marine regions (15% of the total surface) which have high radioactivity and continental regions with a relatively low radioactivity can be seen. The discovery of rocks on the Venus surface highly enriched by U, Th and K speaks of their melting from the primary matter in the depth of the Earth. The Marsian rock by the natural radioelement content is close to igneous rocks of the Earth crust of the basic composition and lunar marine basalts

Additional details

Additional titles

Original title (Russian)
Естественная радиоактивность пород Луны и планет

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Geokhimiya
Journal Issue
no.6
Series
Geokhimiya.
ISSN
0016-7525

INIS

Country of Publication
Russian Federation
Country of Input or Organization
USSR
INIS RN
14763262
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
LUNAR MATERIALS; MARS PLANET; MOON; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; POTASSIUM; ROCKS; THORIUM; URANIUM; VENUS PLANET
Descriptors DEC
ACTINIDES; ALKALI METALS; ELEMENTS; MATERIALS; METALS; PLANETS; RADIOACTIVITY; SATELLITES