Mapping and Interpretation of Lunar Crustal Magnetic Fields Using Lunar Prospector Magnetometer Data

Mathematics – Logic

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1517 Magnetic Anomaly Modeling, 1521 Paleointensity, 5440 Magnetic Fields And Magnetism, 6250 Moon (1221)

Scientific paper

Previous work has shown that the strongest concentrations of lunar crustal magnetic anomalies are located near the antipodes of the four youngest large basins (Orientale, Imbrium, Serenitatis, Crisium). Here, we analyze direct Lunar Prospector magnetometer measurements, corrected approximately for spacecraft altitude differences, to estimate the relative absolute magnitudes of crustal magnetic fields over these regions. It is found that one anomaly of the Crisium antipode group has the largest amplitude, followed (in decreasing order) by maximum field anomalies at the Serenitatis, Imbrium, and Orientale antipodes. However, the Imbrium antipode region has the largest areal distribution of anomalies, followed by regions antipodal to Orientale, Serenitatis, and Crisium. On the near side, crustal field anomalies are much less common but several isolated, relatively strong anomalies are present. In addition to the well-known Reiner Gamma and Rima Sirsalis anomalies, an anomaly is mapped near the Apollo 16 landing site whose amplitude is higher than that of Reiner Gamma and is second only to the strongest anomaly of the Crisium antipode group. The latter anomaly occurs over a region dominated by the Cayley Formation (primary and/or secondary basin ejecta) and supports earlier work (Halekas et al., JGR, in press, 2001; Hood et al., JGR, in press, 2001) showing that surface anomalies on the near side correlate most closely with this geologic unit. In general, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that basin ejecta materials, especially those resulting from the Imbrium impact event, are the main sources of lunar crustal fields. The associations of strong anomalies with this basin and with the Orientale, Serenitatis, and Crisium basins are consistent with sample paleointensity data showing evidence for an epoch of relatively strong magnetizing fields during the 3.8 - 4.0 Gyr period. Such a strong field epoch is most easily understood if a lunar core dynamo existed at that time.

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