Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin

Lu, X.; Cao, Haijun; Ling, Zongcheng; Fu, Xiaohui; Qiao, Lingling; Chen, Jian

doi:10.3390/rs13234828

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The CSFD is a prevalent method employed for estimating the absolute model age (AMA) of lunar surfaces and other planetary bodies [72]. This method is based on radioisotopic age data from lunar samples and involves the establishment of a function to infer the ages of planetary surface units.…”

Section: Topographical and Geochronological Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Chronology of Mare Basalts in the Oceanus Procellarum Region

Zhang,

Chen,

Pan

et al. 2024

Remote Sensing

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Mare basalts on the lunar surface are tangible expressions of the complex thermal evolution and geological processes that have occurred within the lunar interior. These basaltic manifestations are highly important because they provide invaluable insights into lunar geological evolution. Notably, the Oceanus Procellarum region, which is renowned for its extensive and long-lasting basaltic volcanism, is a premier location to investigate late-stage lunar thermal evolution. The primary aim of this research is to elucidate the geomorphological, compositional, and temporal attributes that define the mare basalts within the Oceanus Procellarum region. To achieve this aim, we comprehensively analyzed the geomorphological features present within the region, leveraging Kaguya/SELENE TC images and digital elevation models. Specifically, these geomorphological features encompass impact craters, wrinkle ridges, sinuous rilles, and volcanic domes. Subsequently, we thoroughly examined the mineralogical attributes of basalts in the Oceanus Procellarum region, leveraging Kaguya/SELENE MI data and compositional map products. To more accurately reflect the actual ages of the mare basalts in the Oceanus Procellarum region, we carefully delineated the geological units within the area and employed the latest crater size-frequency distribution (CSFD) technique to precisely determine their ages. This refined approach allowed for a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the basaltic rocks in the study area. Overall, our comprehensive study included an in-depth analysis of the volcanic activity and evolution of the Oceanus Procellarum region, along with an examination of the correlation between the mineralogical composition and ages of mare basalts. The findings from this exhaustive investigation reveal a definitive age range for basalt units within the Oceanus Procellarum region from approximately 3.69 Ga to 1.17 Ga. Moreover, the latest mare basalts that formed were pinpointed north of the Aristarchus crater. Significantly, the region has experienced at least five distinct volcanic events, occurring approximately 3.40 Ga, 2.92 Ga, 2.39 Ga, 2.07 Ga, and 1.43 Ga, leading to the formation of multiple basalt units characterized by their unique mineral compositions and elemental abundances. Through the application of remote sensing mineralogical analysis, three primary basalt types were identified: low-titanium, very-low-titanium, and intermediate-titanium basalt. Notably, the younger basalt units exhibit an elevated titanium proportion, indicative of progressive olivine enrichment. Consequently, these younger basalt units exhibit more intricate and complex mineral compositions, offering valuable insights into the dynamic geological processes shaping the lunar surface.

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Section: Topographical and Geochronological Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Chronology of Mare Basalts in the Oceanus Procellarum Region

Zhang,

Chen,

Pan

et al. 2024

Remote Sensing

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“…1). According to the distribution characteristics of the composition of Mare Crisium, the geological units have been analyzed in previous studies [11], [12]. Former research has indicated that Imbrianaged and Eratosthenian-aged basalts are widely distributed within the basin.…”

Section: Geological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Former research has indicated that Imbrianaged and Eratosthenian-aged basalts are widely distributed within the basin. Mare Crisium is essential basin for studying the lunar composition and magma evolution [12]. Based on LP-MAG data, Baek et al [6] discovered two magnetic anomaly areas.…”

Section: Geological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selecting a Superior Landing Area in the Region Far From Procellarum KREEP Terrane

Chang,

Meng,

Dong

et al. 2024

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl. Earth Observations Remote Sensing

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The area far from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) is important for future landing exploration. Mare Crisium, located in the area, has been identified as an essential landing option for the Lunar Geophysical Network (LGN) mission. Utilizing high-resolution image, topographic data, surface compositions, and Chang'e-2 microwave radiometer (MRM) data, a systematic analysis and comparison have been done between Maria Crisium and Smythii in terms of geomorphological feature, regolith properties, lunar crust and mantle properties, and microwave thermal emission characteristics. The results indicate that, except for investigating central magnetic anomaly in-situ, Mare Smythii can complete all the scientific goals in Mare Crisium proposed by predecessors. Moreover, Mare Smythii has more complex geomorphology; the regolith here has a high detection priority including the cryptomare, swirls, and the probable water ice and volatile; and there exists the MRM anomaly, probably representing a new material that has not been detected until now. Generally, Mare Smythii should have the high priority for future exploring the lunar surface in the region far from the PKT.

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Spherical Planting Inversion of GRAIL Data

Zhang

Cao

et al. 2023

Applied Sciences

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In large-scale potential field data inversion, constructing the kernel matrix is a time-consuming problem with large memory requirements. Therefore, a spherical planting inversion of Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) data is proposed using the L1-norm in conjunction with tesseroids. Spherical planting inversion, however, is strongly dependent on the correct seeds’ density contrast, location, and number; otherwise, it can cause mutual intrusion of anomalous sources produced by different seeds. Hence, a weighting function was introduced to limit the influence area of the seeds for yielding robust solutions; moreover, it is challenging to set customized parameters for each seed, especially for the large number of seeds used or complex gravity anomalies data. Hence, we employed the “shape-of-anomaly” data-misfit function in conjunction with a new seed weighting function to improve the spherical planting inversion. The proposed seed weighting function is constructed based on the covariance matrix for given gravity data and can avoid manually setting customized parameters for each seed. The results of synthetic tests and field data show that spherical planting inversion requires less computer memory than traditional inversion. Furthermore, the proposed seed weighting function can effectively limit the seed influence area. The result of spherical planting inversion indicates that the crustal thickness of Mare Crisium is about 0 km because the Crisium impact may have removed all crust from parts of the basin.

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Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin

Cited by 4 publications

References 60 publications

Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Chronology of Mare Basalts in the Oceanus Procellarum Region

Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Chronology of Mare Basalts in the Oceanus Procellarum Region

Selecting a Superior Landing Area in the Region Far From Procellarum KREEP Terrane

Spherical Planting Inversion of GRAIL Data

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