Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Erwan Mazarico, Michael K. Barker, Amy M. Jagge, Andrew W. Britton, Samuel J. Lawrence, Jacob E. Bleacher, Noah E. Petro
Summary: The lunar poles are of high interest for exploration due to their potential to host useful volatiles and highly-illuminated regions. This study investigates the possibility of long traverses between these sites under complex and dynamic lighting conditions. Using high-resolution topographic maps, the researchers simulate time-varying illumination and find that long-distance sunlit pathways are possible but have lengthy durations, which can be optimized with specific survival capabilities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matt J. Jones, Alexander J. Evans, Brandon C. Johnson, Matthew B. Weller, Jeffrey C. Andrews-Hanna, Sonia M. Tikoo, James T. Keane
Summary: Numerical simulations demonstrate that the mantle convection caused by the South Pole-Aitken impact can explain the existence of the nearside-farside lunar asymmetry.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jianqing Feng, Matthew A. Siegler, Mackenzie N. White
Summary: This study examines the dielectric properties and stratigraphy of lunar regolith on the far side of the moon using data obtained from the Chang'E-4 mission. The results indicate that the regolith in the landing site is composed of fine-grained, low-loss material that is more homogeneous than previous research areas. The study also identifies a series of impact events, with the top layer primarily consisting of ejecta from a large crater located 140 km away.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
D. P. Moriarty, R. N. Watkins, S. N. Valencia, J. D. Kendall, A. J. Evans, N. Dygert, N. E. Petro
Summary: The distribution of thorium in the South Pole-Aitken Basin is consistent with mantle-derived ejecta influenced by subsequent geologic events. Materials bearing thorium exhibit a titanium-bearing gabbronoritic composition consistent with globally distributed late lunar magma ocean cumulates. South Pole-Aitken impact melt is low-calcium pyroxene-rich and low-thorium, suggesting stratification in the upper mantle at the time of formation.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Suyeon Kim, Kyeong Ja Kim, Yu Yi
Summary: According to a demand survey conducted by KARI, Korea has proposed three potential lunar landing sites: Meton, the Copernicus crater, and the Aristarchus Plateau. These sites were selected due to their geological significance and potential resources for future lunar exploration.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Spectroscopy
Chaoqun Zhang, Jin-Hua Li
Summary: In this study, a non-destructive approach combining three-dimensional X-ray microscopy and micro-X-ray fluorescence was used to identify and quantify ilmenite in lunar soil samples from China's Chang'E-5 mission. The results showed that this approach provides a rapid and accurate method for determining the content of ilmenite, which is important for studying lunar geological processes and developing lunar resources.
ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Abhisek Mishra, P. Senthil Kumar
Summary: This study discovered 75 new lobate scarps and >500 segments in the lunar south polar region, showing latitudinal variation of geometry and movement directions. The formation ages of 141 prominent scarps reveal continuous tectonic activity in the last 100 million years with a peak around 10 Ma.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yutong Jia, Lei Liu, Xingchen Wang, Ningbo Guo, Gang Wan
Summary: This paper analyzes the main factors affecting the selection of lunar south pole landing sites and proposes a multi-factor fuzzy cognition and selection model. Evaluation index for candidate landing areas were determined through fuzzy reasoning, and prominent impact craters at the lunar south pole were scored using fuzzy interference.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Xunyu Zhang, Edward Cloutis
Summary: Iron-bearing minerals are a major component of materials on the lunar surface and can be distinguished based on their diagnostic absorption features in reflectance spectra. The relationship between BAR value and Band I center provides a sensitive method for estimating the relative abundance of olivine and pyroxene. This method is useful for spectral analysis of composition and mineralogy on the lunar surface.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel P. Moriarty, Nick Dygert, Sarah N. Valencia, Ryan N. Watkins, Noah E. Petro
Summary: The lunar surface holds ancient and well-preserved records of Solar System history and planetary evolution processes. There is debate among scientists about the lithologies of the upper lunar mantle and where they may be exposed on the surface. By reviewing dynamical models and recent data, researchers are assessing candidate lithologies and their implications for lunar evolution.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Xingguo Zeng, Dawei Liu, Yuan Chen, Qin Zhou, Xin Ren, Zhoubin Zhang, Wei Yan, Wangli Chen, Qiong Wang, Xiangjin Deng, Hao Hu, Jianjun Liu, Wei Zuo, James W. Head, Chunlai Li
Summary: The Chinese Chang'e-6 mission aims to retrieve a lunar farside sample in 2024. This study presents the characterization and scientific potential of three candidate landing sites, located near the 4-billion-year-old Apollo crater within the South Pole-Aitken basin. The selected landing zone lies within the southern part of the Apollo basin, offering access to diverse materials. The geological characteristics suggest that Chang'e-6 will collect lunar farside materials, including SPA ejecta fragments, mantle material, and basaltic material of different ages, providing important insights into the Moon's evolution.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jinhai Zhang, Bin Zhou, Yangting Lin, Meng-Hua Zhu, Hanjie Song, Zehua Dong, Yunze Gao, Kaichang Di, Wei Yang, Hongyu Lin, Jianfeng Yang, Enhai Liu, Lei Wang, Yi Lin, Chao Li, Zongyu Yue, Zhenxing Yao, Ziyuan Ouyang
Summary: The lunar penetrating radar profiles taken by the lunar rover Yutu-2 revealed a three-unit substructure at the landing site in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, supporting the local stratigraphy and geological explanation. The surface materials at the Chang'E-4 landing site are dominated by ejecta from the Finsen crater, indicating that they represent the initial lunar deep interior materials rather than later erupted basalts.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Luyuan Xu, Xunyu Zhang, Le Qiao, Jialong Lai
Summary: The landing site of China's Chang'e-4 probe on the lunar far side is located in the mare basalts at the bottom of the Von Karman crater. The interpretation of surface measurements was complicated by various issues, and a thorough examination of possible foreign materials showed that Finsen crater was the main source. The estimated total impact ejecta thickness at the landing site was found to be thinner than 30m, with Pike's model being the most consistent with observations from the Yutu-2 rover.
ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Wajiha Iqbal, Harald Hiesinger, Danil Borisov, Carolyn H. van der Bogert, James W. Head III
Summary: The lunar cratering chronology function is established based on the correlation between crater size-frequency distributions (CSFDs) and radioisotopic ages of lunar samples. In this study, a new detailed regional geological map of the Apollo 14 landing site was created using LRO, M3, and SELENE/Kaguya data to improve the understanding of the landing site geology. The measured N(1) of the Imbrian Fra Mauro Formation (Ifm) at the Apollo 14 landing site is consistent with the lunar chronology of Neukum (1983), supporting the validity of this chronology.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Daniel Kaschubek, Matthias Killian, Laura Grill
Summary: This paper aims to conduct an in-depth feasibility analysis and dimensioning of a potential environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) and power system for a crewed lunar base at the lunar south pole, considering the interdependencies between subsystems and their interactions with the environment. The study involves selecting suitable landing sites, dynamic simulation of lighting conditions, and analyzing different design options for the ISRU reactor. The research also focuses on utilizing state-of-the-art technologies to achieve high recovery rates and potential fuel production for resupply missions.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Lingyu Zhang, Kristoffer Szilas
Summary: This study presents new petrological and geochemical data for the Narssaq Ultramafic Body (NUB) in the Itsaq Gneiss Complex of SW Greenland. The results indicate that the ultramafic rocks of NUB are not mantle residues, but instead represent crustal cumulates derived from high-Mg magmas.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Rong Xu, Sarah Lambart, Oliver Nebel, Ming Li, Zhongjie Bai, Junbo Zhang, Ganglan Zhang, Jianfeng Gao, Hong Zhong, Yongsheng Liu
Summary: This study investigated the iron isotope compositions of Cenozoic basalts in Southeast China, finding significant variations related to different types of basalts and their respective sources.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
C. J. Ebinger, Miriam C. Reiss, Ian Bastow, Mary M. Karanja
Summary: The East African rift system is formed above mantle upwellings and the formation of rifts is related to lithospheric thinning and magmatic activity. The amount of splitting varies spatially and the fast axes are predominantly parallel to the orientation of the rifts. Thick lithospheric modules have less splitting and different orientations, which may indicate mantle plume flow. Splitting rotates and increases in strength as it enters the rift zones, suggesting that the anisotropy is mainly present at shallow depths.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Correction
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ekaterina Rojas-Kolomiets, Owen Jensen, Michael Bizimis, Gene Yogodzinski, Lukas Ackerman
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Robert W. Nicklas, Igor S. Puchtel, Ethan F. Baxter
Summary: Oxygen fugacity is a fundamental parameter for understanding redox processes in igneous systems. This study compares the Fe-XANES oxybarometry method with the V-in-olivine method for evaluating fO(2) in MORB lavas. The results show that the V-in-olivine method is not applicable to samples with low MgO content, and that the majority of Archean komatiite sources have lower fO(2) than modern MORB.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Chunfei Chen, Stephen F. Foley, Sebastian Tappe, Huange Ren, Lanping Feng, Yongsheng Liu
Summary: The volatile components CO2 and H2O play a major role in mantle melting and heterogeneity. In this study, Ca isotopes were used to trace the lithological heterogeneity in alkaline magmatic rocks. The results revealed the presence of K-richterite and carbonate components as the source of alkaline magmas with low delta 44/40Ca values. These findings highlight the importance of Ca isotopes as a robust tracer of lithological variation caused by volatiles in the Earth's upper mantle.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Timothee Jautzy, Gilles Rixhon, Regis Braucher, Romain Delunel, Pierre G. Valla, Laurent Schmitt, Aster Team
Summary: Although the current approach to estimate catchment-wide denudation rates using only 10Be concentrations has made significant progress in geomorphology, this study argues for the inclusion of 26Al measurements and testing of steady-state assumptions in slow eroding, formerly glaciated landscapes. The study conducted measurements of both 10Be and 26Al in stream sediments from the Vosges Massif in France and found that elevation, slope, channel steepness, and precipitation were the primary factors controlling denudation rates. The study also revealed a significant relationship between the extent of past glaciation and the cosmogenic (un-)steadiness in the stream sediments.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Erik van der Wiel, Douwe J. J. van Hinsbergen, Cedric Thieulot, Wim Spakman
Summary: Numerical models of Earth's mantle dynamics can predict the vigour and mixing of mantle flow, and the average slab sinking rates are an unexplored parameter that can provide intrinsic information on these characteristics. Through numerical experiments, it has been found that slab sinking rates are strongly correlated with mantle convection and mixing, and may explain geochemical observations from hotspot volcanoes.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2024)