A catalogue of impact craters larger than 200 m and surface age analysis in the Chang'e-5 landing area

Jia, Minghao; Yue, Zongyu; Di, Kaichang; Liu, Bin; Liu, Jianzhong; Michael, Gregory

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116272

Cited by 52 publications

(54 citation statements)

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“…The mare basalts are subdivided into three Imbrian-aged units (Im1, Im2, and Im3), characterized by low-Ti, low-Fe contents, and a high crater density [2]; and four Eratosthenian-aged units (Em1, Em2, Em3, and Em4), characterized by high-Ti, high-Fe, and high-Th contents, richer in olivine than the old Imbrian-aged mare basalts on the eastern nearside, and a lower crater density [2]. Although the crater size-frequency distribution (CSFD) absolute model ages of each geological unit may be more complicated [19][20][21][22], the subdivisions of geological units are diagnostic in terms of surface reflectance data and derived compositional data (e.g., Clementine UVVIS data and Kaguya MI data) and correspond well with Hiesinger et al [14,16] and Boroughs and Spudis [23], etc. ; therefore, we mainly assess and address their results in this study.…”

Section: Brightness Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…CE-5 plans to collect~2 kg (~2 m in core length) of lunar regolith from the surface utilizing a robotic arm and subsurface drilling [24], to study the subsurface structures, especially regolith properties. However, until now, the geological study of the Rümker region is mainly based on spectral and topographic data [2,20,22], and details of the regolith properties of the CE-5 landing region are not well constrained. Campbell et al [25] analyzed the surface properties of Mons Rümker with Earth-based radar data and found it likely to be covered with rock-poor, fine-grained pyroclastic materials.…”

Section: Brightness Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermophysical Features of the Rümker Region in Northern Oceanus Procellarum: Insights from CE-2 CELMS Data

et al. 2020

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The Rümker region is located in the northern Oceanus Procellarum, which has been selected as the landing and sampling region for China’s Chang’e-5 (CE-5) mission. The thermophysical features of the mare units are studied in detail using the brightness temperature (TB) maps (TB, normalized TB, TB difference) derived from the CE-2 microwave radiometer data. The previously interpreted geological boundaries of the Rümker region are revisited in this study according to their TB behaviors: IR1, IR2, and IR3 Rümker plateau units are combined into one single unit (IR); and a hidden unit is found on the Mons Rümker; Mare basaltic units Im1 and Em1 are combined into Em1; and Em2 is more likely the extending of Im2. Each of the previous proposed landing sites and their scientific value are summarized and reevaluated. Based on this, four landing sites are recommended in order to maximize the scientific outcome of the CE-5 mission. We suggest that the Eratosthenian-aged Em4 and Em1 units as the top priority landing site for the CE-5 mission; the age-dating results will provide important clues concerning the thermal evolution of the Moon.

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Section: Brightness Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Brightness Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Thermophysical Features of the Rümker Region in Northern Oceanus Procellarum: Insights from CE-2 CELMS Data

et al. 2020

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“…The landing site of Chang'e-5 in Northern Oceanus Procellarum has a number of scientific significances; e.g., the lander is within one of the youngest lunar mare basalts (Em4) [33][34][35][36], which was never investigated in situ by previous landed missions. Evidently, the lander location information is very important for further investigation of the landing site; particularly, it helps to provide geologic context for the collected lunar samples.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Localization of the Chang’e-5 Lander Using Radio-Tracking and Image-Based Methods

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2021

Remote Sensing

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Chang’e-5, China’s first unmanned lunar sample-return mission, was successfully landed in Northern Oceanus Procellarum on 1 December 2020. Determining the lander location precisely and timely is critical for both engineering operations and subsequent scientific research. Localization of the lander was performed using radio-tracking and image-based methods. The lander location was determined to be (51.92°W, 43.06°N) by both methods. Other localization results were compared for cross-validation. The localization results greatly contributed to the planning of the ascender lifting off from the lander and subsequent maneuvers, and they will contribute to scientific analysis of the returned samples and in situ acquired data.

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“…After excluding the secondaries from crater Copernicus, Harpalus, and Pythagoras, the Em4 was dated to 1.49 Ga [9]. Based on digital orthophoto map (DOM) derived from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images and the SLDEM2015 elevation model, Jia et al [10] dated the Em4 using the craters with a diameter larger than 200 m, and derived the AMA of 2.07 Ga. Qian et al [11] divided the Em4 unit into 52 squares with the width of 1 • × 1 • and dated each of them. They dated the AMAs of the squares ranging from 2.9 Ga to 1.1 Ga, and the AMA of the entire Em4 unit was 1.53 Ga.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maria Basalts Chronology of the Chang’E-5 Sampling Site

Guo

Liu

2021

Remote Sensing

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Chang’E-5 is the first lunar sample return mission of China. The spacecraft was landed in the northwest of the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (43.0576°N, 308.0839°E) on 1 December 2020 and returned 1731 g samples from a previously unvisited region. The landing area has been proposed as one of the youngest mare basalt units of the Moon and holds important information of lunar thermal evolution and chronology. However, the absolute model ages estimated in previous studies are quite different, ranging from 2.07 Ga to 1.21 Ga. Such significant difference may be caused by (1) different crater counting areas, (2) different crater diameter ranges, (3) effects of secondary craters, and (4) biases in crater identification. Moreover, the accurate landing site was unknown and the ages were estimated over the Eratosthenian-aged mare unit (Em4) instead. In light of the above unsatisfactory conditions, this study seeks to establish a standard crater size-frequency distribution of the CE-5 landing site. We derived the concentrations of FeO and TiO2 to map out the pure basaltic areas where external ejecta deposits are negligible and thus secondary craters are rare. Based on the geochemistry of basaltic ejecta excavated by fresh craters in the mare unit, the FeO concentration threshold for mapping pure basaltic areas is 17.2 wt.%. The morphologically flat subunits in the pure basaltic areas were selected for crater identification and age dating to exclude the contamination of external ejecta to the best as we could. In the Chang’E-5 sampling site subunit, we detected 313 craters with a diameter greater than 100 m and derived the absolute model age as 1.49−0.084+0.084 Ga. The craters identified in all pure basaltic subunits of Em4 gave the model age of 1.41−0.028+0.027 Ga. As least affected by secondary craters, the crater size-frequency distribution of the sample-collected pure basaltic subunit can provide important constraints for lunar cratering chronology function in combination with isotopic age of returned samples.

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A catalogue of impact craters larger than 200 m and surface age analysis in the Chang'e-5 landing area

Cited by 52 publications

References 28 publications

Thermophysical Features of the Rümker Region in Northern Oceanus Procellarum: Insights from CE-2 CELMS Data

Thermophysical Features of the Rümker Region in Northern Oceanus Procellarum: Insights from CE-2 CELMS Data

Localization of the Chang’e-5 Lander Using Radio-Tracking and Image-Based Methods

Maria Basalts Chronology of the Chang’E-5 Sampling Site

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