Apollo 12 Lunar Samples: Trace Element Analysis of a Core and the Uniformity of the Regolith

Abstract

Four core and soil samples from Apollo 12 are enriched in a number of trace elements of meteoritic origin to virtually the same degree as Apollo 11 soil. An average meteoritic influx rate of about 4 x 10^-9 gram per square centimeter per year thus seems to be valid for the entire moon. A sample from a light gray, coarse-grained layer in the core resembles lunar basalts in composition, but is enriched by factors of 10⁴ to 10⁵ in bismuth and cadmium.