Isotopic evidence for a terminal lunar cataclysm

Tera, F.; Papanastassiou, D. A.; Wasserburg, G. J.

doi:10.1016/0012-821x(74)90059-4

Cited by 690 publications

(360 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Our results are also consistent with a multiple-peak impact flux model (e.g., Tera et al, 1974). To test such a model, however, an absolute age estimation 485 of early PN basins is necessary and is left for future studies.…”

Section: Implications For the Late Heavy Bombardmentsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Based on radiometric 15 ages of impact melts of lunar samples, the concept of a short, intense period of impacts on the Moon at ∼3.9 Ga was proposed (e.g., Tera et al, 1974;Cohen et al, 2000). This heavy bombardment on the Moon is often called the lunar cataclysm or the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB) and has been debated for decades since it is related to the bombardment on the early Earth and the 20 dynamical evolution of the Solar System (e.g., Stöffler et al, 2006;Gomes et al, 2005).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relative timing of Lunar Magma Ocean solidification and the Late Heavy Bombardment inferred from highly degraded impact basin structures

Kamata

Sugita

Abe

et al. 2015

Icarus

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The solidification of the Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) and formation of impact basins are important events that took place on the early Moon. The relative timing of these events, however, is poorly constrained. The aim of this study is ing substantial viscous lateral flow in the crust. Recent geodetic measurements reveal that the lunar crust is thinner than previously estimated, indicating that an extremely high crustal temperature is required for lateral flow to occur. In this study, we calculate lunar thermal evolution and viscoelastic deformation of basins and investigate the thermal state at the time of basin formation using recent crustal thickness models. We find that a Moho temperature >1300-1400K at the time of basin formation is required for substantial viscous relaxation of topography to occur; the implied elastic thickness at the time of loading is <30 km. Such a high temperature can be maintained only for a short time (i.e., <50Myr for most conditions) after solidification of the LMO or after mantle overturn if it took place; relaxed impact basins forming ≥150 Myr later than LMO solidification are unlikely. This result is in conflict with an intensive Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB) model, which assumes that most impact basins were formed at ∼3.9 Ga, since it requires LMO solidification time extremely later than previous theoretical estimates. Either the LHB was moderate, or the majority of proposed early PN basins were not in fact formed by impacts.

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Section: Implications For the Late Heavy Bombardmentsupporting

confidence: 86%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The relative timing of Lunar Magma Ocean solidification and the Late Heavy Bombardment inferred from highly degraded impact basin structures

Kamata

Sugita

Abe

et al. 2015

Icarus

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“…13, 14). In this case, final breccia assembly may have occurred during the hypothesized ~3.9 Ga lunar cataclysm (Tera et al, 1974). The probable farside origin of Y-86032 thus allows extension of the cataclysm hypothesis to the lunar farside.…”

Section: Early Crustal Bombardment Historymentioning

confidence: 86%

Feldspathic clasts in Yamato-86032: Remnants of the lunar crust with implications for its formation and impact history

Nyquist

Bogard

Yamaguchi

et al. 2006

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

101

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“…Tera et al (1974) found lunar breccias, particularly pristine, monomict anorthosites ( 15415 "genesis rock" ), to have high abundances of unsupported radiogenic Pb and to define an isochron of 3.9 Ga. The effects of volatilization in Rb are significantly smaller, 120%.…”

Section: Potassium Isotopic Composition Of Lunar Rocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potassium isotope cosmochemistry: Genetic implications of volatile element depletion

Humayun

Clayton

1995

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

306

185

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Isotopic evidence for a terminal lunar cataclysm

Cited by 690 publications

References 28 publications

The relative timing of Lunar Magma Ocean solidification and the Late Heavy Bombardment inferred from highly degraded impact basin structures

The relative timing of Lunar Magma Ocean solidification and the Late Heavy Bombardment inferred from highly degraded impact basin structures

Feldspathic clasts in Yamato-86032: Remnants of the lunar crust with implications for its formation and impact history

Potassium isotope cosmochemistry: Genetic implications of volatile element depletion

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