Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Earth and Planetary Science Letters . Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 555, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116702
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Young lunar mare basalts in the Chang'e-5 sample return region, northern Oceanus Procellarum
AU - Qian, Y.
AU - Xiao, L.
AU - Head, J.W.
AU - van der Bogert, C.H.
AU - Hiesinger, H.
AU - Wilson, L.
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Earth and Planetary Science Letters . Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 555, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116702
PY - 2021/2/1
Y1 - 2021/2/1
N2 - Chang'e-5, China's first lunar sample return mission, is targeted to land in northern Oceanus Procellarum, within a region selected on the basis of 1) its location away from the Apollo-Luna sampling region, 2) the presence of the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT), 3) the occurrence of one of the youngest lunar mare basalts (Em4), and 4) its association with Rima Sharp. In order to provide context for returned sample analyses, we conducted a comprehensive study of the regional and global settings, geomorphology, composition, mineralogy, and chronology of the Em4 mare basalts. Superposed on Imbrian-aged low-Ti basalts, Em4 covers 37,000 km2 and is composed of Eratosthenian-aged (∼1.53 Ga), high-Ti basalts with a mean thickness of ∼51 m and a volume between ∼1450 and 2350 km3. Minor variations in TiO2 and FeO abundance occur within the unit and the thorium content averages ∼6.7 ppm, typical of PKT mare basaltic regolith. No specific source vents (e.g., fissures, cones, domes) were found within the unit. We show that Rima Sharp is actually composed of three major rilles, whose source vents are located outside of, and which flow into, and merge in Em4, suggesting that they may be among the sources for Em4. Regolith thickness averages ∼7 m and there is abundant evidence for vertical and lateral mixing; the most likely sources of distal ejecta are Aristarchus, Harpalus, and Sharp B craters. Returned samples from local and distant materials delivered by impact will thus provide significant new insights into lunar geochronology, inner Solar System impact fluxes, the age of very young mare basalts, the role of the PKT in the generation of mare basalts, the role of sinuous rilles in lava flow emplacement, and the thermal evolution of the Moon.
AB - Chang'e-5, China's first lunar sample return mission, is targeted to land in northern Oceanus Procellarum, within a region selected on the basis of 1) its location away from the Apollo-Luna sampling region, 2) the presence of the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT), 3) the occurrence of one of the youngest lunar mare basalts (Em4), and 4) its association with Rima Sharp. In order to provide context for returned sample analyses, we conducted a comprehensive study of the regional and global settings, geomorphology, composition, mineralogy, and chronology of the Em4 mare basalts. Superposed on Imbrian-aged low-Ti basalts, Em4 covers 37,000 km2 and is composed of Eratosthenian-aged (∼1.53 Ga), high-Ti basalts with a mean thickness of ∼51 m and a volume between ∼1450 and 2350 km3. Minor variations in TiO2 and FeO abundance occur within the unit and the thorium content averages ∼6.7 ppm, typical of PKT mare basaltic regolith. No specific source vents (e.g., fissures, cones, domes) were found within the unit. We show that Rima Sharp is actually composed of three major rilles, whose source vents are located outside of, and which flow into, and merge in Em4, suggesting that they may be among the sources for Em4. Regolith thickness averages ∼7 m and there is abundant evidence for vertical and lateral mixing; the most likely sources of distal ejecta are Aristarchus, Harpalus, and Sharp B craters. Returned samples from local and distant materials delivered by impact will thus provide significant new insights into lunar geochronology, inner Solar System impact fluxes, the age of very young mare basalts, the role of the PKT in the generation of mare basalts, the role of sinuous rilles in lava flow emplacement, and the thermal evolution of the Moon.
KW - Chang'e-5
KW - chronology
KW - lunar landing site
KW - Moon
KW - young mare basalts
KW - Fluxes
KW - Geochronology
KW - Iron oxides
KW - Lunar missions
KW - Oxide minerals
KW - Titanium dioxide
KW - Global settings
KW - Lateral mixing
KW - Lava flow emplacements
KW - Lunar samples
KW - Sample analysis
KW - Sample return
KW - System impact
KW - Thermal evolution
KW - Basalt
KW - basalt
KW - lava flow
KW - lunar crust
KW - lunar mantle
KW - regolith
KW - satellite data
KW - satellite imagery
KW - China
KW - Harpalus
KW - Parnassius apollo
U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116702
DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116702
M3 - Journal article
VL - 555
JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
SN - 0012-821X
M1 - 116702
ER -