What minerals high in iron and magnesium cause the maria's darker color?
Answer
Pyroxene and olivine
The significantly darker coloration of the maria compared to the lighter highlands is directly linked to their chemical makeup, specifically the higher abundance of minerals containing iron and magnesium within the basaltic rock. The primary dark silicate minerals identified within the mare basalt that contribute to this dark hue are pyroxene and olivine. While ilmenite, an iron-titanium oxide, also contributes to the dark, dense character, pyroxene and olivine are the key dark silicates responsible, stemming from the mafic (magnesium-iron rich) content that absorbs more sunlight than the felsic highlands material.
Related Questions
What is the key constituent defining the material of the lunar maria?What minerals high in iron and magnesium cause the maria's darker color?What rock type dominates the lighter-hued lunar highlands?Lunar basalts are notably characterized as being what, unlike many terrestrial basalts?Which mineral is the lunar highlands rock anorthosite rich in?What property allowed basaltic lava to spread across vast distances to form the maria?Which iron-titanium oxide mineral contributes to the dark character of mare basalts?What did early astronomers mistakenly believe the lunar maria were?The maria formed when basaltic lava flowed into and filled what features?What chemical content dictates the contrast between mafic mare basalts and felsic highland material?