Young lunar mare basalts in the Chang'e-5 sample return region, northern Oceanus Procellarum

Qian, Y. and Xiao, L. and Head, J.W. and van der Bogert, C.H. and Hiesinger, H. and Wilson, L. (2021) Young lunar mare basalts in the Chang'e-5 sample return region, northern Oceanus Procellarum. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 555. ISSN 0012-821X

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116702

Abstract

Chang'e-5, China's first lunar sample return mission, is targeted to land in northern Oceanus Procellarum, within a region selected on the basis of 1) its location away from the Apollo-Luna sampling region, 2) the presence of the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT), 3) the occurrence of one of the youngest lunar mare basalts (Em4), and 4) its association with Rima Sharp. In order to provide context for returned sample analyses, we conducted a comprehensive study of the regional and global settings, geomorphology, composition, mineralogy, and chronology of the Em4 mare basalts. Superposed on Imbrian-aged low-Ti basalts, Em4 covers 37,000 km2 and is composed of Eratosthenian-aged (∼1.53 Ga), high-Ti basalts with a mean thickness of ∼51 m and a volume between ∼1450 and 2350 km3. Minor variations in TiO2 and FeO abundance occur within the unit and the thorium content averages ∼6.7 ppm, typical of PKT mare basaltic regolith. No specific source vents (e.g., fissures, cones, domes) were found within the unit. We show that Rima Sharp is actually composed of three major rilles, whose source vents are located outside of, and which flow into, and merge in Em4, suggesting that they may be among the sources for Em4. Regolith thickness averages ∼7 m and there is abundant evidence for vertical and lateral mixing; the most likely sources of distal ejecta are Aristarchus, Harpalus, and Sharp B craters. Returned samples from local and distant materials delivered by impact will thus provide significant new insights into lunar geochronology, inner Solar System impact fluxes, the age of very young mare basalts, the role of the PKT in the generation of mare basalts, the role of sinuous rilles in lava flow emplacement, and the thermal evolution of the Moon.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Journal or Publication Title:

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Additional Information:

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Earth and Planetary Science Letters . Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 555, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116702

Uncontrolled Keywords:

/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1912

Subjects:

?? CHANG'E-5CHRONOLOGYLUNAR LANDING SITEMOONYOUNG MARE BASALTSFLUXESGEOCHRONOLOGYIRON OXIDESLUNAR MISSIONSOXIDE MINERALSTITANIUM DIOXIDEGLOBAL SETTINGSLATERAL MIXINGLAVA FLOW EMPLACEMENTSLUNAR SAMPLESSAMPLE ANALYSISSAMPLE RETURNSYSTEM IMPACTTHERMAL EVOLUTION ??

Departments:

Faculty of Science and Technology > Lancaster Environment Centre

ID Code:

150449

Deposited By:

ep_importer_pure

Deposited On:

12 Jan 2021 14:14

Refereed?:

Yes

Published?:

Published