APEX this week: Dr Yang Li discusses his research of Chang’E 6 lunar far-side samples
This week we are excited to hear from Dr Yang Li, a tenured associate professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Peking University (PKU) and an honorary associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at UCL, about his latest research on Chang’E 6 lunar far-side samples. This will be a hybrid event, held at UCL and online.
APEX this week: Dr Yang Li discusses his research of Chang’E 6 lunar far-side samples
07 Feb 2025, 13:00 – 14:00
Our Astrobiology and Planetary Exploration (APEX) seminar this Friday 7th February at 13:00 GMT, features the following talk:
- Yang Li (Peking University / UCL): Petrogenesis of the Chang’E 6 basalt and implications for mantle evolution
An abstract for Dr Li’s talk can be found below.
Please note the day and location for APEX this term: Fridays at lunchtime, 1-2 pm GMT, in the G22 Lecture Theatre on the ground floor of the UCL North West Wing building.
A hybrid (in-person and online) format will continue this term but, of course, we warmly encourage in-person attendance to support our visiting speakers.
Details of the forthcoming APEX programme can be found at the link below. The latest information will be advertised in advance of each meeting. If you are not on our regular mailing lists and are interested in attending these seminars, please contact joanna.fabbri AT ucl.ac.uk.
Talk abstract
Petrogenesis of the Chang’E 6 basalt and implications for mantle evolution - Yang Li (Peking University/UCL)
The stark contrast between the Moon’s nearside and farside in topography, volcanic activity, and crustal structure holds key insights into its formation and evolution. The Chinese Chang’e 6 mission (CE6) has returned the first rock samples from the farside, specifically from the South Pole-Aitken Basin— the largest and oldest lunar impact basin with the thinnest lunar crust (~5 km)—offering a unique glimpse into the thermal history and volcanic processes of this unexplored region. The CE6 basalt clasts are dated at 2.81 ± 0.04 billion years ago (Ga), originating from a pyroxene dominated mantle at depth of >150 km at ~1200 ℃ without direct involvement of heat-producing elements. Iron-magnesium diffusion in clinopyroxene indicates magma residence and ascent timescales on the order of a few years. Though these basalts are 0.8 Ga older than those retrieved by Chang’e-5 from the nearside, they exhibit comparable timescales of magmatic processes, reflecting a cooler thermal regime. A lack of upwelled deep mantle olivine in CE6 samples and a low-Ca pyroxene dominated upper mantle inferred from CE6 basalts dated at 2.81 Ga are consistent with remote sensing observations, and are best explained by a limited mantle overturn model.
Links
APEX Seminars
The Astrobiology and Planetary Exploration (APEX) seminar series takes place this term on Friday lunchtimes, from 1-2pm, in the G22 Lecture Theatre of UCL’s North West Wing building in the Bloomsbury Campus. As in previous years, we will operate a hybrid (online and in-person) model for both speakers and attendees. Details of the forthcoming APEX programme can be found via the link below.
Some of our past APEX talks can also be viewed online.
Further information
Ticketing
Open
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes
Related events
CRUNCH: Depth and Belonging
Ijlal Muzaffar examines how depth reveals invisible connections between land and belonging, traced through silt, dust and bodies in colonial Sindh.
What has and has not changed in disaster risk reduction: progress or Groundhog Day?
A critical look at why disaster risk reduction keeps repeating itself, and why tackling vulnerability means challenging the power systems that create it.
International Women's Day panel & lunch for UCL EEE
International Women’s Day #GiveToGain: lunch and panel on careers, inclusion and academic life in EEE. Open to all staff, PhDs and postdocs.