KREEP
Sign in to saveAlso known as potassium–rare earth elements–phosphorus
thumb|300px|Thorium concentrations on the Moon, as mapped by [[Lunar Prospector. Thorium correlates with the location of KREEP.]] KREEP, an acronym built from the letters K (the atomic symbol for potassium), REE (rare-earth elements) and P (for phosphorus), is a geochemical component of some lunar impact breccia and basaltic rocks. Its most significant feature is somewhat enhanced concentration of a majority of so-called "incompatible" elements (those that are concentrated in the liquid phase during magma crystallization) and the heat-producing elements, namely radioactive uranium, thorium, an
~4 min read
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Typical composition
- Possible origin
- Lunar Prospector measurements
- Possible use in lunar colonization
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|300px|Thorium concentrations on the Moon, as mapped by [[Lunar Prospector. Thorium correlates with the location of KREEP.]] KREEP, an acronym built from the letters K (the atomic symbol for potassium), REE (rare-earth elements) and P (for phosphorus), is a geochemical component of some lunar impact breccia and basaltic rocks. Its most significant feature is somewhat enhanced concentration of a majority of so-called "incompatible" elements (those that are concentrated in the liquid phase during magma crystallization) and the heat-producing elements, namely radioactive uranium, thorium, and potassium (due to presence of the radioactive 40K).
==Typical composition== The typical composition of KREEP includes about one percent, by mass, of potassium and phosphorus oxides, 20 to 25 parts per million of rubidium, and a concentration of the element lanthanum that is 300 to 350 times the concentrations found in carbonaceous chondrites. Most of potassium, phosphorus and rare-earth elements in KREEP basalts are incorporated in the grains of the phosphate minerals apatite and merrillite.