F. REGOLITH OF THE APOLLO 16 SITE By VAL L. FREEMAN CONTENTS Page Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………147 Appearance of the regolith ……………………………………………………………………….147 Thickness of regolith …………………………………………………………………………….148 Composition of regolith ………………………………………………………………………….149 Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………156 ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1-4. Photographs: 1. Apollo 16 traverse area in high-sun illumination …………………………………………………………………….148 2. Comparison of lunar surface within and between rays from South Ray crater ………………………………………150 3. Comparison of old and young ray-covered areas …………………………………………………………………….152 4. Location of concentric craters used to estimate depths of regolith …………………………………………………...154 5. Map of kilometer-size craters in Apollo region ……………………………………………………………………………...155 6-9. Variation diagrams; soil samples and rock and soil samples: 6. FeO, TiO2, A12O3, and Ni …………………………………………………………………………………………. 156 7. Ti02 relative to Al203 ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 157 8. Al2O3 relative to FeO ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 158 9. Ni relative to FeO …………………………………………………………………………………………………….159 TABLES Page TABLE 1.Apollo 16 soil analyses for A1203, TiO2, FeO, and Ni ……………………………………………………………………...155 2. Apollo 16 rock analyses for A12,03, Ti02, FeO, and Ni ……………………………………………………………………155 INTRODUCTION APPEARANCE OF THE REGOLITH The lunar regolith is generally defined as the relatively Premission investigations of the Apollo 16 site unconsolidated fragmental material that forms the suggested that differences in regolith would be found. surface layer of the Moon. The term is used for all loose Rays of high albedo extending across the surface from surficial debris and for subunits that can be recognized, South Ray, North Ray, and Baby Ray craters were seen such as regolith above, beneath, and mixed with the in orbital photographs (pl. 2). The Cayley plains (LM ejecta of North Ray crater. It is commonly assumed that landing area) and the Descartes mountains (Stone regolith is solely the product of repeated meteorite mountain) were considered to be underlain by different bombardment, that is, the accumulation and mixing of bedrock types that would be reflected by differences in impact crater ejecta on the lunar surface. Accordingly, composition of regolith. The astronauts on the surface the median thickness of regolith above some stratum is were able to recognize the rays by changes in abundance related to the time elapsed since formation of that of rock fragments and secondary craters but otherwise stratum (Shoemaker, 1971). In this report, the term found the surface appearance of the regolith the same regolith is used in the several senses defined. "Soil" is throughout the area traversed. No difference between used as a synonym for the regolith. regolith on the Cayley plains and on Stone mountain was This report describes the regolith at the Apollo 16 site, observed. An unexpected finding was the presence of a provides new measurements of its thickness, and white layer just below the surface at most of the stations examines the composition of the soils in comparison (Muehlberger and others, 1972). with the rocks within the site. The regolith appeared to the astronauts as a gray, 147 148 GEOLOGY OF THE APOLLO 16 AREA, CENTRAL LUNAR HIGHLANDS rocky soil unit with a heavily cratered surface that of the rocks, the absence of dust on the rocks, the seemed to lack truly flat areas. The LM touched down in presence of secondary craters, and, under favorable one of, the smoothest areas available local relief, lighting conditions, higher albedo of the ray area. No amounted to only a few meters except for a fresh 30-m topographic form was associated with rays, and no color crater immediately east of the LM. The crew observed or other property of the fire-grained (granules or finer) that this area might be the floor of a very subdued 180-m surface materials was described that would distinguish crater. ray areas from interray areas. The greatest concentration The surface along the traverses was crossed by long of blocks was seen on Survey ridge within a ray from rays of two ages shown by premission mapping (Elston South Ray crater (fig. 2A), whereas interray areas were and others, 1972c), an older set radiating from North Ray generally devoid of blocks (fig. 2B). The discontinuous crater and a younger set from South Ray crater. The patterns of rays viewed from orbit (fig. 1) within traverse crew's description of the surface gives a picture of the areas apparently do indicate irregularities of the original composition and form of a young ray and valuable data distribution of ejected rocks. Near Survey ridge, the crew on the aging of rays as discussed below. During the three observed that the cobble concentration was clearly the traverses, they crossed many ray segments (fig. 1) on greatest near the center of the ray, decreasing gradually different azimuths, at various distances from their source toward the edge. Elsewhere, they were moderately certain craters, and under different lighting conditions. of the edge of a ray. Probably both sharply delineated The fresh rays were distinguished by the crew on the edges and gradational edges of rayed ejecta are common, basis of concentrations of rock fragments on the surface, as indicated by the types of variation in albedo seen on the presence of large blocks, the high angularity photographs (fig. 1). On the surface. the astronauts thought they could recognize several rays from North Ray crater. `From a distance, they could see very large blocks forming a North Ray ray on the slopes of Smoky mountain. Near Palmetto crater, they noted a concentration of 20- to 30-cm blocks that also appeared to be a ray from North Ray crater. Photographic measurement of visible blocks (Schaber, this volume, fig. 4; Muehlberger and others, 1972) clearly show the blocks on these older rays and ejecta blanket of North Ray crater to be less abundant than those on rays from South Ray crater (fig. 3). Many blocks in the older rays were reported by the crew as rounded and dust covered. THICKNESS OF REGOLITH Premission work by Oberbeck (197lb) on regolith thicknesses predicted less than 6.7 m (range of 3.1 to 6. 7 m) at the Apollo 16 site. Oberbeck obtained a calculated thickness of 22 m using the total crater population and assuming that all of these craters are of impact origin and that greater density of craters correlates with a greater thickness of regolith. To explain this difference, Oberbeck (1971b, p. 9) suggested that because most of the craters are subdued and probably of impact origin "a deep regolith has been produced. However, it is further suggested that the regolith and impact craters have been mantled by a deposit that was indurated after deposition. This would produce the subdued appearance of the large craters and provide an indurated formation that could subsequently be modified by recent impact craters to produce a thinner, regolith deposit." FIGURE 1.-Apollo 16 traverse area. Apollo 16 panoramic camera frame 5328, computer enhanced to show ray patterns from North and South Ray The preliminary geologic report after the mission craters: sun elevation 60o. REGOLITH 149 (Muehlberger and others, 1972) suggested a regolith sized boulders to depths as great as *** 10 to 15 m at the thickness of 10 to 15 m based on the position of a bench landing site *** than is the Descartes regolith." in Buster crater. Muehlberger and others (1972, p. 6-26) stated that "the A new attempt is made here to determine regolith thickness of the regolith on Stone Mountain, based on thickness using the relation of crater shape to thickness crater shapes, is similar to that on the Cayley plains." (Quaide and Oberbeck, 1968) and measurements from a Only one crater on Stone mountain, about 100 m in stereo model of Apollo 16 panoramic camera diameter 4 km east of Crown crater, has a terrace photographs. Ten craters with terraced or concentric indicating the top of a hard layer. Using Oberbeck's internal shapes, indicating an underlying harder layer (1971b) relation of depth to diameter, the thickness there were examined (fig. 4). The depth from the average above a hard layer is less than 12.5 m. ground surface beyond the rim deposit to the top of the An average thickness of regolith at the Apollo 16 site hard layer was measured by R. Jordan (U.S. Geological is difficult to determine from direct observations. The Survey) for each crater. The regolith thickness thus thicknesses found on the Cayley plains range from 3.1 to obtained ranged from 3.5 to 8.7 m; reproducibility of 15 m. The 12.2-m thickness at the active seismic site is measurements was within about 2 m. Half of the craters probably greater than the median because the seismic line gave thicknesses of 6.0 to 6.8 m. The only crater other lay across the ejecta deposits of a very large subdued than Buster that permits an estimate of regolith thickness crater. A subjective evaluation of the data presented substantiated by lunar-surface photographs is WC crater, above is that on the Cayley plains the median regolith 700 m south of the LM. It is about 40 m in diameter, and thickness above some bench-forming layer is between 6 the photographs of WC ejecta taken from the LRV and 10 m, generally about 7 m. indicate that bedrock was reached. The WC ejecta Stone mountain has a smaller number of visible craters contains abundant blocks; a regolith thickness of 6.7 m than the Cayley plain. This is true for the relatively flat above bedrock was measured photogrammetrically for top as well as for its steeper slopes. Especially striking is WC crater. Other craters in the landing area are larger the distribution of 1-1.5-km craters, common on the plain than the craters cited but are "V" shaped indicating local and absent from Stone mountain (fig.