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New insight into lunar impact melt mobility from the LRO camera
Author(s) -
Bray V. J.,
Tornabene L. L.,
Keszthelyi L. P.,
McEwen A. S.,
Hawke B. R.,
Giguere T. A.,
Kattenhorn S. A.,
Garry W. B.,
Rizk B.,
Caudill C. M.,
Gaddis L. R.,
van der Bogert C. H.
Publication year - 2010
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 - 10.1029/2010gl044666
Subject(s) - impact crater , geology , lava , orbiter , regolith , impact structure , astrobiology , remote sensing , geochemistry , volcano , physics , aerospace engineering , engineering
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) is systematically imaging impact melt deposits in and around lunar craters at meter and sub‐meter scales. These images reveal that lunar impact melts, although morphologically similar to terrestrial lava flows of similar size, exhibit distinctive features (e.g., erosional channels). Although generated in a single rapid event, the post‐impact mobility and morphology of lunar impact melts is surprisingly complex. We present evidence for multi‐stage influx of impact melt into flow lobes and crater floor ponds. Our volume and cooling time estimates for the post‐emplacement melt movements noted in LROC images suggest that new flows can emerge from melt ponds an extended time period after the impact event.