A review of studies on mass-movements on the Moon

The study of the lunar surface is a significant field in exploring the Moon. As a non-negligible geological process shaping the lunar surface, however, the mass movements on the Moon have not been deeply studied regarding all available datasets. In this paper, we report the results of the literature...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kaixuan Li, Jiao Wang, Yijian Shi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1223642/full
_version_ 1797775395815161856
author Kaixuan Li
Jiao Wang
Yijian Shi
author_facet Kaixuan Li
Jiao Wang
Yijian Shi
author_sort Kaixuan Li
collection DOAJ
description The study of the lunar surface is a significant field in exploring the Moon. As a non-negligible geological process shaping the lunar surface, however, the mass movements on the Moon have not been deeply studied regarding all available datasets. In this paper, we report the results of the literature review and quantitative analysis of 965 articles retrieved from the Scopus, WoS, and Astrophysics Data System databases using keyword search terms between the years 1872 and 2022. The main findings show that the lunar mass movements are a lasting but recent prosperous research topic (since 2009). The top three influential journals in this area are Icarus, JGR, and P&SS. Robinson, Lucchitta, and Carr are the most three productive authors. California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, and Johns Hopkins University are active institutions leading the lunar mass movements research, and the related institutions are mainly located in the United States, Russia, and China. Articles are primarily published in journals specializing in the fields of astronomy and physics. The index analysis of citation indicates the growth of the academic impact of articles about the lunar mass movements. This article summarizes the datasets, methods, and relevant parameters of lunar mass movements to facilitate future research, as well as discussing the limitations and trends in the field. In addition, four unsolved issues are proposed, including: 1) the lack of a comprehensive global database that records all types of landslides incidents; 2) the need for definite classification indicators to quantify the classification criteria for lunar mass movements; 3) the absence of a mathematical model to explain the triggering mechanism of mass movements on the Moon; and 4) the lack of quantitative indexes to evaluate the modification effect of mass movements on the lunar surface morphology. With the support of big data, the combination of artificial intelligence and traditional GIS methods is expected to become the main approach for addressing these issues such a bibliometric analysis can inspire future researchers by exploring the overall characteristics of the published literature on lunar mass movements.
first_indexed 2024-03-12T22:36:07Z
format Article
id doaj.art-0bb565b50e60415598a52ff59faf5f85
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2296-987X
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-12T22:36:07Z
publishDate 2023-07-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
spelling doaj.art-0bb565b50e60415598a52ff59faf5f852023-07-21T12:21:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences2296-987X2023-07-011010.3389/fspas.2023.12236421223642A review of studies on mass-movements on the MoonKaixuan LiJiao WangYijian ShiThe study of the lunar surface is a significant field in exploring the Moon. As a non-negligible geological process shaping the lunar surface, however, the mass movements on the Moon have not been deeply studied regarding all available datasets. In this paper, we report the results of the literature review and quantitative analysis of 965 articles retrieved from the Scopus, WoS, and Astrophysics Data System databases using keyword search terms between the years 1872 and 2022. The main findings show that the lunar mass movements are a lasting but recent prosperous research topic (since 2009). The top three influential journals in this area are Icarus, JGR, and P&SS. Robinson, Lucchitta, and Carr are the most three productive authors. California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, and Johns Hopkins University are active institutions leading the lunar mass movements research, and the related institutions are mainly located in the United States, Russia, and China. Articles are primarily published in journals specializing in the fields of astronomy and physics. The index analysis of citation indicates the growth of the academic impact of articles about the lunar mass movements. This article summarizes the datasets, methods, and relevant parameters of lunar mass movements to facilitate future research, as well as discussing the limitations and trends in the field. In addition, four unsolved issues are proposed, including: 1) the lack of a comprehensive global database that records all types of landslides incidents; 2) the need for definite classification indicators to quantify the classification criteria for lunar mass movements; 3) the absence of a mathematical model to explain the triggering mechanism of mass movements on the Moon; and 4) the lack of quantitative indexes to evaluate the modification effect of mass movements on the lunar surface morphology. With the support of big data, the combination of artificial intelligence and traditional GIS methods is expected to become the main approach for addressing these issues such a bibliometric analysis can inspire future researchers by exploring the overall characteristics of the published literature on lunar mass movements.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1223642/fullmass-movementslandslideMoonliterature reviewsurface erosion
spellingShingle Kaixuan Li
Jiao Wang
Yijian Shi
A review of studies on mass-movements on the Moon
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
mass-movements
landslide
Moon
literature review
surface erosion
title A review of studies on mass-movements on the Moon
title_full A review of studies on mass-movements on the Moon
title_fullStr A review of studies on mass-movements on the Moon
title_full_unstemmed A review of studies on mass-movements on the Moon
title_short A review of studies on mass-movements on the Moon
title_sort review of studies on mass movements on the moon
topic mass-movements
landslide
Moon
literature review
surface erosion
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1223642/full
work_keys_str_mv AT kaixuanli areviewofstudiesonmassmovementsonthemoon
AT jiaowang areviewofstudiesonmassmovementsonthemoon
AT yijianshi areviewofstudiesonmassmovementsonthemoon
AT kaixuanli reviewofstudiesonmassmovementsonthemoon
AT jiaowang reviewofstudiesonmassmovementsonthemoon
AT yijianshi reviewofstudiesonmassmovementsonthemoon