Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service

· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· Electronic Refereed Journal Article (HTML)
· Full Refereed Journal Article (PDF/Postscript)
· References in the article
· Citations to the Article (7) (Citation History)
· Refereed Citations to the Article
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
Radar mapping of lunar cryptomaria east of Orientale basin
Authors:
Campbell, Bruce A.; Hawke, B. Ray
Affiliation:
AA(Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., USA); AB(Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA)
Publication:
Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 110, Issue E9, CiteID E09002 (JGRE Homepage)
Publication Date:
09/2005
Origin:
AGU
AGU Keywords:
Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Remote sensing, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Volcanism (6063, 8148, 8450), Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Moon (1221)
DOI:
10.1029/2005JE002425
Bibliographic Code:
2005JGRE..11009002C

Abstract

Lunar cryptomare deposits represent early basaltic volcanic material that has been mantled by or incorporated into highland-rich ejecta from basin- or crater-forming impacts. Mapping these buried basalts is important for understanding regional stratigraphy and the history and extent of lunar volcanism. We use new 70 cm wavelength radar images, collected using Arecibo Observatory and the Green Bank Telescope, and Clementine data to study cryptomaria east of Orientale basin. Earlier multispectral analyses showed that mare material is mixed with the highland terrain along the western margin of Oceanus Procellarum, leading to a detectable increase in the FeO and TiO2 abundance of the regolith surface. The highland margin of western Procellarum is also characterized by low 70 cm radar returns, consistent with an increased regolith loss tangent due to ilmenite in the mare-derived material. The low 70 cm radar echo, however, persists well to the west of the mixed zone evident in multispectral data and includes the region surrounding Cruger crater. It is likely that mare basalt, or a mixed zone of mare and highland material, exists at depth across the region and only reaches the visible surface near the western Procellarum margin. The plausible depth to this mixed zone is dependent upon the loss tangent of the overlying ``pure'' highland ejecta. If Orientale ejecta is primarily low-loss anorthosite, then the mixed zone could lie at depths of up to several tens of meters. We propose that pre-Orientale mare deposits flooded the region between Cruger, Grimaldi, and Oceanus Procellarum and also patches west and northwest of Humorum basin. The total area of these deposits represents 178 × 103 km2, or an additional ~0.5% of the lunar surface, covered by mare basalts.
Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)
   

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Keywords (in text query field)
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints