Lawrence A. Taylor

Biography
B.S., Chemistry, Indiana University
M.S., Geochemistry, Indiana University
Ph.D., Geology/Material Sciences, Lehigh University
Postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1968-1970
Fulbright Fellow & Humboldt Stiftung at Max-Planck-Institut fur Kernphysik, Heidelberg, 1970-1971
Asst. Professor - Dept. of Geosciences, Purdue Univ., W. Lafayette, 1971-1973
Assoc. Professor - Dept. of Geol. Sci., University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 1973-1977
Professor - Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 1977-present
Director - Planetary Geosciences Institute, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 1993-present

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Research Interests

Diamond Workshop at the White House-Special workshop for the Government Officials due to problems of African Diamonds

Formation of Lunar Soil and In-Situ Resource Utilization - Invited Lecture at the University of Wisconsin, Madison

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The research interests and endeavors of Professor Taylor, his Postdoctoral Fellows, and Graduate Students, all in the Planetary Geosciences Institute, involve various aspects of petrologic/ geochemical investigations of both extra-terrestrial and terrestrial rocks from the Moon, meteorites, and the Earth. Dr. Taylor's enthusiastic study of lunar science continues to this day at a high pace, funded by NASA. The lunar studies, involving rocks from the U. S. Apollo and Soviet Luna missions, are very work-intensive; yet considerable new knowledge on the evolution of the Moon's crust is forthcoming every year, particularly with regards to the nature of the lunar mantle and crust, the petrogenesis of the various mare basalts, and the origin and evolution of the highlands' lithologies.

With the recent surge of enthusiasm concerning the possibility of a lunar base leading to a permanent human presence on the Moon, Professor Taylor has become involved in evaluations of resource potentials on the Moon, the production of lunar simulants, and the beneficiation of lunar soil for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). His former experiences in Economic Geology and Materials Engineering have proven valuable here. These are very exciting times for lunar and martian resource utilization studies.

The above figures are of diamondiferous eclogites that are part of our studies funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It is the positions of the diamonds in their host rocks that are being sought here. Using High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (HRXCT), in collaboration with Dr. Bill Carlson at the Other UT in Austin, it has been possible to determine the positions of the minerals in eclogites relative to each other. The results are a series of 'slices' through the sample, much like a CAT scan of ones brain, but here the resolution is much better. In the figure on the left, 4 successive 'slices of the total of 360 'slices' through an eclogite from Udachnaya, Siberia, show the presence of diamonds (black). Note their positions relative to the garnets (lt. gray), pyroxene (dk. gray), and sulfides (white). The right-hand figure is actually a video, triggered by hitting the start button, which shows the complete sequence of the 360 slices through this diamondiferous eclogites. Note the numerous diamonds (black). This is definitely the most diamond-rich eclogite that we have ever examined and is the subject of our present "pull-apart" studies of this eclogite, its diamonds, and their mineral inclusions. For a complete discussion of this type of study, please refer to: Taylor, L.A., et al., 2000, Diamonds and Their Mineral Inclusions and What they Tell Us: Detailed "Pull-Apart" of a Diamondiferous Eclogite. International Geology Review 42, 959-983.

The terrestrial studies are focussed upon the chemical and mineralogical nature of the Earth's mantle, funded by the NSF. The rocks involved are mainly from kimberlites, the source rock for diamonds formed deep (150-200 km) within the Earth, but also xenoliths from alkali basalts, world-wide. Studies of these mantle samples, including the diamonds and their inclusions, have centered around eclogite xenoliths in kimberlites from several locales, notably southern Africa and Yakutia, Siberia. The results on these studies are extremely intriguing - subducted oceanic crustal protoliths for diamondiferous eclogites underlying the Kaapvaal and Siberian cratons. These are highly significant studies which bear directly upon the formation of the Earth's crust, continental cores, and plate tectonics..

Our combined EMP, XRF, INAA, SIMS, and isotopic studies have already come up with fantastic discoveries. This intensive mode of extracting the most sciences from a given sample is a carry over from our method of attacking lunar materials. After all, these diamondiferous samples are extremely rare and unique, quite like lunar rocks and soils.

For the detailed research projects, please go to PGI RESEARCH PAGE

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Recent Graduate Students

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Recent Research Associates

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• Taylor, L.A., Pieters, C., Keller, L.P., Morris, R.V., McKay, D.S., Patchen, A., and Wentworth, S., 2001, The effects of space weathering on Apollo 17 mare soils: Petrographic and chemical characterization. Meteor. Planet. Sci. 36, 285-299.
• Taylor, L.A., Pieters, C.M., Keller, L.P., Morris, R.V., and McKay, D.S., 2001, Lunar mare soils: Space weathering and the major effects of surface-correlated nanophase Fe. Jour. Geophys. Res.- Planet., 106 (E-11), 27985-28000.
• Cohen, B.A., G. A. Snyder, C. M. Hall, L. A. Taylor, and M. A. Nazarov, 2001, 40Ar-39Ar chronology and petrogenesis along the Eastern limb of the Moon from Luna 16, 20, and 24 samples. Meteor. Planet. Sci., 36, 1345-1366.
• Wiesli, R.A., Taylor, L.A., Vally, J.W., Tromsdorff, V., and Kurosawa, M., 2001, Geochemistry of eclogites and metapelites from Trescolmen, Central Alps, as observed from major and trace elements and oxygen isotopes. International Geology Review 43, 95-119.
• Wiechert, U., Halliday, A.N., Lee, D-C., Snyder, G.A., Taylor, L.A., and Rumble, D., 2001, Oxygen Isotopes and the Moon-forming giant impact. Sience 294, 345-348
• Noble, S.K., Pieters, C.M., Taylor, L.A., Morris, R.V., Allen, C.C., McKay, D.S., and Keller, L.P., 2001, The optical properties of the finest fraction of lunar soil: Implications for space weathering. Meteor. Planet. Sci. 36, 31-42.
• Ruzicka A., Snyder G.A. and Taylor L.A., 2001, Comparative geochemistry of basalts from the Moon, Earth, HED asteroid, and Mars: Implications for the origin of the Moon. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 65, 979-997.
• Snyder G.A., D.-C. Lee, A.M. Ruzicka, M. Prinz, L.A. Taylor, and A.N. Halliday , 2001, Hf-W, Sm-Nd, and Rb-Sr isotopic studies of silicate inclusions in IIE irons: Evidence of late impact fractionation and mixing of silicate on iron meteorite parent bodies. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 186 (2), 124-137.
• Taylor, L.A., Keller, R.A., Snyder, G.A., Wang, W., Carlson, W.D., Hauri, E.H., McCandless, T., Kim, K.-R., Sobolev, N.V., and Bezborodov, S.M., 2000, Diamonds and their mineral inclusions and what they tell us: A detailed "pull-apart" of a diamondiferous eclogite. Inter. Geol. Review 42, No. 12, 959-983.
• Taylor, L.A., Pieters, C., Keller, L.P., Morris, R.V., McKay, D.S., Patchen, A., and Wentworth, S., 2000, Space weathering of lunar mare soils: New understanding of the effects of reflectance spectroscopy. Space 2000, Amer. Soc. Civil Engr., 703-711.
• Sano, Y., Terada, K., Takeno, S., Taylor, L.A., and McSween, H.Y., Jr., 2000, Ion microprobe U-Th-Pb dating of Shergotty phosphates. Meteoritics & Planet. Sci. 35, 341-346
• Ruzicka A., Snyder G.A. and Taylor L.A., 2000, Geochemical and isotopic evidence bearing on the origin of large, igneous-textured inclusions in ordinary chondrites. Antarctic Meteorite Research, NIPR, No.13, 19-38.
• Ruzicka A., Snyder G.A. and Taylor L.A., 2000, Crystal-bearing lunar spherules: Impact-melting of the Moon's crust and implications for the origin of meteoritic chondrules. Meteor. Planet. Sci. 35, 173-192
• Simakov, S. and Taylor, L.A., 2000, Geobarometry for Mantle Eclogites: Solubility of Ca-Tschermaks in Clinopyroxene, International Geology Review 42, 534-544.
• Pieters, C.M., Taylor, L.A., Noble, S.K., Keller, L.P., Hapke, B., Morris, R.V., Allen, C.C., McKay, D.S., and Wentworth, S., 2000, Space Weathering on Airless Bodies: Resolving a Mystery with Lunar Samples, Meteor. Planet. Sci. 35, 1101-1107
• Snyder, G.A., Borg, L.E., Nyquist, L.E., and Taylor, L.A., 2000, Chronology and isotopic constraints on lunar evelution. In The Origin of the Earth and Moon, Univ. of Ariz. Press, 361-395.
• Greenwood J.P., Riciputi L.R., McSween H.Y. Jr. and Taylor L.A., 2000, Modified sulfur isotopic compositions of sulfides in the nakhlites and Chassigny. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 64, 1121-1132
• Pieters, C.M., Taylor, L.A., Noble, S.K., Keller, L.P., Hapke, B., Morris, R.V., Allen, C.C., McKay, D.S., and Wentworth, S., 2000, Space weathering on airless bodies: Resolving a mystery with lunar samples. Meteor. Planet. Sci. 35, 1101-1107.
• Taylor, L.A., and Kulcinski, G.L., 1999, Helium-3 on the Moon for Fusion Energy: The Persian Gulf of the 21st Century. Solar System Research 33, 338-345.
• Sobolev, V.N., C.A. McCammon, L.A. Taylor, G.A. Snyder, and N.V. Sobolev, 1999, Precise Mössbauer milliprobe determination of ferric iron in rock-forming minerals and limitations of electron microprobe. Amer. Mineral 84., 78-85.
• Sobolev, V.N., Taylor, L.A., Snyder, G.A., Jerde, E.A., Neal, C.R., and Sobolev, N.V., 1999, Quantifying the effects of metasomatism in mantle xenoliths: constraints from secondary chemistry and mineralogy in Udachnaya eclogites, Yakutia, Int'l. Geol. Rev. 41, 391-416.
• Sobolev, N.V., Sobolev, V.N., Snyder, G.A., Yefimova, and Taylor, L.A., 1999, Significance of eclogitic and related parageneses of natural diamonds. In Planetary Petrology and Geochemistry, The Lawrence A. Taylor 60th Birthday Volume, Geol. Soc. Amer., 15-26.
• Keller, R.A., L.A. Taylor, G.A. Snyder, V.N. Sobolev, W.D. Carlson, S.M. Bezborodov, and N.V. Sobolev, 1999, Detailed pull-apart of a diamondiferous eclogite xenolith: Implications for mantle processes during diamond genesis. Proc. 7th Int'l Kimberlite Conf., Vol. 1, Ed. Gurney, Gurney, Pascoe, & Richardson, National Printers, So. Afr., 397-412.
• Mitchell, J.N., Snyder, G.A., and Taylor, L.A., 1999, Mineral-chemical and isotopic variations in Apollo 16 Impact-melt breccias. In Planetary Petrology and Geochemistry, The Lawrence A. Taylor 60th Birthday Volume, Geol. Soc. Amer., 173-193.
• Ruzicka, A., L.R. Riciputi, J. Greenwood, L.A. Taylor, G.A. Snyder, R.A. Keller, G.P. Bulanova, and H.J. Millidge, 1999, Petrogenesis of mantle-derived sulfide inclusions in Yakutian diamonds: Chemical and Isotopic disequilibrium during quenching from high temperatures, Proc. 7th Int'l Kimberlite Conf., Vol. 2, Editors Gurney, Gurney, Pascoe, & Richardson, National Printers, So. Afr.,741-749.
• Ryabchikov, I.D., Sharkov, E.V., Snyder, G.A., and Taylor, L.A., 1999, The Upper Mantle: Direct Samples of the Mantle. Chapter 2.2 In Advanced Mineralogy, Volume 3, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 58p.
• Sobolev, V.N., Taylor, L.A., Snyder, G.A., Jerde, E.A., Neal, C.R., and Sobolev, N.V., 1999, Quantifying the effects of metasomatism of mantle xenoliths: Constraints from secondary chemistry and mineralogy in Udachnaya eclogites, Yakutia. Int'l. Geol. Rev. 41, 391-416.
• Ruzicka, A., Snyder, G.A., and Taylor, L.A., 1999, Giant impact and fission hypotheses for the origin of the Moon: A critical review of some geochemical evidence. In Planetary Petrology and Geochemistry, The Lawrence A. Taylor 60th Birthday Volume, Geol. Soc. Amer., 121-134.
• Sharkov, E.V., Snyder, G.A., Taylor, L.A., and Zinger, T.F., 1999, An early proterozoic large igneous province in the eastern Baltic shield: Evidence from the mafic drusite complex, Belomorian Mobile Belt, Russia. In Planetary Petrology and Geochemistry, The Lawrence A. Taylor 60th Birthday Volume, Geol. Soc. Amer., 53-73.
• Promprated, P., L.A. Taylor, and G.A. Snyder, 1999, Petrochemistry of the Mantle beneath Thailand: Evidence from peridotite xenoliths. Int'l Geol. Rev. 41, 506-530.
• Neal, C.R., and Taylor, L.A., 1999, Exploring the complexities of the Serenitatis Basin: Breccia clasts from Apollo 17. In Planetary Petrology and Geochemistry, The Lawrence A. Taylor 60th Birthday Volume, Geol. Soc. Amer., 155-172.

  Look at our PGI Home page for the Complete List of Publications

2002, Lunar Planetary Sciences Conference Abstracts

• Taylor, L.A., Pieters, C., Morris, Patchen, A.D., Taylor, D.S., R.V., Keller, L.P., & McKay, D.S., 2002, Moon-Wide Evidence that the Fusion-of-the-Finest Fraction - F3 - Model Really Explains the Chemistry oftThe Agglutinitic Glass. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM #
• Taylor, L.A., Patchen, A.D., Cahill, J.P., Pieters, C.M., Morris, R.V., Keller, L.P., and McKay, D.S., 2002, Mineral and Glass Characterization of Apollo 14 Soils, Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Anand, M., Misra, K., Taylor, L.A., Nazarov, M.A., Clayton, R.N., Mayeda, T.K., 2002, Apparently Kreepy Lunar Meteorite Dhofar 287a: The Residual Melt Tapped from a Fractionat-ing Magma Chamber. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Anand, M., Taylor, L.A., Patchen, A.D., Cahill, J.P., and Nazarov, M.A., 2002, New Minerals From a New Lunar Meteorite, Dhofar 280. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Cahill1, J.P., Taylor, L.A., Anand, M., Patchen, A.D., and Nazarov, M.A., 2002, Mineralogy, Petrography, and Geochemistry of Lunar Meteorite Dhofar 081: New Developments. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM #
• Cahill, J.T., Taylor, L.A., Patchen, A.D., Nazorov, M.A., Stockstill, K.R., and Anand, M., 2002, Basaltic Shergottite Dhofar 019: A "Normal" Olivine Cumulate Product. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Nazarov, M.A., Svetlana, I.D., Patchen, A., and Taylor, L.A., 2002, Dhafar 301, 302, and 303:Three new Lunar highland meteorites from Oman. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Svetlana, I. D., Nazarov, M.A., Anand, M., and Taylor, L.A., 2002, Clast population of Lunar regolith breccia Dhofar 287B. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Ivanova, M.A, Taylor, L.A., Clayton, R.N., Maeyda, T.K., Nazarov, M.A., Brandstaetter, F., and Kurat, G., 2002, Dhofar 225 vs. the CM Clan: A metamorphosed or new type of carbonaceous chondrites? Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Beard, B.L., Taylor, L.A., Lapen, T., Mahlen, N., and Hohnson, C.J., 2002, Hafnium and Neodymium isotopic constraints on shergottite formation. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Pieters, C.M., Taylor, L.A., and LSCC, 2002, The perplexing role of TiO2 in the evolution of Lunar soils. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Cohen, B.A., Swindle, T.D., Taylor, L.A., and Nazarov, M.A., 2002, ⁴⁰AR-³⁹AR ages from impact melt clasts in Lunar meteorites Dhofar 025 and dhofar 026. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Shih, C. -Y., Nyquist, L.E., Reese, Y., Wiesmann, H, Nazarov, M.A., and Taylor, L.A., 2002, The chronology and petrogenesis of the mare basalt clast from Lunar meteorite Dhofar 287:Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic studies. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Stankevich, D.G., Shkuratov, Y.G., Pieters, C.M., and Taylor, L.A., 2002, Statistical analyses of mare soil chemistry using clementine band constraints. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM
• Walker, R.J., Brandon, A.D., Nazarov, M.A., Mittlefehldt, B.D., Jagoutz, E., and Taylor, L.A., 2002, ¹⁸⁷Re-¹⁸⁷Os isotopic studies of SNC meteorites: An update. Lunar & Planetary Sci. Conf., LPI CD-ROM