Its conference time again!
The last in-person Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) was back in 2019, which now seems a lifetime ago, no-one had even heard the word Covid-19. In March 2020, people were busy preparing talks and posters, almost up to packing their suitcases to go to Houston, but as Covid took hold around the world the 2020 conference had to be cancelled at short notice. Of course we all understood the need to cancel, and appreciated the hard work of the organisers in difficult circumstances, but it was disappointing that the largest planetary science conference had to miss a year after 50 consecutive annual meetings. And John wasn’t able to enjoy his annual week of hot-wings and margaritas! LPSC 2021 was entirely online, which meant jetlag without even leaving the home office/spare room/kitchen table for those of us not in American time zones.
But now it is back! This week the 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference is taking place in The Woodlands, Texas, with options for participants to attend in person or online (a hybrid conference). After a 3 year wait, it is finally time to catch up with colleages from around the world who we haven’t seen in person for several years. And to fill up on those hot-wings and margaritas, and to (hopefully) enjoy some spring sunshine which always makes a nice change after a damp British winter.
Several members of our group will be presenting at LPSC 2022 this week, either attending in person or virtually. A list of all abstracts submitted by group members is below. And The Cosmic Cast team have also made a short video of group members summarising their presentations.
If you want to keep up with the conference this week, follow #LPSC2022 on social media. Twitter is usually particularly busy. The Lunar and Planetary Institute‘s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts are also good sources of updates. And science journalists attend the conference, so a handful of the big stories usually pop on on sites like BBC News Science pages.
Abstracts by group members (University of Manchester staff/students are highlighted in bold):
Bao Z., Shi Y., Wang P., Peng W., Joy K.H., Norman M.D., Kennedy A., Fu X., Nemchin A., Che X., Fa R., Wang C., Kang Y., Sun H., Want Z., Shang W. & Lui D. Pb-Pb Age of Gabbroic Lunar Meteorite Northwest Africa 5000 [Abstract #1727]
In this contribution, we present a preliminary study of the chronology of a gabbroic clast based the 207Pb/206Pb age of merrillite grains in NWA5000.
Bell S.K., Joy K.H. & Moore K. Cataloguing the UK’s Moon Rocks: Luna Samples from the Soviet Union [Abstract #1957]
A new digital database has been created of the remaining UK Royal Society collection of Luna 16, 20, and 24 samples, studied by UK scientists in the 1970s.
Bell S.K., Joy K.H., Nottingham M., Tartèse R., Jones R.H., Kent J.J., Shearer, C.K. and the ANGSA Science Team Initial Petrographic Analysis of Apollo 17 73002 Continuous Core Thin Sections Using QEMSCAN Mapping Techniques [Abstract #1947]
Initial analysis of petrological data acquired using QEMSCAN on Apollo 17 core continuous thin sections from 73002 as part of the ANGSA initiative.
Che X.C., Snape J.F., Tartèse R., Head J., Jolliff B., Joy K.H., Long T., Nemchin A., Norman M.D., Neal C.R., Xie S., Whitehouse M.J., Bao Z., Shi Y. & Liu D. Mineralogy and Petrology of Basaltic Fragments in Chang’ e-5 Sample CE5C0400 [Abstract #1362]
The textural characteristics, mineralogy, and bulk major and minor element compositions of 28 basaltic fragments from sample CE5C0400.
Halim S.H., Crawford I.A., Collins G.S., Joy K.H. & Davison T. M. Modelling the Impact Ejection of Low-Pressure Material from Earth to the Moon [Abstract #2029]
Lift-off for Earth’s earth. / Want to escape in one piece? / Get your angles right.
Harvey T.A., Lo M., Carter E.J., Bahia R. & Pernet-Fisher J.F. The Cosmic Cast: Progress Update and Adaptation to a Remotely Produced Podcast [Abstract #2810]
The Cosmic Cast: An outreach level podcast from the team at the University of Manchester. Summary of channel growth and shift to recording remotely.
Harvey T.A., MacArthur J.L., Joy K.H. & Jones R. H. Non-Destructive Determination of the Physical Properties of Antarctic Meteorites: Importance for the Meteorite-Asteroid Connection [Abstract #1857]
A non-destructive, accessible approach to measure physical properties of Antarctic meteorites and investigation of the mesosiderite meteorite-asteroid link.
Lo M., La Spina G., Joy K.H., Polacci M. & Burton M. Verifying Lunar Magmatic Volatile Content Using Models for Magma Ascent and Eruption [Abstract #1024]
Initial results from a numerical lunar magma ascent model and sensitivity analysis to verify the volatile content of the lunar interior.
MacArthur J.L., Joy K.H., Harvey T.A., Jones R.H., Evatt G.W., Almeida N.V., Malley J., Greenwood R.C., & Findlay R. Four New Antarctic Achondrites Recovered by the Lost Meteorites of Antarctica Project [Abstract #1996]
Antarctic icefields
Searched for lost meteorites
Four achondrites found.
Aubrite and eucrite
And two mesosiderites
New UK AntMets.
Nottingham M., Curran N.M., Pernet-Fisher J. F., Burgess R., Gilmour J.D., Crawford I.A. & Joy K.H. Noble Gas Systematics of the ‘Soil-Like’ Apollo 16 Regolith Breccias [Abstract #1899]
Apollo 16 ‘soil-like’ regolith breccias were measured for their noble gas contents. Implications of cosmic ray exposure and breccia closure ages are discussed.
Okazaki R., Marty B., Busemann H., Hashizume K., Gilmour J., Meshik A., Yada T., Kitajima F., Broadley M.W., Byrne D., Füri E., Reibe M.E.I., Krietsch D., Maden C., Ishida A., Clay P., Crowther S., Fawcett L., Lawton T. et al. Isotopic Compositions of Noble Gases and Nitrogen in the Ryugu Samples Returned by Hayabusa2 [Abstract #1348]
We report the first results of measurements for isotopic ratios and concentrations of noble gases and nitrogen in the Ryugu samples returned by the Hayabusa2.
Pernet-Fisher J.F. Joy K.H. Hartley M. & Tartèse R. Constraining Apollo Granulite Protoliths Using Plagioclase Trace Element Chemistry [Abstract #1959]
Plagioclase trace element systematics constrain the highland lithologies that contribute to the Apollo granulite protolith.
Shi Y., Joy K.H., Peng W., Bao Z., Nemchin A.,Che X., Li Z., Norman M.D., Tartèse R., Head J., Jolliff B., Snape J.F., Neal C.R., Whitehouse M.J., Fan R., Xie S., Wang P., Kang Y., Sun H., Want Z., Zhang W., Liu D. Petrology and Mineralogy of Chang’E-5 Breccias [Abstract #1308]
This contribution focuses on the petrology and mineralogy of the lunar breccias returned by CE-5 with emphasis on the regolith evolution at the landing site.
Xie S., Joy K.H., Nemchin A., Jolliff B., Che X., Long, T., Li Z., Norman M.D., Tartèse R., Head J., Snape J.F., Neal C.R., Whitehouse M.J., Fan R., Yang C., Shi Y., Wang C. & Lui D. Petrology and Chemistry of Agglutinates in the Chang’E-5 Soil [Abstract #1800]
The glass in agglutinates from CE-5 soil show similar chemistry to the bulk soil. Three lithic clasts in the fragments plot in Mg-Suite or Alkali-Suite fields.
Earth & Solar System 