1
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Population of Degrading Small Impact Craters in the Chang’E-4 Landing Area Using Descent and Ground Images. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14153608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
The landing camera (LCAM) of Chang’e-4 lander provides a series of low (46 cm/pixel) to high (2.3 cm/pixel) resolution images, which are suitable for centimeter-scale craters. In this paper, we analyze the degradation of those small-sized craters to provide detailed information on the local geological evolution of the lunar surface. From the mosaicked descent image, 6316 craters were extracted and classified into four degradation levels based on their morphology on the image: fresh, slightly degraded, moderately degraded, and severely degraded. The ground terrain camera (TCAM) image and the DEM of the Yutu-2 panoramic camera (PCAM) validate the crater degradation levels from a qualitative and quantitative perspective, respectively. The results show that the smaller the size of the craters, the more easily they are degraded. The crater populations in equilibrium in the four study areas indicate that the cumulative size–frequency distribution (SFD) slope is different from previous research results, and the smaller the craters, the more difficult to reach an equilibrium state (for craters smaller than a given size, the production rate is exactly balanced by the removal rate), which may be due to secondary cratering and surface resurfacing caused by the burial of ejecta from neighboring craters.
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2
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Williams J, Pathare AV, Costello ES, Gallinger CL, Hayne PO, Ghent RR, Paige DA, Siegler MA, Russell PS, Elder CM. The Effects of Terrain Properties Upon the Small Crater Population Distribution at Giordano Bruno: Implications for Lunar Chronology. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2022; 127:e2021JE007131. [PMID: 35865504 PMCID: PMC9287037 DOI: 10.1029/2021je007131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The distribution of impact craters on the ejecta of Giordano Bruno, a recent (<10 Ma) 22-km diameter crater within the lunar highlands, exhibits substantial variations. We surveyed craters D ≥ 10 m across a 1,323 km2 area of Giordano Bruno's ejecta and compared the distribution of craters with variations in thermophysical properties derived from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Diviner instrument. We used Diviner-derived rock abundance and nighttime regolith temperatures along with thermal model-predicted surface temperatures for a diversity of terrains to identify and isolate areas of the ejecta based on thermophysical properties such as bulk density and thermal conductivity. We found that thermophysical properties of the ejecta vary considerably both laterally and vertically, and consistently differ from typical regolith, indicating the presence of higher thermal inertia materials. Crater-size frequencies are significantly lower in areas with terrain properties exhibiting higher: rock abundance, nighttime temperatures, and/or modeled thermal inertia. This discrepancy in crater distribution increases for craters smaller than ∼25 m. These thermophysical variations indicate changes in the mechanical properties of the target materials. We suggest that these variations-specifically, terrain-dependent crater scaling variations and impactor-scale heterogeneities in material properties such as the presence or absence of large boulders-may influence crater diameters or inhibit crater production altogether in Giordano Bruno's ejecta; furthermore, these factors are size-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.‐P. Williams
- Earth, Planetary and Space SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | | | - E. S. Costello
- Department of Geology and GeophysicsUniversity of Hawai'i at MānoaHonoluluHIUSA
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and PlanetologyHonoluluHIUSA
| | - C. L. Gallinger
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of Western OntarioLondonONCanada
| | - P. O. Hayne
- Astrophysical and Planetary SciencesUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - D. A. Paige
- Earth, Planetary and Space SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - M. A. Siegler
- Planetary Science InstituteTucsonAZUSA
- Department of Earth SciencesSouthern Methodist UniversityDallasTXUSA
| | - P. S. Russell
- Earth, Planetary and Space SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - C. M. Elder
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
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3
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Che X, Nemchin A, Liu D, Long T, Wang C, Norman MD, Joy KH, Tartese R, Head J, Jolliff B, Snape JF, Neal CR, Whitehouse MJ, Crow C, Benedix G, Jourdan F, Yang Z, Yang C, Liu J, Xie S, Bao Z, Fan R, Li D, Li Z, Webb SG. Age and composition of young basalts on the Moon, measured from samples returned by Chang'e-5. Science 2021; 374:887-890. [PMID: 34618547 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl7957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochao Che
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Alexander Nemchin
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China.,School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - Dunyi Liu
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China.,Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250013, China
| | - Tao Long
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Chen Wang
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Marc D Norman
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Katherine H Joy
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Romain Tartese
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - James Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Bradley Jolliff
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and The McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Joshua F Snape
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Clive R Neal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Martin J Whitehouse
- Department of Geosciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carolyn Crow
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Gretchen Benedix
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.,Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Fred Jourdan
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - Zhiqing Yang
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Chun Yang
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Jianhui Liu
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Shiwen Xie
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Zemin Bao
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Runlong Fan
- The Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Dapeng Li
- Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250013, China
| | - Zengsheng Li
- Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250013, China
| | - Stuart G Webb
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
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Abstract
The Moon has a magmatic and thermal history that is distinct from that of the terrestrial planets1. Radioisotope dating of lunar samples suggests that most lunar basaltic magmatism ceased by around 2.9-2.8 billion years ago (Ga)2,3, although younger basalts between 3 Ga and 1 Ga have been suggested by crater-counting chronology, which has large uncertainties owing to the lack of returned samples for calibration4,5. Here we report a precise lead-lead age of 2,030 ± 4 million years ago for basalt clasts returned by the Chang'e-5 mission, and a 238U/204Pb ratio (µ value)6 of about 680 for a source that evolved through two stages of differentiation. This is the youngest crystallization age reported so far for lunar basalts by radiometric dating, extending the duration of lunar volcanism by approximately 800-900 million years. The µ value of the Chang'e-5 basalt mantle source is within the range of low-titanium and high-titanium basalts from Apollo sites (µ value of about 300-1,000), but notably lower than those of potassium, rare-earth elements and phosphorus (KREEP) and high-aluminium basalts7 (µ value of about 2,600-3,700), indicating that the Chang'e-5 basalts were produced by melting of a KREEP-poor source. This age provides a pivotal calibration point for crater-counting chronology in the inner Solar System and provides insight on the volcanic and thermal history of the Moon.
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Hörz F, Basilevsky AT, Head JW, Cintala MJ. Erosion of lunar surface rocks by impact processes: A synthesis. PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE 2020; 194:105105. [PMID: 33012847 PMCID: PMC7518182 DOI: 10.1016/j.pss.2020.105105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This report summarizes observations of returned Apollo rocks and soils, lunar surface images, orbital observations, and experimental impacts related to the erosion and comminution of rocks exposed at the lunar surface. The objective is to develop rigorous criteria for the recognition of impact processes that assist in distinguishing "impact" from other potential erosional processes, particularly thermal fatigue, which has recently been advocated specifically for asteroids. Impact in rock is a process that is centrally to bilaterally symmetric, resulting in highly crushed, high-albedo, quasicircular depressions surrounded by volumetrically prominent spall zones. Containing central glass-lined pits in many cases, such features provide distinctive evidence of impact that is not duplicated by any other process. Additional evidence of impact can include radial fracture systems in the target that emanate from the impact point and clusters of fragments that attest to the lateral acceleration and displacement of each one. It is also important to note that impact produces a wide variety of fragment shapes that might totally overlap with those produced by thermal fatigue; we consider fragment shape to be an unreliable criterion for either process. The stochastic nature of the impact process will result in exponential survival times of surface rocks; that is, rock destruction initially is relatively efficient, but it is followed by ever increasing surface times for the last rock remnants. Thermal fatigue, however, is essentially a thermal-equilibrium process. The corresponding distribution of survival times should be much more peaked in comparison, presumably Gaussian, and diagnostically different from that due to impact. Given the abundance of evidence that has been gleaned from returned Apollo rocks and soils, it is surprising how little has been learned about the impact process from the photography of rocks and boulders taken by the astronauts on the lunar surface. This suggests that it will require rocks and soils returned from asteroids to evaluate the relative roles of thermal versus impact-triggered rock erosion, particularly when both processes are likely to be operating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedrich Hörz
- Jacobs-JETS, 2224 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77058, USA
| | - Alexander T Basilevsky
- Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 1199991, Russia
| | - James W Head
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Mark J Cintala
- Code XI3, NASA Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX, 77058, USA
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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: 0.3] [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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7
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Mazrouei S, Ghent RR, Bottke WF, Parker AH, Gernon TM. Earth and Moon impact flux increased at the end of the Paleozoic. Science 2019; 363:253-257. [PMID: 30655437 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar4058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The terrestrial impact crater record is commonly assumed to be biased, with erosion thought to eliminate older craters, even on stable terrains. Given that the same projectile population strikes Earth and the Moon, terrestrial selection effects can be quantified by using a method to date lunar craters with diameters greater than 10 kilometers and younger than 1 billion years. We found that the impact rate increased by a factor of 2.6 about 290 million years ago. The terrestrial crater record shows similar results, suggesting that the deficit of large terrestrial craters between 300 million and 650 million years ago relative to more recent times stems from a lower impact flux, not preservation bias. The almost complete absence of terrestrial craters older than 650 million years may indicate a massive global-scale erosion event near that time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mazrouei
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Rebecca R Ghent
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | | | - Thomas M Gernon
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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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: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [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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9
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Platz T, Byrne PK, Massironi M, Hiesinger H. Volcanism and tectonism across the inner solar system: an overview. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1144/sp401.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractVolcanism and tectonism are the dominant endogenic means by which planetary surfaces change. This book, in general, and this overview, in particular, aim to encompass the broad range in character of volcanism, tectonism, faulting and associated interactions observed on planetary bodies across the inner solar system – a region that includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Moon, Mars and asteroids. The diversity and breadth of landforms produced by volcanic and tectonic processes are enormous, and vary across the inventory of inner solar system bodies. As a result, the selection of prevailing landforms and their underlying formational processes that are described and highlighted in this review are but a primer to the expansive field of planetary volcanism and tectonism. In addition to this extended introductory contribution, this Special Publication features 21 dedicated research articles about volcanic and tectonic processes manifest across the inner solar system. Those articles are summarized at the end of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Platz
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences & Remote Sensing, Malteserstrasse 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - P. K. Byrne
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, USA
- Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015-1305, USA
| | - M. Massironi
- Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Universita' degli Studi di Padova, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - H. Hiesinger
- Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, 48149 Münster, Germany
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10
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Crawford IA, Joy KH. Lunar exploration: opening a window into the history and evolution of the inner Solar System. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:20130315. [PMID: 25114318 PMCID: PMC4128274 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2013.0315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The lunar geological record contains a rich archive of the history of the inner Solar System, including information relevant to understanding the origin and evolution of the Earth-Moon system, the geological evolution of rocky planets, and our local cosmic environment. This paper provides a brief review of lunar exploration to-date and describes how future exploration initiatives will further advance our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon, the Earth-Moon system and of the Solar System more generally. It is concluded that further advances will require the placing of new scientific instruments on, and the return of additional samples from, the lunar surface. Some of these scientific objectives can be achieved robotically, for example by in situ geochemical and geophysical measurements and through carefully targeted sample return missions. However, in the longer term, we argue that lunar science would greatly benefit from renewed human operations on the surface of the Moon, such as would be facilitated by implementing the recently proposed Global Exploration Roadmap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A Crawford
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK Centre for Planetary Sciences at UCL/Birkbeck, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Katherine H Joy
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C. Werner
- The Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of Oslo, Sem Sælandsvei 24, 0371 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anouck Ody
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement, Université de Lyon 1 (CNRS, ENS-Lyon, Université de Lyon), rue Raphaël Dubois 2, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - François Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris Sud 11, Bâtiment 121, 91405 Orsay, France
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12
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Ashley JW, Robinson MS, Hawke BR, van der Bogert CH, Hiesinger H, Sato H, Speyerer EJ, Enns AC, Wagner RV, Young KE, Burns KN. Geology of the King crater region: New insights into impact melt dynamics on the Moon. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011je003990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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