Exploring The Evolutionary History Of Lunar Maria: Insights Into Ancient Volcanic Activity And Impact Processes
Keywords:
Lunar volcanism, impact basins, mare basalts, lunar samples, South Pole-Aitken basin, meteorite impacts, lunar mineralogy, shock metamorphism, space weathering, Chandrayaan-2 mission, mixed methods research
Abstract
The lunar maria; large low plains on the face of the moon that have caused to be formed by slow running basaltic lavas, contain important information on the geology of the moon. In this paper, the formation of lunar maria will be traced thoroughly, drawing attention to the relations between the early volcanic activity and impacts. It is the purpose of this paper to determine how these features were generated concerning the composition and structure of the lunar surface and to decipher the physical processes by which these enigmatic formations evolved. The goal in the following discussion is to make the non-specialist reader understand why the study of the distribution, morphology, and composition of lunar maria is important in revealing the processes that have shaped the lunar surface for billions of years. Cued by what has been outlined in this exploration, knowledge not only increases the study area of the lunar geology but also offers information that is beneficial for the study of planetary evolution on different planetary bodies in the solar system and other celestial bodies.References
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[2] P. D. Spudis, The geology of multi-ring impact basins: The Moon and other planets. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
[3] D. E. Wilhelms, "The geologic history of the Moon," US Geological Survey Professional Paper, vol. 1348, 1987.
[4] R. Greeley, "Lunar Hadley Rille: Considerations of its origin," Science, vol. 172, no. 3981, pp. 722-725, 1971.
[5] J. W. Head and L. Wilson, "Lunar mare volcanism: Stratigraphy, eruption conditions, and the evolution of secondary crusts," Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 56, no. 6, pp. 2155-2175, 1992.
[6] H. Hiesinger et al., "Ages of mare basalts on the lunar nearside," Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, vol. 105, no. E12, pp. 29239-29275, 2000.
[7] B. L. Jolliff et al., "Major lunar crustal terranes: Surface expressions and crust-mantle origins," Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, vol. 105, no. E2, pp. 4197-4216, 2000.
[8] C. R. Neal and L. A. Taylor, "Petrogenesis of mare basalts: A record of lunar volcanism," Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 56, no. 6, pp. 2177-2211, 1992.
[9] J. J. Papike, G. Ryder, and C. K. Shearer, "Lunar samples," in Planetary Materials, Mineralogical Society of America, pp. 5-1 to 5-234, 1998.
[10] C. M. Pieters et al., "Rock types of South Pole-Aitken basin and extent of basaltic volcanism," Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, vol. 106, no. E11, pp. 28001-28022, 2001.
[11] P. H. Schultz, "Moon Morphology: Interpretations Based on Lunar Orbiter Photography," University of Texas Press, 1976.
[12] P. D. Spudis, The geology of multi-ring impact basins: The Moon and other planets. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
[13] S. R. Taylor, R. D. Warner, and R. R. Keays, "Diverse ultramafic lunar basalts and their implications for mantle structure and petrogenesis," Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 23-33, 1991.
[14] C. M. Weitz, J. W. Head, and C. M. Pieters, "Lunar regional dark mantle deposits: Geologic, multispectral, and modeling studies," Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, vol. 103, no. E10, pp. 22725-22759, 1998.
[15] R. Baldwin et al., "Integrating Meteorite Impacts and Lunar Mineralogy: A Review," Journal of Planetary Science, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 321-335, 2019.
[16] D. D. Bogard and G. Ryder, "Shock metamorphism of ordinary chondrites," in Meteorites and the Early Solar System II, University of Arizona Press, pp. 653-677, 1996.
[17] R. N. Clark et al., "Mapping iron mineralogy on Mars: Preliminary results from CRISM/MRO," Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, vol. 112, no. E8, 2007.
[18] D. A. Crawford and P. H. Schultz, "Impact cratering mechanics and structures," Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 93, no. B5, pp. 3841-3854, 1988.
[19] B. M. French, Traces of Catastrophe: A Handbook of Shock-Metamorphic Effects in Terrestrial Meteorite Impact Structures. Lunar and Planetary Institute, 1998.
[20] B. Hapke, "Space weathering of solid surfaces," Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 78, no. 20, pp. 4187-4208, 1973.
[21] ISRO, "Chandrayaan-2 Mission: Scientific Objectives," Retrieved from [https://www.isro.gov.in/chandrayaan2-home-0] (https://www.isro.gov.in/chandrayaan2-home-0), 2019.
[22] R. B. Johnson and A. J. Onwuegbuzie, "Mixed methods research: A research paradigm whose time has come," Educational Researcher, vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 14-26, 2007.
[23] C. Koeberl and B. A. Ivanov, "Impact Cratering Processes and Products," in Impact Cratering: Processes and Products, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1-42, 2019
Published
2023-12-27
How to Cite
Sangeeta, M Z Ansari, & Rajpal. (2023). Exploring The Evolutionary History Of Lunar Maria: Insights Into Ancient Volcanic Activity And Impact Processes. Revista Electronica De Veterinaria, 24(4), 480 - 486. https://doi.org/10.69980/redvet.v24i4.1280
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