A comparison of fractionation trends in the lunar crust and the Stillwater Complex

Abstract

Even if the magma ocean hypothesis in its present form should not prove equal to the task of explaining all the observational data, it seems highly probable that the concept of crystal/liquid fractionation and segregation will endure. We accept as a basic premise for this paper that these processes were important during the early evolution of the moon and will attempt to explain the observed fractionation trends in lunar highland rocks within this framework.