Impact-generated magnetite in Chang’e-5 soil as a potential recorder of lunar magnetism

作者：Jinhua Li, Chaoqun Zhang, Chen Li, Yi Chen, Qinghua Zhang, Qianqian Lan, Yuqin Wang, Weiwei Wu, Jian Wang, Zheng Gong, Xu Tang, Xuechao Sha, Lixin Gu, ShiQi Cheng, Peiyu Liu, Jiawei Liu, Qiuli Li, Lin Gu, Gang Li, Yang Li, Rafal E. Dunin‐Borkowski, Andrew P. Roberts, Yongxin Pan · 发表于：Communications Earth & Environment · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1038/s43247-025-02868-z · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Planetary Science and Exploration、Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies、Astro and Planetary Science

Abstract Magnetite is a principal paleomagnetic recorder on Earth, but lunar magnetism is thought to be dominated by metallic iron and Fe-Ni alloys, with magnetite rare and typically sub-micrometer within troilite. We identify nanometer- to micrometer-scale magnetite in pentlandite-troilite assemblages from a Chang’e-5 regolith breccia. Magnetite occurs at and within pentlandite, locally enclosing pentlandite nanoinclusions, implying a formation pathway distinct from troilite-hosted occurrences. Textures and compositions indicate sequential crystallization from an impact-generated Fe-Ni-S-O melt: rapid pentlandite growth along troilite margins followed by magnetite nucleation at sulfide-silicate interfaces. The lunar low oxygen fugacity stabilizes Fe 2+ -enriched magnetite, unlike terrestrial analogues. High crystallinity and single-domain to single-vortex states indicate strong remanence stability, making these grains reliable recorders of the contemporaneous lunar magnetic fields. These results broaden the inventory of lunar magnetic carriers, demonstrate impact-driven magnetite formation under lunar redox conditions, and motivate use of magnetite to refine the Moon’s magnetic history.