Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin
The Nectarian-aged Crisium basin exhibits an extremely thin crust and complicated lunar geological history. This large multi-ring impact basin is characterized by prolonged lunar volcanism ranging from the Imbrian age to the Eratosthenian period, forming the high-Ti mare unit, low-Ti mare basalts, a...
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/23/4828 |
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| author | Xuejin Lu Haijun Cao Zongcheng Ling Xiaohui Fu Le Qiao Jian Chen |
| author_facet | Xuejin Lu Haijun Cao Zongcheng Ling Xiaohui Fu Le Qiao Jian Chen |
| author_sort | Xuejin Lu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Nectarian-aged Crisium basin exhibits an extremely thin crust and complicated lunar geological history. This large multi-ring impact basin is characterized by prolonged lunar volcanism ranging from the Imbrian age to the Eratosthenian period, forming the high-Ti mare unit, low-Ti mare basalts, and very low-Ti mare unit. We produced an updated geological map of the Crisium basin and defined four mare units (<i>Im1</i>: 3.74 Ga; <i>Im2</i>: 3.49 Ga; <i>Im3</i>: 3.56 Ga; <i>EIm</i>: 2.49 Ga) in terms of distinct composition and mineralogy. Olivine was widely determined in the Ti-rich <i>Im1</i>, implying the hybridization source in the lunar mantle with the occurrence of small-scale convective overturn. The major phase of low-Ti basaltic volcanism occurred c.a. 3.5 Ga, forming <i>Im2</i> and <i>Im3</i> in the western area. The youngest mare unit (<i>EIm</i>) has slight variations of pyroxene compositions, implying a decrease of calcic content of basaltic volcanisms with time. Later, distal material transports from large impact events in highlands could complicate the mixing of local mare basalts in the Copernicus age, especially the <i>Im3</i> unit. The identified olivine-bearing outcrops and widely Mg-rich materials (Mg# > 70, where Mg# = molar 100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe)) in the western highlands, assumed to be the occurrence of the Mg-suite candidates, require future lunar exploration missions to validate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:46:21Z |
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| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:46:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
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| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-52bbd2359fc9419d8803e12f48a296202023-11-23T02:56:59ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-11-011323482810.3390/rs13234828Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium BasinXuejin Lu0Haijun Cao1Zongcheng Ling2Xiaohui Fu3Le Qiao4Jian Chen5Shandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, School of Space Science and Physics, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaShandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, School of Space Science and Physics, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaShandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, School of Space Science and Physics, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaShandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, School of Space Science and Physics, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaShandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, School of Space Science and Physics, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaShandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, School of Space Science and Physics, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaThe Nectarian-aged Crisium basin exhibits an extremely thin crust and complicated lunar geological history. This large multi-ring impact basin is characterized by prolonged lunar volcanism ranging from the Imbrian age to the Eratosthenian period, forming the high-Ti mare unit, low-Ti mare basalts, and very low-Ti mare unit. We produced an updated geological map of the Crisium basin and defined four mare units (<i>Im1</i>: 3.74 Ga; <i>Im2</i>: 3.49 Ga; <i>Im3</i>: 3.56 Ga; <i>EIm</i>: 2.49 Ga) in terms of distinct composition and mineralogy. Olivine was widely determined in the Ti-rich <i>Im1</i>, implying the hybridization source in the lunar mantle with the occurrence of small-scale convective overturn. The major phase of low-Ti basaltic volcanism occurred c.a. 3.5 Ga, forming <i>Im2</i> and <i>Im3</i> in the western area. The youngest mare unit (<i>EIm</i>) has slight variations of pyroxene compositions, implying a decrease of calcic content of basaltic volcanisms with time. Later, distal material transports from large impact events in highlands could complicate the mixing of local mare basalts in the Copernicus age, especially the <i>Im3</i> unit. The identified olivine-bearing outcrops and widely Mg-rich materials (Mg# > 70, where Mg# = molar 100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe)) in the western highlands, assumed to be the occurrence of the Mg-suite candidates, require future lunar exploration missions to validate.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/23/4828MoonCrisium basingeological mapbasaltschronology |
| spellingShingle | Xuejin Lu Haijun Cao Zongcheng Ling Xiaohui Fu Le Qiao Jian Chen Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin Remote Sensing Moon Crisium basin geological map basalts chronology |
| title | Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin |
| title_full | Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin |
| title_fullStr | Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin |
| title_short | Geomorphology, Mineralogy, and Geochronology of Mare Basalts and Non-Mare Materials around the Lunar Crisium Basin |
| title_sort | geomorphology mineralogy and geochronology of mare basalts and non mare materials around the lunar crisium basin |
| topic | Moon Crisium basin geological map basalts chronology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/23/4828 |
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