Fig. 2: Final ε182W of Earth–Moon pairs. | Nature Communications

Fig. 2: Final ε182W of Earth–Moon pairs.

From: The origin of the Moon’s Earth-like tungsten isotopic composition from dynamical and geochemical modeling

Fig. 2

The 1:1 line represents an identical 182W anomaly in the Earth and Moon as observed, a low-probability event. Gray shaded boxes: actual pre-late veneer ε182W in the Earth and Moon5. Symbol shape indicates accretion scenario; symbol color indicates the time of the Moon-forming collision (expressed as time since Solar System formation). Results are shown for a lunar W metal–silicate partition coefficient DW = 30 and whole mantle equilibration. In a, the fraction of equilibrating metal was k = 0.4, which provides the best match to Earth’s ε182W on average in Circular Jupiter and Saturn (CJS) and Eccentric Jupiter and Saturn (EJS) scenarios;19,21 in b, it was k = 0.8, which provides the best match to Earth’s ε182W on average in the Grand Tack scenario27. Lunar ε182W was calculated assuming that the Moon formed entirely from Theia materials, with no terrestrial component. While CJS/EJS Earth analogs in a and Grand Tack Earth analogs in b match the observed ε182W on average, 75 and 85% of Moon analogs, respectively, have anomalies that are too high.

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