Surveyor V: Television Pictures

Lunar Regolith at Tranquillity Base

The regolith at Tranquillity Base is a layer of fragmental debris that ranges in thickness from about 3 to 6 meters. The thickness of the regolith and the exposure histories of its constituent fragments can be related, by means of a relatively simple model, to the observed crater distribution.

Surveyor V: Discussion of Chemical Analysis

Material of basaltic composition at the Surveyor V landing site implies that differentiation has occurred in the moon, probably due to internal sources of heat. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that extensive volcanic flows have been responsible for flooding and filling the mare basins. The processes and products of lunar magmatic activity are apparently similar to those of the earth.