Rights statement: ©2017. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Zhang, F., Head, J. W., Basilevsky, A. T., Bugiolacchi, R., Komatsu, G., Wilson, L., … Zhu, M.‐H. (2017). Newly discovered ring‐moat dome structures in the lunar maria: Possible origins and implications. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, 9216–9224. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074416
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Newly-discovered ring-moat dome structures in the lunar maria
T2 - possible origins and implications
AU - Zhang, Feng
AU - Head, James
AU - Basilevsky, Alexander
AU - Bugiolacchi, Roberto
AU - Komatsu, Goro
AU - Wilson, Lionel
AU - Fa, Wenze
AU - Zhu, Meng-Hua
N1 - ©2017. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Zhang, F., Head, J. W., Basilevsky, A. T., Bugiolacchi, R., Komatsu, G., Wilson, L., … Zhu, M.‐H. (2017). Newly discovered ring‐moat dome structures in the lunar maria: Possible origins and implications. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, 9216–9224. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074416
PY - 2017/9/28
Y1 - 2017/9/28
N2 - We report on a newly discovered morphological feature on the lunar surface, here named Ring-Moat Dome Structure (RMDS). These low domes (a few meters to ~20 m height with slopes <5°) are typically surrounded by narrow annular depressions or moats. We mapped about 2,600 RMDSs in the lunar maria with diameters ranging from tens to hundreds of meters. Four candidate hypotheses for their origin involving volcanism are considered. We currently favor a mechanism for the formation of the RMDS related to modification of the initial lava flows through inflated flow squeeze-ups and/or extrusion of magmatic foams below a cooling lava flow surface. These newly discovered features provide new insights into the nature of emplacement of lunar lava flows, suggesting that in the waning stages of a dike emplacement event, magmatic foams can be produced, extrude to the surface as the dike closes, and break through the upper lava flow thermal boundary layer (crust) to form foam mounds and surrounding moats.
AB - We report on a newly discovered morphological feature on the lunar surface, here named Ring-Moat Dome Structure (RMDS). These low domes (a few meters to ~20 m height with slopes <5°) are typically surrounded by narrow annular depressions or moats. We mapped about 2,600 RMDSs in the lunar maria with diameters ranging from tens to hundreds of meters. Four candidate hypotheses for their origin involving volcanism are considered. We currently favor a mechanism for the formation of the RMDS related to modification of the initial lava flows through inflated flow squeeze-ups and/or extrusion of magmatic foams below a cooling lava flow surface. These newly discovered features provide new insights into the nature of emplacement of lunar lava flows, suggesting that in the waning stages of a dike emplacement event, magmatic foams can be produced, extrude to the surface as the dike closes, and break through the upper lava flow thermal boundary layer (crust) to form foam mounds and surrounding moats.
U2 - 10.1002/2017GL074416
DO - 10.1002/2017GL074416
M3 - Journal article
VL - 44
SP - 9216
EP - 9224
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
SN - 0094-8276
IS - 18
ER -