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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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2
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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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3
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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: 0.8] [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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4
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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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5
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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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6
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Keane JT, Matsuyama I, Kamata S, Steckloff JK. Reorientation and faulting of Pluto due to volatile loading within Sputnik Planitia. Nature 2016; 540:90-93. [PMID: 27851731 DOI: 10.1038/nature20120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pluto is an astoundingly diverse, geologically dynamic world. The dominant feature is Sputnik Planitia-a tear-drop-shaped topographic depression approximately 1,000 kilometres in diameter possibly representing an ancient impact basin. The interior of Sputnik Planitia is characterized by a smooth, craterless plain three to four kilometres beneath the surrounding rugged uplands, and represents the surface of a massive unit of actively convecting volatile ices (N2, CH4 and CO) several kilometres thick. This large feature is very near the Pluto-Charon tidal axis. Here we report that the location of Sputnik Planitia is the natural consequence of the sequestration of volatile ices within the basin and the resulting reorientation (true polar wander) of Pluto. Loading of volatile ices within a basin the size of Sputnik Planitia can substantially alter Pluto's inertia tensor, resulting in a reorientation of the dwarf planet of around 60 degrees with respect to the rotational and tidal axes. The combination of this reorientation, loading and global expansion due to the freezing of a possible subsurface ocean generates stresses within the planet's lithosphere, resulting in a global network of extensional faults that closely replicate the observed fault networks on Pluto. Sputnik Planitia probably formed northwest of its present location, and was loaded with volatiles over million-year timescales as a result of volatile transport cycles on Pluto. Pluto's past, present and future orientation is controlled by feedbacks between volatile sublimation and condensation, changing insolation conditions and Pluto's interior structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T Keane
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Isamu Matsuyama
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Shunichi Kamata
- Creative Research Institution, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jordan K Steckloff
- Purdue University, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.,Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA
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7
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Nimmo F, Hamilton DP, McKinnon WB, Schenk PM, Binzel RP, Bierson CJ, Beyer RA, Moore JM, Stern SA, Weaver HA, Olkin CB, Young LA, Smith KE. Reorientation of Sputnik Planitia implies a subsurface ocean on Pluto. Nature 2016; 540:94-96. [DOI: 10.1038/nature20148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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8
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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: 3.3] [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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9
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Johnson BC, Blair DM, Collins GS, Melosh HJ, Freed AM, Taylor GJ, Head JW, Wieczorek MA, Andrews-Hanna JC, Nimmo F, Keane JT, Miljković K, Soderblom JM, Zuber MT. Formation of the Orientale lunar multiring basin. Science 2016; 354:441-444. [PMID: 27789836 DOI: 10.1126/science.aag0518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Multiring basins, large impact craters characterized by multiple concentric topographic rings, dominate the stratigraphy, tectonics, and crustal structure of the Moon. Using a hydrocode, we simulated the formation of the Orientale multiring basin, producing a subsurface structure consistent with high-resolution gravity data from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft. The simulated impact produced a transient crater, ~390 kilometers in diameter, that was not maintained because of subsequent gravitational collapse. Our simulations indicate that the flow of warm weak material at depth was crucial to the formation of the basin's outer rings, which are large normal faults that formed at different times during the collapse stage. The key parameters controlling ring location and spacing are impactor diameter and lunar thermal gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon C Johnson
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - David M Blair
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory, Route 40, Westford, MA 01886, USA
| | - Gareth S Collins
- Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - H Jay Melosh
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Andrew M Freed
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - G Jeffrey Taylor
- Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - James W Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Mark A Wieczorek
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 13 75205, France
| | | | - Francis Nimmo
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - James T Keane
- Department of Planetary Science, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Katarina Miljković
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jason M Soderblom
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Maria T Zuber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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10
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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: 0.4] [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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11
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Lunar true polar wander inferred from polar hydrogen. Nature 2016; 531:480-4. [DOI: 10.1038/nature17166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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12
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Neumann GA, Zuber MT, Wieczorek MA, Head JW, Baker DMH, Solomon SC, Smith DE, Lemoine FG, Mazarico E, Sabaka TJ, Goossens SJ, Melosh HJ, Phillips RJ, Asmar SW, Konopliv AS, Williams JG, Sori MM, Soderblom JM, Miljković K, Andrews-Hanna JC, Nimmo F, Kiefer WS. Lunar impact basins revealed by Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory measurements. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2015; 1:e1500852. [PMID: 26601317 PMCID: PMC4646831 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1500852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Observations from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission indicate a marked change in the gravitational signature of lunar impact structures at the morphological transition, with increasing diameter, from complex craters to peak-ring basins. At crater diameters larger than ~200 km, a central positive Bouguer anomaly is seen within the innermost peak ring, and an annular negative Bouguer anomaly extends outward from this ring to the outer topographic rim crest. These observations demonstrate that basin-forming impacts remove crustal materials from within the peak ring and thicken the crust between the peak ring and the outer rim crest. A correlation between the diameter of the central Bouguer gravity high and the outer topographic ring diameter for well-preserved basins enables the identification and characterization of basins for which topographic signatures have been obscured by superposed cratering and volcanism. The GRAIL inventory of lunar basins improves upon earlier lists that differed in their totals by more than a factor of 2. The size-frequency distributions of basins on the nearside and farside hemispheres of the Moon differ substantially; the nearside hosts more basins larger than 350 km in diameter, whereas the farside has more smaller basins. Hemispherical differences in target properties, including temperature and porosity, are likely to have contributed to these different distributions. Better understanding of the factors that control basin size will help to constrain models of the original impactor population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A. Neumann
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Maria T. Zuber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mark A. Wieczorek
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS, Paris 75013, France
| | - James W. Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - David M. H. Baker
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Sean C. Solomon
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
- Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - David E. Smith
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Frank G. Lemoine
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Erwan Mazarico
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Terence J. Sabaka
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Sander J. Goossens
- Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - H. Jay Melosh
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Roger J. Phillips
- Planetary Science Directorate, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - Sami W. Asmar
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109–8099, USA
| | - Alexander S. Konopliv
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109–8099, USA
| | - James G. Williams
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109–8099, USA
| | - Michael M. Sori
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jason M. Soderblom
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Katarina Miljković
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Andrews-Hanna
- Department of Geophysics and Center for Space Resources, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
| | - Francis Nimmo
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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13
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Rahoma WA, Abd El-Salam FA. The Effects of Moon's Uneven Mass Distribution on the Critical Inclinations of a Lunar Orbiter. JOURNAL OF ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES 2014; 31:285-294. [DOI: 10.5140/jass.2014.31.4.285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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14
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Miljković K, Wieczorek MA, Collins GS, Laneuville M, Neumann GA, Melosh HJ, Solomon SC, Phillips RJ, Smith DE, Zuber MT. Asymmetric Distribution of Lunar Impact Basins Caused by Variations in Target Properties. Science 2013; 342:724-6. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1243224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Miljković
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, Case 7011, Lamarck A, 5, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris cedex 13, France
| | - Mark A. Wieczorek
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, Case 7011, Lamarck A, 5, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris cedex 13, France
| | - Gareth S. Collins
- Department of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Matthieu Laneuville
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, Case 7011, Lamarck A, 5, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris cedex 13, France
| | - Gregory A. Neumann
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - H. Jay Melosh
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, 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
| | - Roger J. Phillips
- Planetary Science Directorate, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - David E. Smith
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Maria T. Zuber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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15
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Abstract
Modeling the formation of regions of mass concentration may lead to new estimates of early heat flux in the Moon.
[Also see Report by
Melosh
et al.
]
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