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High resolution measurements of absolute thorium abundances on the lunar surface
Author(s) -
Lawrence D. J.,
Feldman W. C.,
Barraclough B. L.,
Binder A. B.,
Elphic R. C.,
Maurice S.,
Miller M. C.,
Prettyman T. H.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl008361
Subject(s) - thorium , abundance (ecology) , geology , altitude (triangle) , environmental science , physics , uranium , nuclear physics , fishery , biology , geometry , mathematics
The Lunar Prospector (LP) Gamma‐Ray Spectrometer (GRS) has been used to map the global abundance of thorium on the lunar surface. A global map of absolute thorium abundances on a 2° by 2° equal‐area pixel scale is presented using new detector modeling results and low altitude LP data. Because thorium is relatively abundant in KREEP‐rich material, these data provide fundamental information regarding the locations and importance of terranes that are rich in KREEP bearing materials.