The Ancient Lithospheric Parameters of Impact Basins on the Far Side of the Moon Based on the Mantle and Mare Basalt Load Model

Abstract

Research on the lithospheric elastic thickness (Te) of lunar mascon basins can provide a deeper understanding of heterogeneous thermal activity. In this study, we focused on four basins (Moscoviense, Freundlich‐Sharonov, Hertzsprung, and Apollo) located on the far side of the Moon. These basins exhibit a significant variation in admittance and correlation spectra, making it challenging to develop precise fitted models. Based on the global lunar crustal thickness model and mare basalt thickness, we developed a mantle and mare basalt load model to estimate the Te. This small Te (10.1 km) suggests a double impact process or extreme thermal activity caused by volcanism during the formation of the Moscoviense. For the typical highland basins, that is, Freundlich‐Sharonov and Hertzsprung, the Te (∼20 km) corresponds to a minimum heat flux of 34 mW m−2. Considering the additional energy introduced by the impact, this heat flux can be considered as the upper limit for the heat flux of the highland itself during the formation of a mascon basin. For the Apollo basin within the South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) terrane, the Te is 30.7 km. The crust beneath the SPA region is thinned, allowing a greater contribution of stiffer mantle material to the lithosphere, perhaps explaining the higher effective Te. Furthermore, the disparity between the highland and SPA terranes can give rise to their distinct basin formation processes. Impact basins formed within the SPA terrane may have experienced a faster cooling process compared to those formed on the highland terrane following the impact event, leading to a higher Te.