Other
Scientific paper
Sep 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995metic..30r.518h&link_type=abstract
Meteoritics, vol. 30, no. 5, page 518
Other
3
Anorthosite, Basins, Multiring, Iron Oxide, Moon, Plagioclase, Spectra, Spectral Reflectance
Scientific paper
Introduction: In recent years, we have been conducting a variety of remote sensing studies of lunar basin and crater deposits in order to determine the composition of surface units and to investigate the stratigraphy of the lunar crust [1-6]. Special attention has been given to determining the distribution and modes of occurrence of pure anorthosite (plagioclase >90%) in order to answer the critical question of whether or not the lunar crust is enriched in plagioclase. In previous studies, we have utilized telescopic near-infrared spectra to determine the lithology of relatively small areas (2-10 km) of the lunar surface. Now, high resolution multispectral images are available from the Galileo and Clementine missions. We are currently utilizing a variety of techniques to extract compositional information from these new data sets. Chief among these is the production of FeO abundance maps from Clementine and Galileo multispectral images using the method presented by Lucey et al. [7]. Distribution and Modes of Occurrence: Orientale Basin region. With the exception of the Inner Rook massifs, all the highland units associated with the Orientale Basin appear to be composed of either noritic anorthosite or anorthositic norite. Our spectral data indicate that the Inner Rook ring is composed of pure anorthosite [1,2]. Relatively low (<4%) FeO values are exhibited by most portions of this mountain range. Grimaldi Basin region. Spectra obtained for the inner ring of Grimaldi indicate that portions of this ring are composed of pure anorthosite. Low FeO values are also displayed by segments of the inner ring. Other highlands units in the Grimaldi region are composed of more mafic material [2,5]. Humorum Basin region. At least a portion of the inner ring of Humorum is composed of anorthosite [2,6]. However, Galileo and Clementine data demonstrate that the entire ring is not composed of anorthosite, and no anorthosites have yet been identified on the outer Humorum rings. Nectaris Basin region. While noritic anorthosites and anorthositic norites are the dominant rock types in the region, anorthosites have now been located on, or very near, the four innermost rings of Nectaris [3,4,8]. Relatively low (<4%) FeO values are associated with Kant and Cyrillus A craters. Crisium Basin region. A recent spectral survey of the Crisium region failed to locate pure anorthosite deposits [9]. However, an analysis of Galileo multispectral imagery and FeO map has shown that small exposures of pure anorthosite occur near Proclus crater and in the vicinity of Geminus crater. Other Occurrences. Recent studies utilizing both Earth-based spectra and Galileo SSI data suggest that pure anorthosite is exposed within Goldschmidt crater in the northern highlands [10]. Anorthosites have also been identified in the central peaks of Alphonsus and Petavius craters [8,11]. Very recently, Clementine near-IR images were used to show that anorthosite was present in the central peak of Aristarchus crater [12]. In every instance, the anorthosites on the nearside were exposed from beneath a shallower near-surface layer of more pyroxene-rich material. Recent results from the Clementine mission indicate that pure anorthosite may be quite abundant on certain farside surfaces [7]. References: [1] Spudis P. et al. (1984) Proc. LPSC 15th, in JGR, 89, C197. [2] Hawke B. et al. (1991) GRL, 18, 2141. [3] Spudis P. et al. (1989) Proc. LPSC 19th, 51. [4] Hawke B. et al. (1986) NASA TM-88383, 526. [5] Peterson C. et al. (1995) GRL, in press. [6] Hawke B. et al. (1993) GRL, 20, 419. [7] Lucey P. et al. (1995) Science, 268, 1150. [8] Pieters C. (1986) Rev. Geophys., 24, 557. [9] Blewett D. et al. (1995) GRL, in press. [10] Pieters C. et al. (1993) LPS XXIV, 1141. [11] Coombs C. et al. (1990) Proc. LPS, Vol. 20, 161. [12] McEwen A. et al. (1994) Science, 1858.
Blewett Dave T.
Hawke Bernard Ray
Jeffrey Taylor G.
Lucey Paul G.
Peterson Charlotte A.
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