Printer-friendly version
The plains west of the craters Bose and Bhaba in the South Pole Aitken (SPA) basin are a target of interest for the proposed MoonRise sample return mission. It is important to study their geology and stratigraphy, to aid in the interpretation of returned samples.
We explore this region with multispectral data, using impact craters as probes. Preliminary results suggest the presence of multiple layers of basalt flows, interleaved with non-mafic ejecta.
Many small surface mare patches have been mapped in the area, along with numerous light plains that have long been suspected to be cryptomare deposits. Spectral studies of small, fresh craters confirm that these light plains represent a near-surface cryptomare unit that is ~100 m thick. Studies of other nearby craters, including flooded craters, indicate that an older, pre-existing mare is located below these plains, extending beneath older plains materials. This cryptomare unit is located at a depth of ~ 500 m and extends for a thickness of ~ 500 m.
The large craters Bose, Bhabha, and Stoney appear to have excavated basalts, suggesting the presence of an even older, deeper mafic unit that extends to a depth of ~9 km below the present surface. Smaller surrounding craters further constrain the upper boundary of this layer to a depth of less than 2 km. It is currently not clear if this unit represents one continuous mafic unit or multiple interleaved cryptomare and impact layers.
Further work will evaluate this region in more detail and also broaden the study to larger parts of the SPA.
Send page by email
