1. Geologic Mapping and Age Determinations of Tsiolkovskiy Crater
- Author
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Gloria Tognon, Matteo Massironi, Riccardo Pozzobon, and Sabrina Ferrari
- Subjects
Tsiolkovskiy ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Science ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,moon ,Paleontology ,Orbiter ,Impact crater ,law ,0103 physical sciences ,morphology ,crater size-frequency distributions (CSFDs) ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,geologic mapping ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,stratigraphy ,Far side of the Moon ,Geologic map ,Crater counting ,Igneous rock ,Stratigraphy ,Volcano ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Crater size-frequency distributions (CSFDs) ,Geologic mapping ,Moon ,Morphology ,Geology - Abstract
Tsiolkovskiy is a ~200 km diameter crater presenting one of the few mare deposits of the lunar far side. In this work, we perform a geological study of the crater by means of morpho-stratigraphic and color-based spectral mappings, and a detailed crater counting age determination. The work aims at characterizing the surface morphology and compositional variation observed from orbital data including the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera and Clementine UVVIS Warped Color Ratio mosaics, and attempts a reconstruction of the evolutionary history of the Tsiolkovskiy crater through both relative and absolute model age determinations. The results show a clear correlation between the geologic and spectral units and an asymmetric distribution of these units reflecting the oblique impact origin of the crater. Crater counts performed using the spectral units identified on the smooth crater floor returned distinct age ranges, suggesting the occurrence of at least three different igneous events, generating units characterized by particular compositions and/or degree of maturity. This work demonstrates the scientific value of Tsiolkovskiy crater for a better understanding of the volcanic evolution of the Moon and, in particular, of its far side.
- Published
- 2021
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