The fractured Moon: Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering

Jason M. Soderblom; Alexander J. Evans; Brandon C. Johnson; H. Jay Melosh; Katarina Miljkovic; Roger J. Phillips; Jeffrey C. Andrews-Hanna; Carver J. Bierson; James W. Head; Colleen Milbury; Gregory A. Neumann; Francis Nimmo; David E. Smith; Sean C. Solomon; Michael M. Sori; Mark A. Wieczorek; Maria T. Zuber

doi:10.1002/2015GL065022

The fractured Moon: Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering

Jason M. Soderblom, Alexander J. Evans, Brandon C. Johnson, H. Jay Melosh, Katarina Miljkovic, Roger J. Phillips, Jeffrey C. Andrews-Hanna, Carver J. Bierson, James W. Head, Colleen Milbury, Gregory A. Neumann, Francis Nimmo, David E. Smith, Sean C. Solomon, Michael M. Sori, Mark A. Wieczorek, Maria T. Zuber

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

66 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have analyzed the Bouguer anomaly (BA) of ∼1200 complex craters in the lunar highlands from Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory observations. The BA of these craters is generally negative, though positive BA values are observed, particularly for smaller craters. Crater BA values scale inversely with crater diameter, quantifying how larger impacts produce more extensive fracturing and dilatant bulking. The Bouguer anomaly of craters larger than 93-19+47 km in diameter is independent of crater size, indicating that there is a limiting depth to impact-generated porosity, presumably from pore collapse associated with either overburden pressure or viscous flow. Impact-generated porosity of the bulk lunar crust is likely in a state of equilibrium for craters smaller than ∼30 km in diameter, consistent with an ∼8 km thick lunar megaregolith, whereas the gravity signature of larger craters is still preserved and provides new insight into the cratering record of even the oldest lunar surfaces.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	6939-6944
Number of pages	6
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	42
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065022
State	Published - Sep 16 2015
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

GRAIL
Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory
Impact cratering
Moon
crustal porosity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1002/2015GL065022

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Soderblom, J. M., Evans, A. J., Johnson, B. C., Melosh, H. J., Miljkovic, K., Phillips, R. J., Andrews-Hanna, J. C., Bierson, C. J., Head, J. W., Milbury, C., Neumann, G. A., Nimmo, F., Smith, D. E., Solomon, S. C., Sori, M. M., Wieczorek, M. A., & Zuber, M. T. (2015). The fractured Moon: Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering. Geophysical Research Letters, 42(17), 6939-6944. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065022

Soderblom, JM, Evans, AJ, Johnson, BC, Melosh, HJ, Miljkovic, K, Phillips, RJ, Andrews-Hanna, JC, Bierson, CJ, Head, JW, Milbury, C, Neumann, GA, Nimmo, F, Smith, DE, Solomon, SC, Sori, MM, Wieczorek, MA & Zuber, MT 2015, 'The fractured Moon: Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 42, no. 17, pp. 6939-6944. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065022

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title = "The fractured Moon: Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering",

abstract = "We have analyzed the Bouguer anomaly (BA) of ∼1200 complex craters in the lunar highlands from Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory observations. The BA of these craters is generally negative, though positive BA values are observed, particularly for smaller craters. Crater BA values scale inversely with crater diameter, quantifying how larger impacts produce more extensive fracturing and dilatant bulking. The Bouguer anomaly of craters larger than 93-19+47 km in diameter is independent of crater size, indicating that there is a limiting depth to impact-generated porosity, presumably from pore collapse associated with either overburden pressure or viscous flow. Impact-generated porosity of the bulk lunar crust is likely in a state of equilibrium for craters smaller than ∼30 km in diameter, consistent with an ∼8 km thick lunar megaregolith, whereas the gravity signature of larger craters is still preserved and provides new insight into the cratering record of even the oldest lunar surfaces.",

keywords = "GRAIL, Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, Impact cratering, Moon, crustal porosity",

author = "Soderblom, {Jason M.} and Evans, {Alexander J.} and Johnson, {Brandon C.} and Melosh, {H. Jay} and Katarina Miljkovic and Phillips, {Roger J.} and Andrews-Hanna, {Jeffrey C.} and Bierson, {Carver J.} and Head, {James W.} and Colleen Milbury and Neumann, {Gregory A.} and Francis Nimmo and Smith, {David E.} and Solomon, {Sean C.} and Sori, {Michael M.} and Wieczorek, {Mark A.} and Zuber, {Maria T.}",

year = "2015",

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doi = "10.1002/2015GL065022",

language = "English (US)",

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pages = "6939--6944",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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T2 - Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering

AU - Soderblom, Jason M.

AU - Evans, Alexander J.

AU - Johnson, Brandon C.

AU - Melosh, H. Jay

AU - Miljkovic, Katarina

AU - Phillips, Roger J.

AU - Andrews-Hanna, Jeffrey C.

AU - Bierson, Carver J.

AU - Head, James W.

AU - Milbury, Colleen

AU - Neumann, Gregory A.

AU - Nimmo, Francis

AU - Smith, David E.

AU - Solomon, Sean C.

AU - Sori, Michael M.

AU - Wieczorek, Mark A.

AU - Zuber, Maria T.

PY - 2015/9/16

Y1 - 2015/9/16

N2 - We have analyzed the Bouguer anomaly (BA) of ∼1200 complex craters in the lunar highlands from Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory observations. The BA of these craters is generally negative, though positive BA values are observed, particularly for smaller craters. Crater BA values scale inversely with crater diameter, quantifying how larger impacts produce more extensive fracturing and dilatant bulking. The Bouguer anomaly of craters larger than 93-19+47 km in diameter is independent of crater size, indicating that there is a limiting depth to impact-generated porosity, presumably from pore collapse associated with either overburden pressure or viscous flow. Impact-generated porosity of the bulk lunar crust is likely in a state of equilibrium for craters smaller than ∼30 km in diameter, consistent with an ∼8 km thick lunar megaregolith, whereas the gravity signature of larger craters is still preserved and provides new insight into the cratering record of even the oldest lunar surfaces.

AB - We have analyzed the Bouguer anomaly (BA) of ∼1200 complex craters in the lunar highlands from Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory observations. The BA of these craters is generally negative, though positive BA values are observed, particularly for smaller craters. Crater BA values scale inversely with crater diameter, quantifying how larger impacts produce more extensive fracturing and dilatant bulking. The Bouguer anomaly of craters larger than 93-19+47 km in diameter is independent of crater size, indicating that there is a limiting depth to impact-generated porosity, presumably from pore collapse associated with either overburden pressure or viscous flow. Impact-generated porosity of the bulk lunar crust is likely in a state of equilibrium for craters smaller than ∼30 km in diameter, consistent with an ∼8 km thick lunar megaregolith, whereas the gravity signature of larger craters is still preserved and provides new insight into the cratering record of even the oldest lunar surfaces.

KW - GRAIL

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KW - Impact cratering

KW - Moon

KW - crustal porosity

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The fractured Moon: Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering

Abstract

Keywords

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