Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Miljković, Katarina
• Wieczorek, Mark A.
• Collins, Gareth S.
• Solomon, Sean C.
• Smith, David E.
• Zuber, Maria T.

Titel

Excavation of the lunar mantle by basin-forming impact events on the Moon

Ist Teil von

• Earth and planetary science letters, 2015-01, Vol.409, p.243-251

Ort / Verlag

Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2015

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Global maps of crustal thickness on the Moon, derived from gravity measurements obtained by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, have shown that the lunar crust is thinner than previously thought. Hyperspectral data obtained by the Kaguya mission have also documented areas rich in olivine that have been interpreted as material excavated from the mantle by some of the largest lunar impact events. Numerical simulations were performed with the iSALE-2D hydrocode to investigate the conditions under which mantle material may have been excavated during large impact events and where such material should be found. The results show that excavation of the mantle could have occurred during formation of the several largest impact basins on the nearside hemisphere as well as the Moscoviense basin on the farside hemisphere. Even though large areas in the central portions of these basins were later covered by mare basaltic lava flows, surficial lunar mantle deposits are predicted in areas external to these maria. Our results support the interpretation that the high olivine abundances detected by the Kaguya spacecraft could indeed be derived from the lunar mantle. •Excavation of the mantle occurred during formation of the largest lunar basins.•Mantle material should be found within the interiors of several basins on the Moon.•Predicted mantle exposures agree with areas of high olivine abundances detected by Kaguya.•Samples of the mantle material should be easily accessible at the lunar surface.