{"title":"Analysis of a large buried impact crater and vertical mineral composition at the Chang'E-4 landing site by multi-source remote sensing data","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116256","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Exploring the concealed subsurface structures and materials beneath the lunar surface can reveal significant insights into geological history. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the stratigraphic interpretation and subsurface material composition at the Chang'E-4 landing site, integrating both in-situ and orbital radar with multispectral datasets. We report the identification of a subsurface structure, which resembles a buried impact crater (∼420 m in diameter) under the Yutu-2 rover's path. This crater could degrade over a period of 0.42 to 0.53 Ga, with an initial diameter of 293 to 323 m and an initial depth of 45.9 to 51.4 m. Surface material above the buried crater, evaluated by the in-situ visible and near-infrared imaging spectrometer (VNIS) detector, shows a higher abundance of clinopyroxene compared to surrounding areas, where a near-equal mix of clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene is observed. Assessment of crater diameters in proximity to the Chang'E-4 landing site, along with the mineral compositions at their epicenters, reveals a decrease in the abundance of clinopyroxene and plagioclase with depth. Conversely, the quantities of orthopyroxene and olivine increase, implying that orthopyroxene-rich Finsen ejecta significantly influenced the Chang'E-4 landing site's geological composition. Two potential stratigraphic boundary depths are identified at 13.5 and 22 m, based on pronounced variations in mineral abundance, offering fresh insights into subsurface delineation beyond radar data. Considering the VNIS and vertical mineral composition, we propose the buried crater's formation resulted from Finsen crater's ejecta. Also, we identify eight potential historical impacts by comparing subsurface relief variations with mineral composition ratios between clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene. The integration of subsurface structure, along with surface and subsurface mineral composition, enables a more robust stratigraphic interpretation, facilitates shallow material source analysis, and allows for historical impact tracing.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13199,"journal":{"name":"Icarus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Icarus","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103524003166","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Exploring the concealed subsurface structures and materials beneath the lunar surface can reveal significant insights into geological history. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the stratigraphic interpretation and subsurface material composition at the Chang'E-4 landing site, integrating both in-situ and orbital radar with multispectral datasets. We report the identification of a subsurface structure, which resembles a buried impact crater (∼420 m in diameter) under the Yutu-2 rover's path. This crater could degrade over a period of 0.42 to 0.53 Ga, with an initial diameter of 293 to 323 m and an initial depth of 45.9 to 51.4 m. Surface material above the buried crater, evaluated by the in-situ visible and near-infrared imaging spectrometer (VNIS) detector, shows a higher abundance of clinopyroxene compared to surrounding areas, where a near-equal mix of clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene is observed. Assessment of crater diameters in proximity to the Chang'E-4 landing site, along with the mineral compositions at their epicenters, reveals a decrease in the abundance of clinopyroxene and plagioclase with depth. Conversely, the quantities of orthopyroxene and olivine increase, implying that orthopyroxene-rich Finsen ejecta significantly influenced the Chang'E-4 landing site's geological composition. Two potential stratigraphic boundary depths are identified at 13.5 and 22 m, based on pronounced variations in mineral abundance, offering fresh insights into subsurface delineation beyond radar data. Considering the VNIS and vertical mineral composition, we propose the buried crater's formation resulted from Finsen crater's ejecta. Also, we identify eight potential historical impacts by comparing subsurface relief variations with mineral composition ratios between clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene. The integration of subsurface structure, along with surface and subsurface mineral composition, enables a more robust stratigraphic interpretation, facilitates shallow material source analysis, and allows for historical impact tracing.
期刊介绍:
Icarus is devoted to the publication of original contributions in the field of Solar System studies. Manuscripts reporting the results of new research - observational, experimental, or theoretical - concerning the astronomy, geology, meteorology, physics, chemistry, biology, and other scientific aspects of our Solar System or extrasolar systems are welcome. The journal generally does not publish papers devoted exclusively to the Sun, the Earth, celestial mechanics, meteoritics, or astrophysics. Icarus does not publish papers that provide "improved" versions of Bode''s law, or other numerical relations, without a sound physical basis. Icarus does not publish meeting announcements or general notices. Reviews, historical papers, and manuscripts describing spacecraft instrumentation may be considered, but only with prior approval of the editor. An entire issue of the journal is occasionally devoted to a single subject, usually arising from a conference on the same topic. The language of publication is English. American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these.