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Satyakumar AV, Patel S, Patel DD. Volcanic processes within the Petavius crater, nearside of the Moon. Sci Rep 2025; 15:10176. [PMID: 40128292 PMCID: PMC11933338 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-95132-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2025] [Indexed: 03/26/2025] Open
Abstract
This study presents a detailed investigation of compositional data (e.g., Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), Kaguya mineral abundance map) and gravity data (Regional, residual, and crustal thickness) to understand the volcanic history of Petavius crater (~ 180 km diameter crater centered at 25.3° S, 60.4° E). Spectral analysis of M3 data reveals the presence of feldspar mineral-plagioclase and olivine at the central peak and other mafic minerals like high and low pyroxene in distinct mare units. The composition of volcanic units are mafic with dominant phases of olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase mineral. Primary melt compositions simulated using the COMAGMAT model suggest that the magmas are Mg-rich (MgO = 10.3-24.5 wt%), and the thermal regime of the Petavius mantle was not anomalously hot (i.e., > 1500 °C). Bouguer gravity anomalies show an irregular high (~ 20 mGal) over the central peak towards the southwest of the crater and a minor poorly spread associated negative annulus. The fractures on the floor are probably linked with an underlying magmatic sill of high density, which may be affecting the observed positive Bouguer Gravity Anomaly patterns. The crustal thickness varies from 27 to 29 km at the center, 30-32 km at the floor, and 33-39 km at the rim of the crater. Considering all these points, we conclude that mare material that erupted through floor fractures of the crater floor was likely the result of magmatic intrusion within the fractured crust underneath the crater floor.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Satyakumar
- CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI), Hyderabad, 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Shreekumari Patel
- Space and Planetary Science Group, Department of Earth Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Deep Dixit Patel
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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2
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Sodha G, Dhingra D. Novel geological framework to understand the origin and diversity of orthopyroxene, olivine, spinel (OOS) lithologies on the Moon. Sci Rep 2025; 15:2426. [PMID: 39827289 PMCID: PMC11742982 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-86248-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2025] [Indexed: 01/22/2025] Open
Abstract
A novel geological framework is presented to address the origin of Orthopyroxene, Olivine, Mg-spinel (OOS) lithologies on the Moon, an emerging component of the lunar crust. The new framework can explain multiple remote sensing observations including the rare occurrence of OOS lithologies in close proximity, lack of mafic mineral association with Mg-spinel lithology and the contrasting observation of mafic mineral association with Mg-spinel in returned lunar samples. We further report new OOS exposures at Thomson crater and present the first remote-sensing-based evidence of mafic mixing among various OOS components. Collectively, the new framework and observations provide a testable set of geological scenarios to understand the origin and diversity of the OOS lithologies and their role in lunar crustal diversity. Future missions would directly benefit from this knowledge towards collecting the best OOS lithology samples, currently absent from the returned lunar sample collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Sodha
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), Kalyanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
| | - Deepak Dhingra
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), Kalyanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
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3
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Barboni M, Szymanowski D, Schoene B, Dauphas N, Zhang ZJ, Chen X, McKeegan KD. High-precision U-Pb zircon dating identifies a major magmatic event on the Moon at 4.338 Ga. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn9871. [PMID: 39047092 PMCID: PMC11268413 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn9871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The Moon has had a complex history, with evidence of its primary crust formation obscured by later impacts. Existing U-Pb dates of >500 zircons from several locations on the lunar nearside reveal a pronounced age peak at 4.33 billion years (Ga), suggesting a major, potentially global magmatic event. However, the precision of existing geochronology is insufficient to determine whether this peak represents a brief event or a more protracted period of magmatism occurring over tens of millions of years. To improve the temporal resolution, we have analyzed Apollo 14, 15, and 17 zircons that were previously dated by ion microprobe at ~4.33 Ga using isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry. Concordant dates with sub-million-year uncertainty span ~4 million years from 4.338 to 4.334 Ga. Combined with Hf isotopic ratios and trace element concentrations, the data suggest zircon formation in a large impact melt sheet, possibly linked to the South Pole-Aitken basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Barboni
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Dawid Szymanowski
- Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Blair Schoene
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Nicolas Dauphas
- Origins Laboratory, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Zhe J. Zhang
- Origins Laboratory, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- Origins Laboratory, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kevin D. McKeegan
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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4
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Lin Y, Yang W, Zhang H, Hui H, Hu S, Xiao L, Liu J, Xiao Z, Yue Z, Zhang J, Liu Y, Yang J, Lin H, Zhang A, Guo D, Gou S, Xu L, He Y, Zhang X, Qin L, Ling Z, Li X, Du A, He H, Zhang P, Cao J, Li X. Return to the Moon: New perspectives on lunar exploration. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:2136-2148. [PMID: 38777682 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Lunar exploration is deemed crucial for uncovering the origins of the Earth-Moon system and is the first step for advancing humanity's exploration of deep space. Over the past decade, the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), also known as the Chang'e (CE) Project, has achieved remarkable milestones. It has successfully developed and demonstrated the engineering capability required to reach and return from the lunar surface. Notably, the CE Project has made historic firsts with the landing and on-site exploration of the far side of the Moon, along with the collection of the youngest volcanic samples from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. These achievements have significantly enhanced our understanding of lunar evolution. Building on this success, China has proposed an ambitious crewed lunar exploration strategy, aiming to return to the Moon for scientific exploration and utilization. This plan encompasses two primary phases: the first crewed lunar landing and exploration, followed by a thousand-kilometer scale scientific expedition to construct a geological cross-section across the lunar surface. Recognizing the limitations of current lunar exploration efforts and China's engineering and technical capabilities, this paper explores the benefits of crewed lunar exploration while leveraging synergies with robotic exploration. The study refines fundamental lunar scientific questions that could lead to significant breakthroughs, considering the respective engineering and technological requirements. This research lays a crucial foundation for defining the objectives of future lunar exploration, emphasizing the importance of crewed missions and offering insights into potential advancements in lunar science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangting Lin
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hejiu Hui
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Sen Hu
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Long Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jianzhong Liu
- Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Zhiyong Xiao
- Planetary Environmental and Astrobiological Research Laboratory, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Zongyu Yue
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jinhai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yang Liu
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Honglei Lin
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Aicheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research and School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Dijun Guo
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Sheng Gou
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Lin Xu
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yuyang He
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xianguo Zhang
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Liping Qin
- Deep Space Exploration Laboratory / CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Zongcheng Ling
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Xiongyao Li
- Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Aimin Du
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Huaiyu He
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Jinbin Cao
- School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xianhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
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5
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Karmakar R, Shastri B, Choomjinda U, Mukundan A, Wang HC. LULAD (LUnar LAva tube Discoverer) Instrument for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS: CONFERENCE SERIES 2024; 2784:012010. [DOI: https:/10.1088/1742-6596/2784/1/012010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2025]
Abstract
Abstract
NASA’s latest lunar exploration program is Artemis. In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) will become more important as human space travel moves toward a lunar presence. CLPS helps the Artemis Program develop and use compact autonomous landers and rovers. A series of lunar micro-rovers will be launched in the coming years to collect data and conduct scientific research on the moon. Subterranean lava tubes on celestial bodies are promising habitats for human expansion beyond Earth. Due to its lack of atmosphere, the moon is vulnerable to meteoroid impacts and cosmic and solar particle radiation. These factors make surface lunar base construction difficult. Subterranean lava tubes can provide safety due to the many strata of lava basalt that form a thick roof several meters thick. This paper will discuss the design of the LUnar LAva tube Discoverer (LULAD) instrument, which aims to explore regions of interest and possibly find candidate lava tubes on the moon.
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6
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Zhang F, Pizzi A, Ruj T, Komatsu G, Yin A, Dang Y, Liu Y, Zou Y. Evidence for structural control of mare volcanism in lunar compressional tectonic settings. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2892. [PMID: 37210379 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38615-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the long-standing enigmas for lunar tectonic-thermal evolution is the spatiotemporal association of contractional wrinkle ridges and basaltic volcanism in a compressional regime. Here, we show that most of the 30 investigated volcanic (eruptive) centers are linked to contractional wrinkle ridges developed above preexisting basin basement-involved ring/rim normal faults. Based on the tectonic patterns associated with the basin formation and mass loading and considering that during the subsequent compression the stress was not purely isotropic, we hypothesize that tectonic inversion produced not only thrust faults but also reactivated structures with strike-slip and even extensional components, thus providing a valid mechanism for magma transport through fault planes during ridge faulting and folding of basaltic layers. Our findings suggest that lunar syn-tectonic mare emplacement along reactivated inherited faults provides important records of basin-scale structure-involved volcanism, which is more complex than previously considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Alberto Pizzi
- Department of Engineering and Geology, Università d'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
| | - Trishit Ruj
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Goro Komatsu
- Department of Engineering and Geology, Università d'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
- International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università d'Annunzio, Pescara, Italy
| | - An Yin
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1567, USA
| | - Yanan Dang
- National Key Laboratory of Microwave Imaging Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bejing, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 200083, China
| | - Yongliao Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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7
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Jones MJ, Evans AJ, Johnson BC, Weller MB, Andrews-Hanna JC, Tikoo SM, Keane JT. A South Pole-Aitken impact origin of the lunar compositional asymmetry. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm8475. [PMID: 35394845 PMCID: PMC8993107 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm8475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The formation of the largest and most ancient lunar impact basin, South Pole-Aitken (SPA), was a defining event in the Moon's evolution. Using numerical simulations, we show that widespread mantle heating from the SPA impact can catalyze the formation of the long-lived nearside-farside lunar asymmetry in incompatible elements and surface volcanic deposits, which has remained unexplained since its discovery in the Apollo era. The impact-induced heat drives hemisphere-scale mantle convection, which would sequester Th- and Ti-rich lunar magma ocean cumulates in the nearside hemisphere within a few hundred million years if they remain immediately beneath the lunar crust at the time of the SPA impact. A warm initial upper mantle facilitates generation of a pronounced compositional asymmetry consistent with the observed lunar asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt J. Jones
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Box 1846, 324 Brook Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Alexander J. Evans
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Box 1846, 324 Brook Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Brandon C. Johnson
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Matthew B. Weller
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Box 1846, 324 Brook Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | | | - Sonia M. Tikoo
- Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - James T. Keane
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
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8
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Lunar Mare Fecunditatis: A Science-Rich Region and a Concept Mission for Long-Distance Exploration. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14051062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Mare Fecunditatis is a ~310,000 km2 flat basalt plain located in the low-latitude area of the Moon. Plenty of volcanic features (multiple episodes of mare basalts, sinuous rilles, lava tubes, pyroclastic deposits, domes, irregular mare patches (IMP), ring-moat dome structures (RMDS), floor-fractured craters), tectonic features (grabens and wrinkle ridges), impact-related features, and other features (swirls, pit craters) are identified in Mare Fecunditatis. An in-situ mission to Mare Fecunditatis is scientifically significant to better understand the lunar thermal histories and other questions. All previous in-situ and human missions (Apollo, Luna, Chang’E) were limited to small areas, and no traverse longer than 40 km has been made yet. With the development of technology, long-distance movement will be possible in the future on the lunar surface, providing opportunities to explore multiple sites at one mission with complete documentation of the regional geology. Eight high-value targets (pit crater, IMPs, RMDSs, young basalts, high-Al basalts, pyroclastic deposits, swirls, and fresh craters) were found in Mare Fecunditatis, and a ~1400 km-traverse in 5 years is proposed to explore them to solve the most fundamental lunar questions.
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9
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Wakita S, Johnson BC, Garrick-Bethell I, Kelley MR, Maxwell RE, Davison TM. Impactor material records the ancient lunar magnetic field in antipodal anomalies. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6543. [PMID: 34764304 PMCID: PMC8586259 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26860-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The Moon presently has no dynamo, but magnetic fields have been detected over numerous portions of its crust. Most of these regions are located antipodal to large basins, leading to the hypothesis that lunar rock ejected during basin-forming impacts accumulated at the basin antipode and recorded the ambient magnetic field. However, a major problem with this hypothesis is that lunar materials have low iron content and cannot become strongly magnetized. Here we simulate oblique impacts of 100-km-diameter impactors at high resolution and show that an ~700 m thick deposit of potentially iron-rich impactor material accumulates at the basin antipode. The material is shock-heated above the Curie temperature and therefore may efficiently record the ambient magnetic field after deposition. These results explain a substantial fraction of the Moon's crustal magnetism, and are consistent with a dynamo field strength of at least several tens of microtesla during the basin-forming epoch.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Wakita
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - B C Johnson
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - I Garrick-Bethell
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 05064, USA
- School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 446-701, Korea
| | - M R Kelley
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 05064, USA
| | - R E Maxwell
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 05064, USA
| | - T M Davison
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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10
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Large impact cratering during lunar magma ocean solidification. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5433. [PMID: 34521860 PMCID: PMC8440705 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25818-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The lunar cratering record is used to constrain the bombardment history of both the Earth and the Moon. However, it is suggested from different perspectives, including impact crater dating, asteroid dynamics, lunar samples, impact basin-forming simulations, and lunar evolution modelling, that the Moon could be missing evidence of its earliest cratering record. Here we report that impact basins formed during the lunar magma ocean solidification should have produced different crater morphologies in comparison to later epochs. A low viscosity layer, mimicking a melt layer, between the crust and mantle could cause the entire impact basin size range to be susceptible to immediate and extreme crustal relaxation forming almost unidentifiable topographic and crustal thickness signatures. Lunar basins formed while the lunar magma ocean was still solidifying may escape detection, which is agreeing with studies that suggest a higher impact flux than previously thought in the earliest epoch of Earth-Moon evolution.
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11
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Goossens S, Mazarico E, Ishihara Y, Archinal B, Gaddis L. Improving the geometry of Kaguya extended mission data through refined orbit determination using laser altimetry. ICARUS 2020; 336:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113454. [PMID: 32454532 PMCID: PMC7243822 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Kaguya spacecraft carried a suite of instruments to map the Moon and its environment globally. During its extended mission, the average altitude was 50 km or lower, and Kaguya science products using these data hence have an increased spatial resolution. However, the geodetic position quality of these products is much worse than that of those acquired during the primary mission (at an altitude of 100 km) because of reduced radiometric tracking and frequent thrusting to maintain spacecraft attitude after the loss of momentum wheels. We have analyzed the Kaguya tracking data using gravity models based on the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, and by making use of a new data type based on laser altimeter data collected by Kaguya: we adjust the spacecraft orbit such that the altimetry tracks fit a precise topographic basemap based on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's (LRO) Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) data. This results in geodetically accurate orbits tied to the precise LOLA/LRO frame. Whereas previously archived orbits show errors at the level of several a level of several tens of meters. When altimetry data are not available, the combination of GRAIL gravity and radio tracking results in an orbit precision of around several hundreds of meters for the low-altitude phase of the extended mission. Our greatly improved orbits result in better geolocation of the Kaguya extended mission data set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Goossens
- CRESST, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Erwan Mazarico
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Brent Archinal
- U.S. Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Lisa Gaddis
- U.S. Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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12
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Runyon KD, Moriarty DP, Denevi BW, Greenhagen BT, Morgan G, Young KE, Cohen BA, van der Bogert CH, Hiesinger H, Jozwiak LM. Impact Melt Facies in the Moon's Crisium Basin: Identifying, Characterizing, and Future Radiogenic Dating. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2020; 125:e2019JE006024. [PMID: 32714725 PMCID: PMC7375055 DOI: 10.1029/2019je006024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Both Earth and the Moon share a common history regarding the epoch of large basin formation, though only the lunar geologic record preserves any appreciable record of this Late Heavy Bombardment. The emergence of Earth's first life is approximately contemporaneous with the Late Heavy Bombardment; understanding the latter informs the environmental conditions of the former, which are likely necessary to constrain the mechanisms of abiogenesis. While the relative formation time of most of the Moon's large basins is known, the absolute timing is not. The timing of Crisium Basin's formation is one of many important events that must be constrained and would require identifying and dating impact melt formed in the Crisium event. To inform a future lunar sample dating mission, we thus characterized possible outcrops of impact melt. We determined that several mare lava-embayed kipukas could contain impact melt, though the rim and central peaks of the partially lava-flooded Yerkes Crater likely contain the most pure and intact Crisium impact melt. It is here where future robotic and/or human missions could confidently add a key missing piece to the puzzle of the combined issues of early Earth-Moon bombardment and the emergence of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. D. Runyon
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurelMDUSA
| | | | - B. W. Denevi
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurelMDUSA
| | - B. T. Greenhagen
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurelMDUSA
| | - G. Morgan
- Planetary Science InstituteTucsonAZUSA
| | - K. E. Young
- NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
| | - B. A. Cohen
- NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
| | | | - H. Hiesinger
- Institut für PlanetologieUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - L. M. Jozwiak
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurelMDUSA
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Chisenga C, Yan J, Zhao J, Deng Q, Barriot JP. Density Structure of the Von Kármán Crater in the Northwestern South Pole-Aitken Basin: Initial Subsurface Interpretation of the Chang'E-4 Landing Site Region. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 19:E4445. [PMID: 31615029 PMCID: PMC6832371 DOI: 10.3390/s19204445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Von Kármán Crater, within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, is the landing site of China's Chang'E-4 mission. To complement the in situ exploration mission and provide initial subsurface interpretation, we applied a 3D density inversion using the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) gravity data. We constrain our inversion method using known geological and geophysical lunar parameters to reduce the non-uniqueness associated with gravity inversion. The 3D density models reveal vertical and lateral density variations, 2600-3200 kg/m3, assigned to the changing porosity beneath the Von Kármán Crater. We also identify two mass excess anomalies in the crust with a steep density contrast of 150 kg/m3, which were suggested to have been caused by multiple impact cratering. The anomalies from recovered near surface density models, together with the gravity derivative maps extending to the lower crust, are consistent with surface geological manifestation of excavated mantle materials from remote sensing studies. Therefore, we suggest that the density distribution of the Von Kármán Crater indicates multiple episodes of impact cratering that resulted in formation and destruction of ancient craters, with crustal reworking and excavation of mantle materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chikondi Chisenga
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Box 129, Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
- Department of Earth Sciences, Ndata School of Climate and Earth Sciences, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Limbe P.O. Box 5196, Malawi.
| | - Jianguo Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Box 129, Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Jiannan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Process and Mineral Resources, Planetary Science Institute, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Qingyun Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Box 129, Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Jean-Pierre Barriot
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Box 129, Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
- Geodesy Observatory of Tahiti, BP 6570, Faa'a 98702, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
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14
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Deutsch AN, Neumann GA, Head JW, Wilson L. GRAIL-identified gravity anomalies in Oceanus Procellarum: Insight into subsurface impact and magmatic structures on the Moon. ICARUS 2019; 331:192-208. [PMID: 32550742 PMCID: PMC7302338 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2019.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Four, quasi-circular, positive Bouguer gravity anomalies (PBGAs) that are similar in diameter (~90-190 km) and gravitational amplitude (>140 mGal contrast) are identified within the central Oceanus Procellarum region of the Moon. These spatially associated PBGAs are located south of Aristarchus Plateau, north of Flamsteed crater, and two are within the Marius Hills volcanic complex (north and south). Each is characterized by distinct surface geologic features suggestive of ancient impact craters and/or volcanic/plutonic activity. Here, we combine geologic analyses with forward modeling of high-resolution gravity data from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission in order to constrain the subsurface structures that contribute to these four PBGAs. The GRAIL data presented here, at spherical harmonic degrees 6-660, permit higher resolution analyses of these anomalies than previously reported, and reveal new information about subsurface structures. Specifically, we find that the amplitudes of the four PBGAs cannot be explained solely by mare-flooded craters, as suggested in previous work; an additional density contrast is required to explain the high-amplitude of the PBGAs. For Northern Flamsteed (190 km diameter), the additional density contrast may be provided by impact-related mantle uplift. If the local crust has a density ~2800 kg/m3, then ~7 km of uplift is required for this anomaly, although less uplift is required if the local crust has a lower mean density of ~2500 kg/m3. For the Northern and Southern Marius Hills anomalies, the additional density contrast is consistent with the presence of a crustal complex of vertical dikes that occupies up to ~37% of the regionally thin crust. The structure of Southern Aristarchus Plateau (90 km diameter), an anomaly with crater-related topographic structures, remains ambiguous. Based on the relatively small size of the anomaly, we do not favor mantle uplift, however understanding mantle response in a region of especially thin crust needs to be better resolved. It is more likely that this anomaly is due to subsurface magmatic material given the abundance of volcanic material in the surrounding region. Overall, the four PBGAs analyzed here are important in understanding the impact and volcanic/plutonic history of the Moon, specifically in a region of thin crust and elevated temperatures characteristic of the Procellarum KREEP Terrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel N. Deutsch
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | | - James W. Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Lionel Wilson
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
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15
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The impact origin and evolution of Chryse Planitia on Mars revealed by buried craters. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4257. [PMID: 31534129 PMCID: PMC6751168 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12162-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Large impacts are one of the most important processes shaping a planet's surface. On Mars, the early formation of the Martian crust and the lack of large impact basins (only four unambiguously identified: Hellas, Argyre, Utopia, and Isidis) indicates that a large part of early records of Mars' impact history is missing. Here we show, in Chryse Planitia, the scarcity of buried impact craters in a near-circular area could be explained by a pre-existing topographic depression with more intense resurfacing. Spatially correlated with positive Bouguer anomaly, this near-circular region with a diameter of ~1090 km likely originated from an impact. This proposed large impact basin must have been quickly relaxed or buried after its formation more than 4.0 billion years ago and heavily modified by subsequent resurfacing events. We anticipate our study to open a new window to unravelling the buried records of early Martian bombardment record.
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16
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Zhu MH, Artemieva N, Morbidelli A, Yin QZ, Becker H, Wünnemann K. Reconstructing the late-accretion history of the Moon. Nature 2019; 571:226-229. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1359-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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17
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Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures. Nature 2018; 562:511-518. [PMID: 30356184 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0607-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Large meteorite impact structures on the terrestrial bodies of the Solar System contain pronounced topographic rings, which emerged from uplifted target (crustal) rocks within minutes of impact. To flow rapidly over large distances, these target rocks must have weakened drastically, but they subsequently regained sufficient strength to build and sustain topographic rings. The mechanisms of rock deformation that accomplish such extreme change in mechanical behaviour during cratering are largely unknown and have been debated for decades. Recent drilling of the approximately 200-km-diameter Chicxulub impact structure in Mexico has produced a record of brittle and viscous deformation within its peak-ring rocks. Here we show how catastrophic rock weakening upon impact is followed by an increase in rock strength that culminated in the formation of the peak ring during cratering. The observations point to quasi-continuous rock flow and hence acoustic fluidization as the dominant physical process controlling initial cratering, followed by increasingly localized faulting.
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18
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Andrews-Hanna JC, Head JW, Johnson B, Keane JT, Kiefer WS, McGovern PJ, Neumann GA, Wieczorek MA, Zuber MT. Ring faults and ring dikes around the Orientale basin on the Moon. ICARUS 2018; 310:1-20. [PMID: 29755136 PMCID: PMC5939591 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The Orientale basin is the youngest and best-preserved multiring impact basin on the Moon, having experienced only modest modification by subsequent impacts and volcanism. Orientale is often treated as the type example of a multiring basin, with three prominent rings outside of the inner depression: the Inner Rook Montes, the Outer Rook Montes, and the Cordillera. Here we use gravity data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to reveal the subsurface structure of Orientale and its ring system. Gradients of the gravity data reveal a continuous ring dike intruded into the Outer Rook along the plane of the fault associated with the ring scarp. The volume of this ring dike is ~18 times greater than the volume of all extrusive mare deposits associated with the basin. The gravity gradient signature of the Cordillera ring indicates an offset along the fault across a shallow density interface, interpreted to be the base of the low-density ejecta blanket. Both gravity gradients and crustal thickness models indicate that the edge of the central cavity is shifted inward relative to the equivalent Inner Rook ring at the surface. Models of the deep basin structure show inflections along the crust-mantle interface at both the Outer Rook and Cordillera rings, indicating that the basin ring faults extend from the surface to at least the base of the crust. Fault dips range from 13-22° for the Cordillera fault in the northeastern quadrant, to 90° for the Outer Rook in the northwestern quadrant. The fault dips for both outer rings are lowest in the northeast, possibly due to the effects of either the direction of projectile motion or regional gradients in pre-impact crustal thickness. Similar ring dikes and ring faults are observed around the majority of lunar basins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James W Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Brandon Johnson
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - James T Keane
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Walter S Kiefer
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, University Space Research Association, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - Patrick J McGovern
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, University Space Research Association, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - Gregory A Neumann
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Mark A Wieczorek
- Université Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, France
| | - Maria T Zuber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA
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19
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Zellner NEB. Cataclysm No More: New Views on the Timing and Delivery of Lunar Impactors. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2017; 47:261-280. [PMID: 28470374 PMCID: PMC5602003 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-017-9536-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
If properly interpreted, the impact record of the Moon, Earth's nearest neighbour, can be used to gain insights into how the Earth has been influenced by impacting events since its formation ~4.5 billion years (Ga) ago. However, the nature and timing of the lunar impactors - and indeed the lunar impact record itself - are not well understood. Of particular interest are the ages of lunar impact basins and what they tell us about the proposed "lunar cataclysm" and/or the late heavy bombardment (LHB), and how this impact episode may have affected early life on Earth or other planets. Investigations of the lunar impactor population over time have been undertaken and include analyses of orbital data and images; lunar, terrestrial, and other planetary sample data; and dynamical modelling. Here, the existing information regarding the nature of the lunar impact record is reviewed and new interpretations are presented. Importantly, it is demonstrated that most evidence supports a prolonged lunar (and thus, terrestrial) bombardment from ~4.2 to 3.4 Ga and not a cataclysmic spike at ~3.9 Ga. Implications for the conditions required for the origin of life are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolle E B Zellner
- Department of Physics, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St, Albion, MI, 49224, USA.
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20
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Zuber MT, Smith DE, Neumann GA, Goossens S, Andrews-Hanna JC, Head JW, Kiefer WS, Asmar SW, Konopliv AS, Lemoine FG, Matsuyama I, Melosh HJ, McGovern PJ, Nimmo F, Phillips RJ, Solomon SC, Taylor GJ, Watkins MM, Wieczorek MA, Williams JG, Jansen JC, Johnson BC, Keane JT, Mazarico E, Miljković K, Park RS, Soderblom JM, Yuan DN. Gravity field of the Orientale basin from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory Mission. Science 2016; 354:438-441. [PMID: 27789835 PMCID: PMC7462089 DOI: 10.1126/science.aag0519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Orientale basin is the youngest and best-preserved major impact structure on the Moon. We used the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft to investigate the gravitational field of Orientale at 3- to 5-kilometer (km) horizontal resolution. A volume of at least (3.4 ± 0.2) × 106 km3 of crustal material was removed and redistributed during basin formation. There is no preserved evidence of the transient crater that would reveal the basin's maximum volume, but its diameter may now be inferred to be between 320 and 460 km. The gravity field resolves distinctive structures of Orientale's three rings and suggests the presence of faults associated with the outer two that penetrate to the mantle. The crustal structure of Orientale provides constraints on the formation of multiring basins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T Zuber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA.
| | - David E Smith
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA
| | - Gregory A Neumann
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Sander Goossens
- Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Andrews-Hanna
- Department of Geophysics and Center for Space Resources, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA. Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - James W Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | | - Sami W Asmar
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | | | - Frank G Lemoine
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Isamu Matsuyama
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USA
| | - H Jay Melosh
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | | | - Francis Nimmo
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | | | - Sean C Solomon
- Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - G Jeffrey Taylor
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Michael M Watkins
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA. Center for Space Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Mark A Wieczorek
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | | | - Johanna C Jansen
- Department of Geophysics and Center for Space Resources, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
| | - Brandon C Johnson
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA. Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - James T Keane
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USA
| | - Erwan Mazarico
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Katarina Miljković
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA. Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia 6845, Australia
| | - Ryan S Park
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Jason M Soderblom
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA
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21
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Peak-ring structure and kinematics from a multi-disciplinary study of the Schrödinger impact basin. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13161. [PMID: 27762265 PMCID: PMC5080443 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Schrödinger basin on the lunar farside is ∼320 km in diameter and the best-preserved peak-ring basin of its size in the Earth–Moon system. Here we present spectral and photogeologic analyses of data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument on the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) on the LRO spacecraft, which indicates the peak ring is composed of anorthositic, noritic and troctolitic lithologies that were juxtaposed by several cross-cutting faults during peak-ring formation. Hydrocode simulations indicate the lithologies were uplifted from depths up to 30 km, representing the crust of the lunar farside. Through combining geological and remote-sensing observations with numerical modelling, we show that a Displaced Structural Uplift model is best for peak rings, including that in the K–T Chicxulub impact crater on Earth. These results may help guide sample selection in lunar sample return missions that are being studied for the multi-agency International Space Exploration Coordination Group. Impact basins on the Moon are considered as the best landing sites for the recovery of information about the lunar interior. To inform future lunar missions, Kring et al. combine remote sensing and numerical modelling to generate a geological map of the Schrodinger Impact Basin peak ring.
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22
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Jansen JC, Andrews-Hanna JC, Li Y, Lucey PG, Taylor GJ, Goossens S, Lemoine FG, Mazarico E, Head JW, Milbury C, Kiefer WS, Soderblom JM, Zuber MT. Small-scale density variations in the lunar crust revealed by GRAIL. ICARUS 2016; 291:107-123. [PMID: 32908319 PMCID: PMC7477950 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2017.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Data from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission have revealed that ~98% of the power of the gravity signal of the Moon at high spherical harmonic degrees correlates with the topography. The remaining 2% of the signal, which cannot be explained by topography, contains information about density variations within the crust. These high-degree Bouguer gravity anomalies are likely caused by small-scale (10's of km) shallow density variations. Here we use gravity inversions to model the small-scale three-dimensional variations in the density of the lunar crust. Inversion results from three non-descript areas yield shallow density variations in the range of 100-200 kg/m3. Three end-member scenarios of variations in porosity, intrusions into the crust, and variations in bulk crustal composition were tested as possible sources of the density variations. We find that the density anomalies can be caused entirely by changes in porosity. Characteristics of density anomalies in the South Pole-Aitken basin also support porosity as a primary source of these variations. Mafic intrusions into the crust could explain many, but not all of the anomalies. Additionally, variations in crustal composition revealed by spectral data could only explain a small fraction of the density anomalies. Nevertheless, all three sources of density variations likely contribute. Collectively, results from this study of GRAIL gravity data, combined with other studies of remote sensing data and lunar samples, show that the lunar crust exhibits variations in density by ±10% over scales ranging from centimeters to 100's of kilometers.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Jansen
- Department of Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
| | | | - Y Li
- Department of Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
| | - P G Lucey
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822
| | - G J Taylor
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822
| | - S Goossens
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771
| | - F G Lemoine
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771
| | - E Mazarico
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771
| | - J W Head
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
| | - C Milbury
- Purdue University. West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - W S Kiefer
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston TX 77058
| | - J M Soderblom
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - M T Zuber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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