A New Detailed Global Map of Lunar Light Plains
Lunar light plains (LPs) are globally distributed, smooth and flat geologic units occurring in crater floors and topographic lows, similar in morphology to mare basalts, but with moderate to high albedo. Despite numerous studies investigating LPs, their emplacement mechanism(s), ages, and origins re...
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad79ef |
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| author | Barbara Giuri Carolyn H. van der Bogert Harald Hiesinger Nico Schmedemann |
| author_facet | Barbara Giuri Carolyn H. van der Bogert Harald Hiesinger Nico Schmedemann |
| author_sort | Barbara Giuri |
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| description | Lunar light plains (LPs) are globally distributed, smooth and flat geologic units occurring in crater floors and topographic lows, similar in morphology to mare basalts, but with moderate to high albedo. Despite numerous studies investigating LPs, their emplacement mechanism(s), ages, and origins remain highly debated. To aid in deciphering their origin(s), we produced a new independent global map of the extent of the LPs. Thus, we (1) evaluated the morphological and compositional definitions of LP; (2) tested the reproducibility of previous work; and (3) extended the previously mapped extents of LPs. We find morphological similarities between near- and farside LPs with regional variations in albedo and FeO contents. We were able to reproduce the majority of previous LP maps, with some notable exceptions. We find ∼13% of the lunar surface is covered by LPs, which is slightly higher than previous studies, likely due to our inclusion of smaller deposits. Overall, the distribution of LPs on the nearside appears to be denser around mare regions and exhibits more widely varying degrees of smoothness, size, albedo, and FeO contents compared to the farside highlands. In contrast, on the farside, we find a large number of LPs with similar morphologies and FeO contents, in ray-like patterns likely related to the Orientale impact event. Beyond Orientale’s influence, the occurrences of LPs are of lower albedo and FeO contents are fewer and sparser, with similar morphologies to the nearside deposits. Thus, our study indicates that an impact-related origin for the majority of LP deposits is most likely. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3015cd2d57624adaaa14cb15af9e38c8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-3015cd2d57624adaaa14cb15af9e38c82025-08-20T02:18:47ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382024-01-0151023910.3847/PSJ/ad79efA New Detailed Global Map of Lunar Light PlainsBarbara Giuri0https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0187-3112Carolyn H. van der Bogert1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2882-7037Harald Hiesinger2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7688-1965Nico Schmedemann3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6638-0769Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, Münster 48149, Germany ; gbarbara@uni-muenster.deInstitut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, Münster 48149, Germany ; gbarbara@uni-muenster.deInstitut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, Münster 48149, Germany ; gbarbara@uni-muenster.deInstitut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, Münster 48149, Germany ; gbarbara@uni-muenster.deLunar light plains (LPs) are globally distributed, smooth and flat geologic units occurring in crater floors and topographic lows, similar in morphology to mare basalts, but with moderate to high albedo. Despite numerous studies investigating LPs, their emplacement mechanism(s), ages, and origins remain highly debated. To aid in deciphering their origin(s), we produced a new independent global map of the extent of the LPs. Thus, we (1) evaluated the morphological and compositional definitions of LP; (2) tested the reproducibility of previous work; and (3) extended the previously mapped extents of LPs. We find morphological similarities between near- and farside LPs with regional variations in albedo and FeO contents. We were able to reproduce the majority of previous LP maps, with some notable exceptions. We find ∼13% of the lunar surface is covered by LPs, which is slightly higher than previous studies, likely due to our inclusion of smaller deposits. Overall, the distribution of LPs on the nearside appears to be denser around mare regions and exhibits more widely varying degrees of smoothness, size, albedo, and FeO contents compared to the farside highlands. In contrast, on the farside, we find a large number of LPs with similar morphologies and FeO contents, in ray-like patterns likely related to the Orientale impact event. Beyond Orientale’s influence, the occurrences of LPs are of lower albedo and FeO contents are fewer and sparser, with similar morphologies to the nearside deposits. Thus, our study indicates that an impact-related origin for the majority of LP deposits is most likely.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad79efLunar surfaceLunar cratersLunar impactsCratersGeological processesLunar science |
| spellingShingle | Barbara Giuri Carolyn H. van der Bogert Harald Hiesinger Nico Schmedemann A New Detailed Global Map of Lunar Light Plains The Planetary Science Journal Lunar surface Lunar craters Lunar impacts Craters Geological processes Lunar science |
| title | A New Detailed Global Map of Lunar Light Plains |
| title_full | A New Detailed Global Map of Lunar Light Plains |
| title_fullStr | A New Detailed Global Map of Lunar Light Plains |
| title_full_unstemmed | A New Detailed Global Map of Lunar Light Plains |
| title_short | A New Detailed Global Map of Lunar Light Plains |
| title_sort | new detailed global map of lunar light plains |
| topic | Lunar surface Lunar craters Lunar impacts Craters Geological processes Lunar science |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad79ef |
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