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At least 109 records · Page 6
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NASA NTRS1992

Lunar impact basins and crustal heterogeneity - New western limb and far side data from Galileo

Multispectral images of the lunar western limb and far side obtained from Galileo reveal the compositional nature of several prominent lunar features and provide new information on lunar evolution. The data reveal that the ejecta from the Orientale impact basin (900 kilometers in diameter) lying outside the Cordillera Mountains was excavated from the crust, not the mantle, and covers pre-Orientale terrain that consisted of both highland materials and relatively large expanses of ancient mare basalts. The inside of the far side South Pole-Aitken basin (greater than 2000 kilometers in diameter) has low albedo, red color, and a relatively high abundance of iron- and magnesium-rich materials. These features suggest that the impact may have penetrated into the deep crust or lunar mantle or that the basin contains ancient mare basalts that were later covered by highlands ejecta.

Belton, Michael J. S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Eastern Basin Terrane and South Pole-Aitken Basin Ejecta: Mid-Level Crust?

The relatively mafic annulus of material surrounding South Pole-Aitken basin and highland deposits around Crisium and other eastern nearside regions are broadly similar and indicate mid-crustal compositions of 6-7 wt.% FeO and 1 ppm or less Th. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Jolliff, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Need for High-Resolution Crustal Magnetic Field Data on Mars

Magnetometer observations from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft (MAG/ER on MGS) have confirmed that Mars does not presently have an internally-generated dipole magnetic field, and have also revealed intense remanent magnetism in the Martian crust. The remanent magnetic anomalies, most prevalent in the southern highlands region, are a record of the past history of the internal Mars dipole field. The MAG/ER data constitute a valuable data set for constraining the early thermal evolution of Mars and the history of the planetary magnetic field. However, the data lack the resolution needed to draw definite conclusions regarding the time history of the field. High-resolution magnetometer observations, obtained at low-altitude, are needed to complement and extend the MGS/ER data set and allow a definitive time history of the internal Mars dynamo to be constructed.

Raymond, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Mars Crustal Dichotomy: Large Lowland Impact Basins may have Formed in Pre-Thinned Crust

Crater retention ages of large impact basins on Mars suggest most formed in a relatively short time, perhaps in less than 200 million years. Large basins in the lowlands have thinner central regions than similar size basins in the highlands. Large lowland impact basins, which we previously suggested might explain the low topography and thin crust of the northern part of Mars, may have formed in crust already thinned by yet earlier processes.

Frey, H. V.↗
NASA NTRS2014

The Miniature Radio Frequency Instruments (Mini-RF) Global Observations of Earth's Moon

Radar provides a unique means to analyze the surface and subsurface physical properties of geologic deposits, including their wavelength-scale roughness, the relative depth of the deposits, and some limited compositional information. The NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's (LRO) Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) instrument has enabled these analyses on the Moon at a global scale. Mini-RF has accumulated 67% coverage of the lunar surface in S-band (12.6 cm) radar with a resolution of 30 m/pixel. Here we present new Mini-RF global orthorectified uncontrolled S-band maps of the Moon and use them for analysis of lunar surface physical properties. Reported here are readily apparent global- and regional-scale differences in lunar surface physical properties that suggest three distinct terranes, namely: a (1) Nearside Radar Dark Region; (2) Orientale basin and continuous ejecta; and the (3) Highlands Radar Bright Region. Integrating these observations with new data from LRO's Diviner Radiometer rock abundance maps, as well Clementine and Lunar Prospector derived compositional values show multiple distinct lunar surface terranes and sub-terranes based upon both physical and compositional surface properties. Previous geochemical investigations of the Moon suggested its crust is best divided into three to four basic crustal provinces or terranes (Feldspathic Highlands Terrane (-An and -Outer), Procellarum KREEP Terrane, and South Pole Aitken Terrane) that are distinct from one another. However, integration of these geochemical data sets with new geophysical data sets allows us to refine these terranes. The result shows a more complex view of these same crustal provinces and provides valuable scientific and hazard perspectives for future targeted human and robotic exploration.

Radar observations↗
NASA NTRS1999

Magnetometer Data Tests Models for the Origin of the Martian Crustal Dichotomy; Dichotomy Models Constrain Timing of Martian Magnetic Field

Measurements recently supplied by the MGS Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER) on MGS can be applied to test theories of the origin of the martian crustal dichotomy. Strong (+/- 1500 nT) magnetic anomalies are observed in the Martian crust. The observations can be summarized as follows: 1) strong crustal magnetic sources are generally confined to the southern highlands, although weaker (approx. 40 nT) anomalies were observed during close periapsis; 2) strong magnetic anomalies are absent in the vicinity of Hellas and Argyre; 3) the anomalies in the region 0 deg to 90 deg S, 120 deg to 240 deg west have a linear geometry, strike generally east west for 1000s km, and show several reversals. This latter point has led to the suggestion that some form of lateral plate tectonics may have been operative in the southern highlands of Mars. These observations have led previous workers to hypothesize that the magnetic anomalies were present prior to and were destroyed by the formation of Hellas and Argyre. As such large impacts are confined to the era of heavy bombardment, this places the time of formation of large magnetic anomalies prior to approx. 3.9 Ga. One obvious extension of this is that the northern lowlands lack significant anomalies because they were erased by impacts and/or the northern lowlands represent crust completely reheated above the Curie temperature. Preliminary observations of the distributions of the large crustal magnetic anomalies show that many of them extend continuously over the highland lowland boundary. This occurs particularly north of the boundary between 30 deg W and 270 deg W, corresponding to northern Arabia, but also occurs in southern Elysium (approx. 10 deg S, 200 deg) and the SW portion of Tharsis (approx. 15 deg S, 140 deg). This suggests that, in these areas, Noachian crust containing the greater than 3.9 Ga magnetic signature, lies beneath the northern highlands. This geometry can be used to test models for the formation of the martian crustal dichotomy. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Gilmore, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Lunar granulites and their precursor anorthositic norites of the early lunar crust

Lunar granulities, which are ancient and KREEP-free, represent the best samples of early lunar crust. They can be divided into ferroan and magnesium groups, and each group can be subdivided on the basis of mineral composition and REE concentrations. It is shown that some of the granulites may be derived from distinct anorthitic norite precursors, while some others are clearly polymict, though it is believed that even these granulites had anorthositic norites as their dominant precursors. The granulites have compositions similar to those of the two lunar meteorites, one of which is ferroan, the other magnesian. These meteorites are soil breccias from an unknown location distant from the Apollo landing sites and contain anorthositic norites as abundant clasts. Granulite and lunar-meteorite compositions more closely resemble the average composition of lunar highlands than those of any other returned lunar samples. The predominance of plutonic anorthositic norite precursors in material having the composition typical of highlands suggests that plutonic anorthositic norites were more abundant in the early lunar crust than is implied by their scarcity in Apollo pristine rocks.

Lindstrom, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Contributions of Planetary Science to Studies of Early Biosphere Evolution

The history of impact cratering on the Moon, and extrapolations of crater chronologies to the inner planets, suggests that the late accretionary history of the Earth overlapped with other crucial events in the its history, including the origin of terrestrial life. This evidence, acquired from studies of other planetary bodies in the inner solar system, has profoundly affected how we view the early history of the Earth and evolution of the biosphere. Pre-biotic chemical evolution and the origin of life would have been delayed by the probable existence of a global magma ocean until -4.2 Ga. The early crust was largely destroyed by recycling, thus accounting for the sparse Archean record on Earth. Once life had developed, large impacts may have extinguished it several times before it finally gained a foothold. Potentially sterilizing impacts could have occurred as late as 3.7 Ga. At the very least, large impacts would have forced the biosphere through major environmental "bottlenecks" thereby canalizing its subsequent evolution. One legacy of these early events may be the structure of the present RNA-tree which indicates that extreme thermophiles are primitive within the Archaea, and may be the last common ancestors of life. By 3.5 Ga, marine sedimentary sequences contain unequivocal microbial fossils that attest to the presence of a terrestrial biosphere. The diversity of microbial forms present in these earliest fossil assemblages implies a preceding interval of evolution during which major evolutionary advances (e.g. photosynthesis) could have taken place. Evidence cited above places the origin of life within the interval 3.5 and 4.2 Ga, a period of 700 Ma. Thus, it appears that terrestrial life not only evolved rapidly, but perhaps more than once. This expands the possibilities that life may have also developed elsewhere. Of the other planets in our solar system, Mars holds the greatest chance of having developed life. But, the present surface of Mars is hostile to life. Liquid water, regarded as essential for living systems, is unstable on the surface of Mars due to the low atmospheric pressure. The results of the Viking Lander biology experiments established that organic molecules are not present in the regolith of Mars, forcing the exobiological community to consider new ways of exploring for Martian life. Older, heavily cratered terranes on Mars show geomorphic evidence for abundant water between 3.0- 4.0 Ga. It is quite possible that life developed on Mars during this time, as it did on the Earth. The present focus for Mars Exobiology lies in the search for a fossil record. Archean-aged crust, while mostly missing on Earth, appears to be widespread in ancient cratered highlands of Mars, and aqueous mineral deposits within such sequences may hold crucial fossil evidence for an early Martian biosphere.

Farmer, Jack D.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Comparisons of Mineralogy of Lunar Meteorites Possibly from the Farside and The Kaguya Remote Sensing Data to Reconstruct the Earliest Anorthositic Crust of the Moon

Ohtake et al. [1] observed by the Kaguya multiband imager and spectral profiler anorthosites composed of nearly pure anorthite (PAN) at numerous locations in the farside highlands. Based on the Th map made by the GRS group of the Kaguya mission, Kobayashi et al. [2] showed that the lowest Th region in the lunar farside occurs near the equatorial region and noted that the regions well correspond to the lunar highest region and the thickest crust region recently measured by Kaguya mission [3,4]. Such remote sensing data have been interpreted in terms of mineralogical studies of lunar meteorites of the Dhofar 489 group [5,6] (e.g., Dhofar 489, 908, and 307) and Yamato (Y-) 86032 [7], all possibly from the farside highlands. Although the presence of magnesian anorthosites in the Dhofar 489 group has been reported, we have not encountered large clast clearly identifiable as PAN. In this study, we investigated mineralogy and textures of large clasts of nearly pure anorthosites recognized in Dhofar 911 and the d2 clast in Dhofar 489 [8]. The d2 clast is the largest white anorthosite clast in Dhofar 489, but its mineralogy has not been investigated at that time. The low bulk FeO concentrations suggests that the d2 clast may be the pure anorthosite with very low abundance of mafic silicates. In conjunction with all data of the Dhofar 489 group including Dhofar 489, 908, 309 and 307, we propose a model of formation of the farside crust.

Takeda, H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Magnetism and the interior of the moon

During the time period 1961-1972, 11 magnetometers were sent to the moon. The primary purpose of this paper is to review the results of lunar magnetometer data analysis, with emphasis on the lunar interior. Magnetic fields have been measured on the lunar surface at the Apollo 12, 14, 15, and 16 landing sites. The remanent field values at these sites are 38, 103 (maximum), 3, and 327 gammas (maximum), respectively. Simultaneous magnetic field and solar plasma pressure measurements show that the Apollo 12 and 16 remanent fields are compressed during times of high plasma dynamic pressure. Apollo 15 and 16 subsatellite magnetometers have mapped in detail the field above portions of the lunar surface and have placed an upper limit on the global permanent dipole moment. Satellite and surface measurements show strong evidence that the lunar crust is magnetized over much of the lunar globe. Magnetic fields are stronger in highland regions than in mare regions and stronger on the lunar far side than on the near side. The largest magnetic anomaly measured to date is between the craters Van de Graaff and Aitken on the lunar far side.

Dyal, P.↗
NASA NTRS1977

A lunar density model consistent with topographic, gravitational, librational, and seismic data

A series of models of the lunar interior are derived from topographic, gravitational, librational, and seismic data. The librational parameters and low-degree gravity harmonics result primarily from surface height variations and only secondarily from lateral density variations. The moon departs from isostasy, even for the low-degree harmonics, with a maximum superisostatic stress of 200 bars under the major mascon basins. The mean crustal thicknesses under different physiographic regions are: mascons, 30-35 km; irregular maria, 50-60 km; and highlands, 90-110 km. A possible composition consistent with our model is an anorthositic crust, underlain by a predominantly forsterite upper mantle which grades into a refractory rich lower mantle surrounding a pyrrhotite core.

Bills, B. G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Additional complexity in the lunar crust - Petrology of sodic anorthosites and sulfur-rich, ferroan noritic anorthosites

Lunar breccia 67016 contains two suites of unusual highlands rocks: sulfur-rich, noritic anorthosites, and sodic anorthosites. Mineral compositions of the sulfur-rich noritic anorthosites closely match those of ferroan anorthosites. Unusually large amounts of sulfides, and sulfidation reactions involving olivine in these clasts probably reflect endogenous volatile transfer. The sodic anorthosites are mafic-poor, with mineral compositions intermediate between those of pristine ferroan and alkali anorthosites. Rare examples of pristine rocks with similar mineral compositions are known, and may represent a distinct class of lunar crustal rocks.

Norman, Marc D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars Geophysics

The titles in this section include: 1) Distribution of Large Visible and Buried Impact Basins on Mars: Comparison with Free-Air Gravity, Crustal Thickness, and Magnetization Models; 2) The Early Thermal and Magnetic State of Terra Cimmeria, Southern Highlands of Mars; 3) Compatible Vector Components of the Magnetic Field of the Martian Crust; 4) Vertical Extrapolation of Mars Magnetic Potentials; 5) Rock Magnetic Fields Shield the Surface of Mars from Harmful Radiation; 6) Loading-induced Stresses near the Martian Hemispheric Dichotomy Boundary; 7) Growth of the Hemispheric Dichotomy and the Cessation of Plate Tectonics on Mars; 8) A Look at the Interior of Mars; 9) Uncertainties on Mars Interior Parameters Deduced from Orientation Parameters Using Different Radio-Links: Analytical Simulations; 10) Refinement of Phobos Ephemeris Using Mars Orbiter Laser Altimetry Radiometry.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1972

Age of a lunar anorthosite.

The crystallization age of an Apollo 15 anorthosite rock, 15415,9, returned from the lunar highlands has been measured to be 4.09 (plus or minus 0.19) b.y. The primitive lunar crust must have been formed in the first 300 to 400 m.y. The results give some credence to the hypothesis that the primitive lunar surface was molten and large-scale fractional crystallization occurred in the early history of the moon.

Husain, L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Regolith in the South Pole-Aitken Basin is Mainly Indigenous Material

This abstract is concerned with the probability that a mission to a site within the South Pole-Aitken basin (SPA) would yield a meaningful sample of typical SPA floor material. The probability seems favorable, barring a highly atypical landing site, because the chemical composition of the SPA interior, as determined remotely from orbit, is different from that of the surrounding lunar surface. How representative would the sample be? To what extent have lateral transport or later events compromised the original chemical and mineralogical composition of the floor material? Where or in what kind of deposit should the mission land to provide the best example? We address these questions from the point of view of modeling of impact ejecta deposits. SPA is the largest lunar impact basin. Shallow for its diameter, it has a subdued gravity signature, a lower albedo, and a more Th- and Ferich interior than the surrounding highlands (the Feldspathic Highlands Terrane, FHT). Its floor may represent noritic or perhaps (but less abundant) gabbroic lower crust of the FHT, the upper crust stripped away by the basin-forming impact, possibly an oblique one.

Haskin, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

A survey of lunar rock types and comparison of the crusts of earth and moon

The principal known types of lunar rocks are briefly reviewed, and their chemical relationships discussed. In the suite of low-KREEP highland rocks, Fe/(Fe + Mg) in the normative mafic minerals increases and the albite content of normative plagio-clase decreases as the total amount of normative plagioclase increases, the opposite of the trend predicted by the Bowen reaction principle. The distribution of compositions of rocks from terrestrial layered mafic intrusives is substantially different: here the analyses fall in several discrete clusters (anorthositic rocks, norites, granophyres and ferrogabbros, ultramafics), and the chemical trends noted above are not reproduced. It is suggested that the observed trends in lunar highland rocks could be produced by crystal fractionation in a deep global surface magma system if (1) plagiociase tended to float, upon crystallization, and (2) the magma was kept agitated and well mixed (probably by thermal convection) until crystallization was far advanced and relatively little residual liquid was left. After the crustal system solidified, but before extensive cooling had developed a thick, strong lithosphere, mantle convection was able to draw portions of the lunar anorthositic crust down into the mantle.

Wood, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Buried and Visible Impact Basin Distribution on Mars: Comparison with Magnetization, Gravity and Crustal Thickness Models

The large population of buried impact basins found in MOLA elevation data on Mars provides compelling evidence for a pre-Noachian crust below the oldest visible Early Noachian surface units, and lowland crust below the younger plains that is Early Noachian in age, older than much of the visible highlands, but not as old as the buried pre-Noachian highlands. The large (D greater than 200 km) buried basins are suggested by Quasi-Circular Depressions (QCDs) that are not apparent in image data, and include features up to 3000 lun diameter in both the lowlands (Utopia) and highlands (a newly found "Ares Basin"). There are about a dozen QCDs larger than 1000 km diameter. We have placed these large features in a relative age sequence based on superimposed smaller QCD. Only the youngest and most obvious of these (Hellas, Argyre, Isidis) lack magnetic anomalies within their main rings. These all have an N(200) cumulative crater density of less than 2.5. Somewhat older lowland-making basins (Utopia, Chryse, Acidalia) with an N(200) age of approximately 3.0, have weak magnetic anomalies, and the oldest, most subdued basins (including Ares) with N(200) greater than 3.5 have many strong magnetic anomalies within their main ring. These older basins likely formed before the main magnetic field died. We have compared our inventory of large QCDs with the distribution of gravity anomalies and with a crustal thickness model which shows many roughly circular areas of thinner crust completely or partly surrounded by narrow regions of thicker crust. These have the structure expected for impact basins, and many of them do correspond to the visible or buried QCDs we previously identified. But there are cases where the crustal thickness feature is offset from the QCD found in topography alone, and there are also several, sometimes large examples of such features which do not coincide with QCDs previously identified. For example, we find several likely buried basins revealed in the crustal thickness data in the Arcadia and Amazonis regions which we did not previously identify, including several features in the 600-1200 km diameter range.

Frey, Herbert↗