Rugged lava flows on the Moon revealed by Earth-based radar

Basaltic volcanism is widespread on the lunar nearside, and returned samples suggest that the mare‐forming magmas had low viscosity that led to primarily sheet‐like deposits. New 70‐cm wavelength radar observations that probe several meters beneath the lunar surface reveal differences in mare backsc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2009-11, Vol.36 (22), p.np-n/a
Main Authors: Campbell, Bruce A., Hawke, B. Ray, Carter, Lynn M., Ghent, Rebecca R., Campbell, Donald B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Backscattering
Basalt
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Floods
Flow velocity
High flow
Lava
Lava flows
Magma
Meters
Moon
Planetary probes
Planetology
Planets
Radar
Remote sensing
Viscosity
Volcanoes
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Summary:Basaltic volcanism is widespread on the lunar nearside, and returned samples suggest that the mare‐forming magmas had low viscosity that led to primarily sheet‐like deposits. New 70‐cm wavelength radar observations that probe several meters beneath the lunar surface reveal differences in mare backscatter properties not explained by age or compositional variations. We interpret areas of high backscatter and high circular polarization ratio in Maria Serenitatis, Imbrium, and Crisium as having an enhanced abundance of decimeter‐scale subsurface rocks relative to typical mare‐forming flows. The 3.5 b.y survival of these differences implies an initial platy, blocky, or ridged lava flow surface layer with thickness of at least 3–5 m. Such rugged morphology might arise from episodic changes in magma effusion rate, as observed for disrupted flood basalt surfaces on the Earth and Mars, very high flow velocities, or increased viscosity due to a number of factors. Significant information on lunar mare eruption conditions may thus be obtained from long‐wavelength radar probing of the shallow subsurface.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2009GL041087