An interpretation of Schröter's Valley and other lunar sinuous rills

Cameron, W. S.

doi:10.1029/jz069i012p02423

Cited by 40 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Cameron (1964) suggested that fluidised ash flows could have carved rilles in events similar to terrestrial nures ardentes. There was some evidence that lava flows existed on the lunar surface from Earth-based observations (Strom and Fielder, 1970) and the photographs returned by Ranger and Orbiter satellites gave strong confirmation that volcanic activity had occurred on the Moon.…”

Section: Rilles As Volcanic Featuresmentioning

confidence: 97%

A review of lava flow processes related to the formation of lunar sinuous rilles

Hulme

1982

Geophysical Surveys

146

173

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Abstract. This paper reviews processes which, it is argued, occurred in lunar lava flows and were involved in the formation of lunar sinuous rifles.The development of ideas relating to rille formation is described and evidence which suggests that they are products of lava effusions is outlined.An analytical lava flow model is described which relates the shapes of lava flows to conditions at the commencement of the flows. An essential part of the model is its use of the yield strength of lava as a parameter. It is shown that the model predicts the occurrence of the channel/levee morphology of lava flows.It is argued that the channels of large flows were deepened by melting. Heat transfer processes within lava flows are discussed and analysed and it is shown that a prolonged period of flow is required before melting of the substrate begins. Estimates are given of initial heating periods and subsequent melting rates.The possibility of the occurrence of turbulent lava flow is discussed. Application of the flow model to sinuous rilles and tlows in Mare Imbrium shows that both types of feature could be the remnants of similar effusive events in which the flow could have become turbulent. Turbulent flow is shown to promote erosive melting and it is suggested that the sinuous rilles were cut by the flows which became turbulent.A process of rille formation is described which is consistent with the foregoing arguments and with observations made at Hadley Rille. It is concluded that rilles were formed by the rapid effusion of large volumes of low yield strength lavas.

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Section: Rilles As Volcanic Featuresmentioning

confidence: 97%

A review of lava flow processes related to the formation of lunar sinuous rilles

Hulme

1982

Geophysical Surveys

146

173

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“…Visual observations may achieve some improvement over this The enormous effort exerted to deliver astronauts limit under favorable circumstances but the effective to the lunar surface, and return them safely to Earth, ground resolution for photographic plates, the princi-ple data source for published lunar geomorphic studies prior to the advent of spacecraft data, can be considered to be approximately 1 km. Telescopic photographs of the Moon led to several proposed mechanisms for the origin of the sinuous rilles (summarized in Cameron, 1964;Mutch, 1970, pp. 190-196).…”

Section: Telescopic Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The water required for this mechanism was consistent with a proposed model that advocated an extensive lunar hydrosphere early in the history of the Moon (Gilvarry, 1960). Published alternative mechanisms for sinuous rille formation included collapsed lava tubes or lava channels (Baldwin, 1963), erosion by pyroclastic flows (Cameron, 1964), and a combination of faulting and subsidence (Quaide, 1965). Cameron (1964) and Quaide (1965) cite the Hadley Rille (Fig.…”

Section: Telescopic Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Published alternative mechanisms for sinuous rille formation included collapsed lava tubes or lava channels (Baldwin, 1963), erosion by pyroclastic flows (Cameron, 1964), and a combination of faulting and subsidence (Quaide, 1965). Cameron (1964) and Quaide (1965) cite the Hadley Rille (Fig. 4) as an example of their proposed mechanism: Cameron argues it was eroded by a volcanic glowing avalanche (nuee ardente) originating from a craterlet at the rille source; Quaide states that "the details of the morphology do not support this idea" and concludes instead that "the Hadley Rille is merely a sinuous tensional fracture along which volcanic activity has been localized".…”

Section: Telescopic Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Image resolution and evaluation of genetic hypotheses for planetary landscapes

Zimbelman

2001

Geomorphology

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“…Cameron (1964) suggested that the rilies were formed by erosion by nuées ardentes. Urey (1967), Gilvarry (1968), and Lingenfelter ei al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Topography of sinuous rilles in the Harbinger Mountains region of the moon

Strain

El-Baz

1977

The Moon

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AlistTHct. Five sinuous rules occur in mare basalts in the Harbinger Mountains region of the Moon. Complete and accurate topographic data, now available for the first time, make possible a detailed topographic study of these riiles. Rille length ranges from 12 to 79 km and width from 0.8 to 4.8 km. Depth varies from 100 to 300 m and the rules appear to become shallower to the north. The southern ends of the rilies are characterized by circular to elongate depressions that occur on a 30 km in diameter dome of probable volcanic origin. Longitudinal profiles show that the rille floors have a northward slope of less than one degree. This slope is consistent with the general slope of the surrounding mare surface. Structural studies indicate that slope rather than the regional structural pattern is the dominant factor controlling rille direction. Topographic data lend support to the theory that the rilies were formed as lava channels or tubes.

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An interpretation of Schröter's Valley and other lunar sinuous rills

Cited by 40 publications

References 4 publications

A review of lava flow processes related to the formation of lunar sinuous rilles

A review of lava flow processes related to the formation of lunar sinuous rilles

Image resolution and evaluation of genetic hypotheses for planetary landscapes

Topography of sinuous rilles in the Harbinger Mountains region of the moon

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