Intermittent volcanic activity detected in the Von Kármán crater on the farside of the Moon

Yuan, Yuefeng; Zhu, Peimin; Xiao, Long; Huang, Jun; Garnero, Edward J.; Deng, Jian; Wang, Fenghua; Qian, Yuqi; Zhao, Na; Wang, Wengang; Li, Weiwei

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117062

Cited by 9 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The surface materials are interpreted as Eratosthenian ejecta materials, mostly originating from the nearby Finsen crater in the northeast of VK based on in‐situ visible and near‐infrared spectral observations of the Yutu‐2 rover (Gou et al., 2020; Lin et al., 2020) (Figure ). The empirical model also predicts that the thickness of ejecta deposits from Finsen impact events is comparable to the lunar regolith stratum (the green layer in Figure 3c) (Lai et al., 2020; Yuan et al., 2021). Below the regolith layer, various scattering signals are present, along with several continuous LPR reflectors (red dash lines in Figure 3c): these horizontal features are interpreted as the base of ejecta delivered by multiple impact events (Lai et al., 2019).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…The Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard Chang'e‐4 (CE‐4) rover (Yutu‐2) has been surveying the shallow subsurface around its landing site on the lunar farside for over 2 years. It shows the stratigraphic structure up to 330–500 m deep (Lai et al., 2020; J. Zhang, Xu, et al., 2021), including a ∼12‐m thick regolith layer (Guo et al., 2021; Lai et al., 2019; Li et al., 2020; L. Zhang, Xu, et al., 2021), the basalt layers deposited by multiple lava eruption events (Lai et al., 2020; Yuan et al., 2021; L. Zhang et al., 2020), and evidence for surface modification events that occurred in the Von Kármán crater (VK) inside the South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) basin (Lu et al., 2021; Qiao et al., 2019; Xiao et al., 2021; Xu et al., 2021) (Figure S1). Here, we report the discovery of a 270‐m sized buried crater with clear diagnostic geomorphological features on the lunar farside using LPR data from the first 25 lunar days of the CE‐4 mission.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Complex Paleo‐Surface Revealed by the Yutu‐2 Rover at the Lunar Farside

Lai

Bugiolacchi

et al. 2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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Impact craters represent the most salient geomorphological characteristic of the lunar surface and are a key to a better understanding of the geology of our satellite. Crater chronology, a dating methodology derived from returned lunar samples, remains the sole remote sensing methodology for estimating absolute surface ages across the solar system. The geomorphology of craters can constrain their age and shed light on the regional stratigraphy, set constraints on the thickness of lunar regolith, and assist in estimating the depth of the basalt layers. The impact events also exhume materials from depth granting access to analysis. However, the relentless reworking of the surface, from the micro to the macro level, remodels the lunar surface through a process of destruction and burial (Carrier et al., 1991). Gravity field variations interpreted from the GRAIL data (Evans et al., 2016;Sood et al., 2017) have revealed tens to hundreds of km sized craters hidden below the lunar maria. Ground Penetrating Radars (GPR) can reveal the shallow subsurface stratigraphy, including buried craters, and they have been deployed on Earth, Mars, and the Moon. On our planet, the scientific yield has been modest probably due to the high attenuation of GPR signals in moist environments and interferences caused by vegetation and human activities (Heggy & Paillou, 2006). On Mars, the dense data coverage of the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) sounder in the polar region enables a three-dimensional view of hidden structures and reveals a couple of km-scale buried craters (Putzig et al., 2018).

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Complex Paleo‐Surface Revealed by the Yutu‐2 Rover at the Lunar Farside

Lai

Bugiolacchi

et al. 2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…Based on the estimation of the iron-titanium abundances at the landing area, the penetrating depth of the low-frequency channel could reach ∼300-450 m (Zhang et al 2020(Zhang et al , 2021aLai et al 2020;Yuan et al 2021), depending on the permittivity value used for time-depth conversion. Compared to the low-frequency channel, the CE-4 LPR's high-frequency channel has a high range resolution, which is suited to deriving fine stratigraphic substructures in more detail at shallow depths (∼45 m) (Lai et al 2019;Li et al 2020;Zhang et al 2021b;Zhou et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sub-surface stratification and dielectric permittivity distribution at the Chang’E-4 landing site revealed by the lunar penetrating radar

Chen

Xie

et al. 2022

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Context. In 2019, China’s Chang’E-4 (CE-4) probe landed on the far side of the Moon: a first in lunar exploration. The Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) mounted on the Yutu-2 rover allows the mapping of the near-surface structure and the dielectric permittivity of the landing area. The dielectric properties of the lunar soil affect the propagation of the LPR signals, which can be used to infer the depth of sub-surface boundaries and derive the composition of the component materials. Aims. Our objectives are to estimate the fine-resolution spatial distribution of relative permittivity and to improve the interpretation of the geological processes combined with the radargram of the CE-4 landing area. Methods. We used a modified method that combines the F-K migration and the minimum entropy of the ground penetrating radar (GPR) signals to estimate the velocity and permittivity values; this has the advantage of obtaining the appropriate velocity and permittivity, even with the incomplete or unnoticeable hyperbolic curves in the radar image Results. The sub-surface stratification of the CE-4 landing area is seen in the first 31 lunar days of the LPR data. A fine-resolution dielectric permittivity profile ranging from ~2.3 to ~6.3 is obtained with our method, and the actual depths of the observed prominent sub-surface interfaces are determined, giving a maximum average depth of ~38 m. The thickness of the regolith layer is in the range of ~5.7–15.6 m, with an average of 11.8 m. The permittivity of the near-surface regolith (<30 cm) is ~2.78 ± 0.01, the bulk density is 1.57 ± 0.01 g cm−3, which is close to the results of ~1.61 g cm−3 at the Apollo 15 landing area. The permittivity map is consistent with the radargram; the regolith and the paleo-regolith layer have relatively low permittivity and low echo strengths, while the rock debris has high permittivity and shows strong echos in the radargram. Two buried craters of different diameters beneath the navigation sites 4–11 and 16–31 are revealed in the radar profile. The permittivity distribution map can show detailed variations of material properties both inside and outside craters.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reflections within Stratum A and C are relatively strong, possibly due to inhomogeneous components, so we interpreted these two layers as ejecta deposits combining local materials and remote impact craters. The average thickness of Stratum A is 15 m. The reflectors above Stratum A have no obvious horizontal variations, which are not the focus of this work and have been analyzed and discussed in prior works(Ding et al, 2021;Yuan et al, 2021;Zhang et al, 2020;Zhang, Xu, et al, 2021).The deeper Stratum D has a relatively strong reflection at a depth between 210 and 230 m throughout the Yutu-2 rover path, and the average thickness of Stratum D is 56 m. The boundary between stratum C and stratum D has a strong reflection, implying a density/porosity change at the interface. We observed a similarly sharp reflector relating to a buried crater wall, as shown in the CE-4 CH2 radargram, further, the inversed relative permittivity is consistent with the breccia samples(Lai et al, 2021).…”

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confidence: 99%

From Schrödinger to Von Kármán: An Intriguing New Geological Structure Revealed by the Chang'e‐4 Lunar Penetrating Radar

Cao

et al. 2023

Geophysical Research Letters

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Since early 2019, the Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard Chang'e‐4 (CE‐4)’s Yutu‐2 rover has been gathering data relating to the subsurface structure of the Von Kármán crater within the South Pole‐Aitken Basin (SPA) on the lunar farside. Low‐frequency radar data have the potential of carrying geological information of about 300 m worth of strata below the traversed path. Forty‐two days’ data have revealed a bifurcated structure within the layered structure beneath the CE‐4 surveying area for the first time, affecting the overlying reflectors between 90 and 310 m. This study suggests that, based on the morphological characteristics, thickness, depth (timing sequence) and direction of the newly found structure, its origin might be linked to the deposition of ejecta from the Schrödinger impact. The local stratigraphy is interpreted as consisting of distinct geological layers, corresponding to the superposition of ejecta from different impact craters, paleo‐regolith, and basaltic lava flows.

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Intermittent volcanic activity detected in the Von Kármán crater on the farside of the Moon

Cited by 9 publications

References 38 publications

A Complex Paleo‐Surface Revealed by the Yutu‐2 Rover at the Lunar Farside

A Complex Paleo‐Surface Revealed by the Yutu‐2 Rover at the Lunar Farside

Sub-surface stratification and dielectric permittivity distribution at the Chang’E-4 landing site revealed by the lunar penetrating radar

From Schrödinger to Von Kármán: An Intriguing New Geological Structure Revealed by the Chang'e‐4 Lunar Penetrating Radar

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