Lunar craters ≈ Lunar craters
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Surface vector mapping of magnetic anomalies over the Moon using Kaguya and Lunar Prospector observations Open
We have provided preliminary global maps of three components of the lunar magnetic anomaly on the surface applying the surface vector mapping (SVM) method. The data used in the present study consist of about 5 million observations of the l…
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The fractured Moon: Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering Open
We have analyzed the Bouguer anomaly (BA) of ~1200 complex craters in the lunar highlands from Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory observations. The BA of these craters is generally negative, though positive BA values are observed, pa…
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Dating very young planetary surfaces from crater statistics: A review of issues and challenges Open
Determining the ages of young planetary surfaces relies on using populations of small, often sub‐km diameter impact craters due to the higher frequency at which they form. Smaller craters however can be less reliable for estimating ages as…
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Preimpact porosity controls the gravity signature of lunar craters Open
We model the formation of lunar complex craters and investigate the effect of preimpact porosity on their gravity signatures. We find that while preimpact target porosities less than ~7% produce negative residual Bouguer anomalies (BAs), p…
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Effect of Topography Degradation on Crater Size‐Frequency Distributions: Implications for Populations of Small Craters and Age Dating Open
Whether or not background secondary craters dominate populations of small impact craters on terrestrial bodies is a half‐century controversy. It has been suggested that small craters on some planetary bodies are dominated by background sec…
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The Young Age of the LAMP‐observed Frost in Lunar Polar Cold Traps Open
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) ultraviolet instrument detected a 0.5–2% icy regolith mix on the floor of some of the southern pole permanently shadowed craters of the Moon. We present calculations indic…
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Heterogeneous impact transport on the Moon Open
Impact cratering is the dominant process for transporting material on the Moon's surface. An impact transports both proximal material (continuous ejecta) locally and distal ejecta (crater rays) to much larger distances. Quantifying the rel…
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Unravelling the Mystery of Lunar Anomalous Craters Using Radar and Infrared Observations Open
In Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini‐RF) radar images, anomalous craters are those having a high circular polarization ratio (CPR) in their interior but not exterior to their rims. Previous studies found that most CPR‐anomalous craters conta…
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Gravity field of the Orientale basin from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory Mission Open
On the origin of Orientale basin Orientale basin is a major impact crater on the Moon, which is hard to see from Earth because it is right on the western edge of the lunar nearside. Relatively undisturbed by later events, Orientale serves …
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Thickness of Lunar Mare Basalts: New Results Based on Modeling the Degradation of Partially Buried Craters Open
Partially buried craters on the Moon are those craters whose distal ejecta are covered by lava flows and where the crater rim crest still protrudes above the mare plain. Based on the difference in rim heights between a partially buried cra…
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Fragments Delivered by Secondary Craters at the Chang'E‐4 Landing Site Open
The Chang'E‐4 landing site is depleted with boulders seen from both orbit and surface. However, the Yutu‐2 rover came across thousands of concreted fragments in and around an abnormally fresh crater that has more elevated northwestern rims…
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Centimeter-resolution topographic modeling and fine-scale analysis of craters and rocks at the Chang'E-4 landing site Open
Chang'E-4 was the first lunar mission to successfully land on the far side of the Moon. The stereo images collected by the panoramic camera (Pancam) mounted on the Jade Rabbit-2 rover have provided the most detailed in situ observations of…
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Topographic Evolution of Von Kármán Crater Revealed by the Lunar Rover Yutu‐2 Open
Chang'e‐4 (CE‐4) achieved the first farside landing in Von Kármán crater. In the landing site, linear features have been identified previously from SLDEM and considered to be ejecta from the neighboring Finsen crater. The 5 cm grid spacing…
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Reexamination of Early Lunar Chronology With GRAIL Data: Terranes, Basins, and Impact Fluxes Open
Flooding of the lunar surface by ancient mare basalts has rendered uncertain the ages of lunar geochemical terranes and several impact basins. Here we combine craters having recognizable surface expressions with craters identified only by …
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Dielectric properties and stratigraphy of regolith in the lunar South Pole-Aitken basin: Observations from the Lunar Penetrating Radar Open
Aims. We examine data obtained by the Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard the Chang'E-4 (CE-4) mission to study the dielectric properties and stratigraphy of lunar regolith on the far side of the Moon. Methods. The data collected from Ja…
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Properties Analysis of Lunar Regolith at Chang’E-4 Landing Site Based on 3D Velocity Spectrum of Lunar Penetrating Radar Open
The Chinese Chang’E-4 mission for moon exploration has been successfully completed. The Chang’E-4 probe achieved the first-ever soft landing on the floor of Von Kármán crater (177.59°E, 45.46°S) of the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin on Janu…
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New Insight Into Lunar Regolith‐Forming Processes by the Lunar Rover Yutu‐2 Open
The Yutu‐2 rover of the Chang'E‐4 spacecraft observed many meter‐sized shallow pits fully covered with small fragments, distinct from the typical rock‐free impact craters with comparable sizes in the landing area. The unique morphology of …
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On the importance of self-secondaries Open
Self-secondaries are secondary craters that are formed on both the continuous ejecta deposits and interior of the parent crater. The possible existence of self-secondaries was proposed in the late 1960s, but their identity, formation mecha…
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Automatic Mapping of Small Lunar Impact Craters Using LRO‐NAC Images Open
Impact craters are the most common feature on the Moon’s surface. Crater size–frequency distributions provide critical insight into the timing of geological events, surface erosion rates, and impact fluxes. The impact crater size–frequency…
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Explosive volcanism in complex impact craters on Mercury and the Moon: Influence of tectonic regime on depth of magmatic intrusion Open
Vents and deposits attributed to explosive volcanism occur within numerous impact craters on both the Moon and Mercury. Given the similarities between the two bodies it is probable that similar processes control this spatial association on…
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Geological controls of giant crater development on the Arctic seafloor Open
Active methane seepage occurs congruent with a high density of up to 1 km-wide and 35 m deep seafloor craters (>100 craters within 700 km 2 area) within lithified sedimentary rocks in the northern Barents Sea. The crater origin has been hy…
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Magma Ascent and Eruption Triggered by Cratering on the Moon Open
On the Moon, the low‐density crust exerts a strong filter to magma ascent. Many lunar craters are filled with mare, and evidence of pyroclastic activity and shallow magmatism is often located within craters called floor‐fractured craters (…
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Degradation of Small Simple and Large Complex Lunar Craters: Not a Simple Scale Dependence Open
The crater record of a planetary surface unit is often analyzed by its cumulative size‐frequency distribution (CSFD). Measuring CSFDs involves traditional approaches, such as traditional crater counting (TCC) and buffered crater counting (…
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Lunar samples record an impact 4.2 billion years ago that may have formed the Serenitatis Basin Open
Impact cratering on the Moon and the derived size-frequency distribution functions of lunar impact craters are used to determine the ages of unsampled planetary surfaces across the Solar System. Radiometric dating of lunar samples provides…
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Spillage of lunar polar crater volatiles onto adjacent terrains: The case for dynamic processes Open
We present an investigation of the release and transport of lunar polar crater volatiles onto topside regions surrounding the cold traps. The volatiles are liberated via surface energization processes associated with the harsh space enviro…
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Modeling Radar Albedos of Laboratory‐Characterized Particles: Application to the Lunar Surface Open
We analyze lunar images obtained by the Mini Radio Frequency instrument onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to interpret the anomalous radar scattering observed in some lunar craters. We compare the radar signatures of the crater floo…
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Numerical modeling of the formation of Shackleton crater at the lunar south pole Open
The lunar south pole, on the rim of Shackleton crater, is the target for the next human landing on the Moon. We use numerical modeling to investigate the formation of that crater and the distribution of ejecta around the south pole. We fin…
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Past extent of lunar permanently shadowed areas Open
As the Moon migrated away from Earth, it experienced a major spin axis reorientation. Permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), which are thought to have trapped ices and are a main focus of lunar exploration, appeared and grew after this (Cass…
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A Global Analysis of Crater Depth/Diameter Ratios on the Moon Open
On the Moon, the old anorthositic highland rocks and younger basaltic mare units show distinguishable differences in appearance. The craters on the lunar highlands and maria also show variation in morphological characteristics. We analyzed…
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Prolonged Rock Exhumation at the Rims of Kilometer‐Scale Lunar Craters Open
Fresh impact ejecta deposits on the lunar surface can be characterized as heterogeneous mixtures of boulders, cobbles, and fine‐grained regolith that are deposited on the lunar surface during the impact crater formation process. Over time,…