Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Sep 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008epsc.conf..129b&link_type=abstract
European Planetary Science Congress 2008, Proceedings of the conference held 21-25 September, 2008 in Münster, Germany. Online a
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
The South Pole - Aitken (SPA) Basin, situated on the southern farside of the Moon, is of critical importance to unravelling the composition and evolution of the Moon. This PreNectarian basin ( >3.9 Ga), measuring 2500 km in diameter with a depth of up to 12 km, is commonly alleged to have excavated deep into the lunar crust (Fig. 1). Therefore the SPA Basin floor may provide a unique opportunity to study deep seated lunar materials. However, rocks initially exposed by the impact event have been heavily altered or hidden from view, due to subsequent weathering and impact processes. Consequently the identification of pristine SPA Basin floor material, which would provide a new window into the lunar interior, has become severely complicated [1]. Previous research using multispectral and gamma-ray data obtained by the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions revealed the localised presence of noritic and gabbroic/troctolitic rocks, exposed underneath the mixing regolith layer [2, 4]. Approach In this study we combine structural and geochemical analyses of the SPA Basin. The research presented here aims at improving mineralogical descriptions of mafic rock types within the South Pole - Aitken Basin using a similar approach as described by Tompkins and Pieters [2, 3]. Multispectral data from Clementine ultraviolet/visible and near-infrared cameras are used and processed in ENVI. The method relies on diagnostic shapes of band absorptions for key mafic minerals olivine and high Ca-pyroxene, in order to discriminate between geologic units of noritic, gabbroic and troctolitic compositions. We synthesise our results with a companion complementary study of the global geological structure of the SPA Basin using Clementine altimetry and gravity data obtained by LIDAR instruments (F. Bexkens et al., this conference). Based on both mineralogical and structural analysis local mosaics of SMART-1 high resolution AMIE images will be produced to provide improved geological context for areas exposing deep crustal materials. In particular we will discuss the Bhabha- Bose region located in central SPA Basin, which has been previously proposed as a possible sample return landing site [4, 5]. Ultimately this study aims to contribute to identifying target areas of future sample return missions to ensure optimal scientific gain. References [1] Jolliff, B.L., et al. (2002), LPSXXXIII, 1156 [2] Pieters, C.M., et al. (1997) Geophysical Research Letters, 24, 1903-1906 [3] Tompkins, S., and Pieters, C.M. (1999). Meteor. Planet. Sci., 34(1), 25-41 [4] Pieters, C.M., et al. (2001) JGR, 106, 28,001- 28,022. [5] Duke, M.B. (2003) Adv. Space. Res., 31, 2347- 2352. EPSC Abstracts, Vol. 3, EPSC2008-A-00129, 2008 European Planetary Science Congress, Author(s) 2008
Bexkens F.
Borst A. M.
Foing Bernard H.
Koschny Detlef
Peters T. M. S.
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