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Samples from Apollo 15 flight were analyzed to develop models for lunar basin formation and evolution, basin geology, petrology, volcanology, stratigraphy, and geochemistry.
In the circa 3.5 by-old Barberton greenstone belt, the supracrustal rocks form a thick and strongly deformed thrust complex. Structural studies in the southern part of the belt have shown that 2 separate phases of over-thrusting (D sub 1 and D sub 2) successively dismembered the original stratigraphy. Thrust nappes were subsequently refolded during later deformations (D sub 3 and D sub 4). This report deals with the second thrusting event which, in the study region appears to be dominant, and (unlike the earlier thrusting), affects the entire supracrustal pile. The supracrustal rocks form a predominantly NE/SW oriented, SE dipping tectonic fan (the D sub 2 fan) in which tectonic slices of ophiolitic-like rocks are interleaved with younger sedimentary sequences of the Diepgezet and malalotcha groups. Structural and sedimentological data indicate that the D sub 2 tectonic fan was formed during a prolonged, multi-stage regional horizontal shortening event during which several types of internal deformation mechanisms were successively and/or simultaneously active. Movement appears to have been predominantly to the NW and to the N. During D sub 2, periods of quiescence and sedimentation followed periods of thrust propagation. Although the exact kinematics which led to the formation of this fan is not yet known, paleoenvironmental interpretations together with structural data suggest that D sub 2 was probably related to (an) Archean collision(s).
The Superior Province of the Canadian Shield comprises an alternation of subprovinces with contrasting lithological, structural and metamorphic styles. Rocks of the Rainly Lake area form a fault bounded wedge between two of these subprovinces, the Wabigoon granite-greenstone terrain to the north and the Quetico metasedimentary terrain to the south. The Quetico and Seine River-Rainy Lake Faults bound this wedge within which interpretation of the stratigraphy has been historically contentious. In the eastern part of the wedge, volcanic rocks and coeval tonalitic sills are unconformably overlain by fluviatile conglomerate and arenite of the Seine Group; in the western part of the wedge, metamorphosed wacke and mudstone of the Coutchiching Group are cut by granodioritic plutons. The Coutchiching Group has previously been correlated with the Seine Group and with the turbiditic Quetico metasediments of the Quetico Subprovince and these correlations are the cornerstone of earlier tectonic models which relate the subprovinces. The structural geology of the Rainy Lake area is characterized by attributes which compare favourably with the known characteristics of dextral wrench or 'transpressive zones based both on experimental data and natural examples. Much of this deformation involved the Seine Group, the youngest stratigraphic unit in the area, and predates the emplacement of late-to-post-tectonic granodioritic plutons for which radiometric data indicate a Late Archean age.
Geophysical studies in the Canadian Shield have provided some insights into the tectonic setting of greenstone belts. Greenstone belts are not rooted in deep crustal structures. Geophysical techniques consistently indicate that greenstones are restricted to the uppermost 10 km or so of crust and are underlain by geophysically normal crust. Gravity models suggest that granitic elements are similarly restricted, although magnetic modelling suggests possible downward extension to the intermediate discontinuity around approx. 18 km. Seismic evidence demonstrates that steeply-dipping structure, which can be associated with the belts in the upper crust, is not present in the lower crust. Horizontal intermediate discontinuities mapped under adjacent greenstone and granitic components are not noticeably disrupted in the boundary zone. Geophysical evidence points to the presence of discontinuities between greenhouse-granite and adjacent metasedimentary erranes. Measured stratigraphic thicknesses of greenstone belts are often twice or more the vertical thicknesses determined from gravity modelling. Explantations advanced for the discrepancy include stratigraphy repeated by thrust faulting and/or listric normal faulting, mechanisms which are consistent with certain aspects of conceptual models of greenstone development. Where repetition is not a factor the gravity evidence points to removal of the root zones of greenstone belts. For one region, this has been attributed to magmatic stopping during resurgent caldera activity.
Knowledge of the character and evolution of the Earth's early crust is derived from the studies of the rocks and structures in Archean greenstone belts. Ability to resolve the petrologic, sedimentological and structural histories of greenstone belts, however, hinges first on an ability to apply the concepts and procedures of classical stratigraphy. Unfortunately, early Precambrian greenstone terrains present particular problems to stratigraphic analysis. Many current controversies of greenstone belt petrogenesis, sedimentology, tectonics and evolution arise more from an inability to develop a clear stratigraphic picture of the belts than from ambiguities in interpretation. Four particular stratigraphic problems that afflict studies of Archean greenstone belts are considered: determination of facing directions, correlation of lithologic units, identification of primary lithologies and discrimination of stratigraphic versus structural contacts.
Greenstone sucessions are defined as the nongranitoid component of granitoid-greenstone terrain and are linear to irregular in shape and where linear are termed belts. The chemical composition of greenstones is described. Also discussed are the continental environments of greenstone successions. The effects of contact with granitoids, geophysical properties, recumbent folds and late formation structures upon greenstones are examined. Large stratigraphy thicknesses are explained.
Strategic sampling appropriate to the first-order lunar base can advance a variety of first-order lunar geochemical and petrological problems. Field observation and collection of samples would be done on the lunar surface, but detailed analysis would be done mainly in terrestrial laboratories. Among the most important areas of investigation for which field observations can be made and samples can be collected at the initial base are regolith studies, studies of mare and highlands stratigraphy, and a search for rare materials such as mantle nodules. Since the range of exploration may be limited to a radius of about 20 km from the first lunar base, locating the base near a mare-highlands boundary would enable the greatest latitude in addressing these problems.
Interpretation of Shuttle Imaging Radar-A (SIR-A) images by McCauley et al. (1982) dramatically changed previous concepts of the role that fluvial processes have played over the past 10,000 to 30 million years in shaping this now extremely flat, featureless, and hyperarid landscape. In the present paper, the near-surface stratigraphy, the electrical properties of materials, and the types of radar interfaces found to be responsible for different classes of SIR-A tonal response are summarized. The dominant factors related to efficient microwave signal penetration into the sediment blanket include (1) favorable distribution of particle sizes, (2) extremely low moisture content and (3) reduced geometric scattering at the SIR-A frequency (1.3 GHz). The depth of signal penetration that results in a recorded backscatter, here called 'radar imaging depth', was documented in the field to be a maximum of 1.5 m, or 0.25 of the calculated 'skin depth', for the sediment blanket. Radar imaging depth is estimated to be between 2 and 3 m for active sand dune materials. Diverse permittivity interfaces and volume scatterers within the shallow subsurface are responsible for most of the observed backscatter not directly attributable to grazing outcrops. Calcium carbonate nodules and rhizoliths concentrated in sandy alluvium of Pleistocene age south of Safsaf oasis in south Egypt provide effective contrast in premittivity and thus act as volume scatterers that enhance SIR-A portrayal of younger inset stream channels.
A rare look at the chemical composition of subsurface stratigraphy in lunar basins filled with mare basalt is possible at fresh impact craters. Mg/Al maps from orbital X-ray flourescence measurements of mare areas indicate chemical anomalies associated with materials ejected by large post-mare impacts. A method of constraining the wide-ranging estimates of mare basalt depths using the orbital MG/Al data is evaluated and the results are compared to those of investigators using different indirect methods. Chemical anomalies at impact craters within the maria indicate five locations where higher Mg/Al basalt compositions may have been excavated from beneath the surface layer. At eight other locations, low Mg/Al anomalies suggest that basin-floor material was ejected. In these two cases, the stratigraphic layers are interpreted to occur at depths less than the calculated maximum depth of excavation. In five other cases, there is no apparent chemical change between the crater and the surrounding mare surface. This suggests homogeneous basalt compositions that extend down to the depths sampled, i.e., no anorthositic material that might represent the basin floor was exposed.
The evolution and present state of water and carbon dioxide on Mars are discussed. Researchers wished to determine how effectively questions regarding the distribution of water and carbon dioxide on Mars may be addressed with orbital gamma ray spectrometer data. Several simple, multi-layer models of the Martian surface were formulated to address problems such as the ice/dust ratio of layered deposits; the distribution, depth and concentration of ground ice; the thickness of north polar perennial ice; the thickness of the carbon dioxide layer over the south polar cap; the thickness of the seasonal carbon dioxide frost cap; and the water content of the seasonal frost cap. The results indicate that the Mars Observer gamma ray spectrometer will be a powerful tool for investigating the distribution and stratigraphy of volatiles on Mars.
The preliminary analysis and interpretation of near infrared spectra obtained for both the interior and exterior deposits associated with the Tycho crater is presented. Specific objectives were: (1) to determine the composition and stratigraphy of the highland crust in the Tycho target site; (2) to determine the likely composition of the primary ejecta which may be present in ray deposits; (3) to investigate the nature of spectral units defined in previous studies; (4) to further investigate the nature and origin of both the bright and dark haloes around the rim crest; and (5) to compare the compositions determined for the Tycho units with those of the Aristarchus crater as well as typical highland deposits. The spectra obtained for the interior areas exhibit similar spectral features. These include relatively strong 1 micron absorption bands whose minima are centered between 0.97 and 0.99 microns and shallow to intermediate continuum slopes. The spectra generally exhibit indications of a 1.3 micron feature consistent with the presence of Fe(2+) bearing plagioclase feldspar. The strong 1 micron absorption features indicate a dominant high Ca clinopyroxene component. Results obtained from the ejecta deposits show that the spectrum of the inner, bright halo is almost identical with those obtained for interior units. The spectrum of the dark halo exhibits a wide, relatively shallow absorption feature centered at 1.01 microns, a 1.3 micron absorption, and a steep continuum slope. This spectrum is interpreted as indicating the presence of pyroxene, Fe-bearing feldspar, and a significant component of Fe-bearing impact melt glass. Finally, the spectra of spots inside Tycho show similarity with certain spectra for Aristarchus. However, the suite of spectra obtained for Tycho exhibits a different trend in terms of band center versus width.
Topics addressed include: greenstone belt externalities; boundaries; rock terranes; synthesis and destiny; tectonic evolution; rock components and structure; sedimentology; stratigraphy; volcanism; metamorphism; and geophysics.
Morphometric data on the runoff and sapping valleys on the slopes of Hawaii and Molokai in Hawaii are analyzed. The analysis reveals a clear distinction between the runoff valleys and sapping valleys. The Hawaiian sapping valleys are characterized by: (1) steep valley walls and flat floors, (2) amphitheater heads, (3) low drainage density, (4) paucity of downstream tributaries, (5) low frequency of up-dip tributaries, and (6) structural and stratigraphic control on valley patterns. The characteristics of the Hawaiian sapping valleys are compared to Martian valleys and experimental systems, and good correlation between the data is detected. Flume experiments were also conducted to study the evolution of sapping valleys in response to variable structure and stratigraphy.
Feldspathic fragmental breccia (FFB) 67015 from the rim of North Ray Crater was examined and was found to be the most diverse and complex of the Apollo 16 FFBs. It contains a wider range of clast types than any of the others and is not dominated by any single lithology. Several crystalline lithologies, occurring in minor amounts, were identified that represent highland plutonic rocks. Plagioclase fragments are the most abundant breccia constituent, followed by clasts of impact melt rocks and granulites. The impact melts are of two main types: feldspathic fragment-laden melts and mafic, KREEPy melt rocks of VHA basalt composition. Textural evidence indicates that some of the VHA melts were hot and plastic when they accumulated into the breccia. Ar-40 - Ar-39 dates show that both types of melts solidified about 3.9 x 10 to the 9th years ago. Magnetic measurements on clasts show a scatter of NMR directions, making it impossible to read a consistent imprint of an ancient dipolar magnetic field. Previous studies of Apollo 16 stratigraphy suggested that KREEPy melt rocks were introduced to the site as Imbrium impact ejecta, about 3.8 million years ago. Present results indicate that the highlands crust contained KREEP components as early as 3.9 x 10 to the 9th years ago.
The Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) experiment on Mars Observer will measure gamma rays and neutrons that escape from Mars. The intensities of gamma-ray lines and of the thermal and epithermal neutrons can be used to study many problems related to Martian volcanism and volatiles. The results of theoretical calculations for the production and transport of gamma rays and neutrons indicate that the GRS should be able to determine the abundances of many elements and the amounts and stratigraphy of H2O and CO2 on and in the top meter of the Martian surface. Design considerations of the GRS are discussed.
Even relatively young surfaces on Mars have superposed craters and must carry a dusting of impact debris. For increasingly more ancient surfaces, deposits of ejecta generally increase in thickness, and the signatures of the geology beneath become more obscured. Although nothing can be done about this obscuration, these newer deposits can be described, temporally and spatially, and thereby avoid falsely interpreting the geology beneath. The task of temporal and spatial characterization was begun by considering the areal variability of ejecta cover with increasing exposure to meteorite bombardment. This study establishes a baseline for evaluating the quality and distribution of exposures of strata lying temporally beneath the ejecta. Of special interest is the distribution of ejecta overlying surfaces that have never sustained a direct impact by a large meteorite, for these retain the volcanic and sedimentary stratigraphy in its most pristine state.
Alba Patera presents styles of volcanism that are unique to Mars. Its very low profile, large areal extent, unusually long and voluminous lava flows, and circumferential graben make it among Mars' most interesting volcanic features. Clues to Alba's volcanic history are preserved in its morphology and stratigraphy. Understanding the relationship of lava flow morphology to emplacement processes should enable estimates of viscosity, effusion rate, and gross composition to be made. Lava flows, with dimensions considered enormous by terrestrial standards, account for a major portion of the exposed surface of Alba Patera. These flows exhibit a range of morphologies. While most previous works have focused on the planimetric characteristics, attention was drawn to the important morphological attributes, paying particular attention to what the features suggest about the emplacement process.
A detailed Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopic study of the Isua clastic metasediments has been performed in the context of recently established stratigraphy for the Isua section. Samples from the sequence B are investigated for the first time. A clear correlation between lithology and isotopic characteristics is pointed out. The results indicate the existence of at least three distinct components for each of the distinct sequences A and B. It is suggested that some of these components may be derived from continental crustal sources that predate the time of depositon of these sediments by as much as about 0.4 b.y. A large pre-3.8 Ga continental crust is also inferred by the data.