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GLR GROUP 2007 ALL RIGTHS RESERVED SELENOLOGY TODAY #11 October 2008 SELENOLOGY SELENOLOGY TODAY TODAY Selenology Today is devoted to the publi- cation of contributions in the field of lunar studies. Manuscripts reporting the results of new re- search concerning the astronomy, geology, physics, chemistry and other scientific as- pects of Earth’s Moon are welcome. Editor-in-Chief: Selenology Today publishes papers de- voted exclusively to the Moon. R. Lena Reviews, historical papers and manu- scripts describing observing or spacecraft Editors: instrumentation are considered. M.T. Bregante J. Phillips The Selenology Today C. Wöhler Editorial Office C. Wood [email protected] Cover Raffaele Barzacchi May 14 2008 21:21 UT Selenology Today # 11 October 2008 SELENOLOGY TODAY #11 October 2008 Selenology Today website http://digilander.libero.it/glrgroup/ A study about two domes near craters C. Herschel and Archytas, and an effusive dome in Mare Frigoris By R. Lena, J. Phillips, M. T. Bregante, S. Lammel and G. Tarsoudis ………………..………........................................ 1 Spectral studies of banded craters using Clementine 5 band UVVIS data By R. Evans ………......................................................................................26 Detection of satellites and space debris in transit across the moon By R. Lena ..……….......................................................................................78 Partial lunar eclipse August 16-17 2008 by P. Dominguez, G. Tarsoudis, R. Lena and C. Cellini -F. Mazzotti ……………..................................................83 Upcoming LCROSS impact at lunar south pole by R. Evans ..............89..............89 Selenology Today # 11 October 2008 LUNAR DOMES SELENOLOGY TODAY # 11 A Study about two domes near craters C. Herschel and Archytas, and an effusive dome in Mare and duration of the effusion process of 3.4 years. Furthermore, we have Frigoris derived a magma rise speed of 4.4 x 10-6 m s-1 through a dike 170 km long and 114 m wide. In this study we have By Raffaello Lena, Jim Phillips, Maria examined another dome located near Teresa Bregante, Stefan Lammel and the crater C. Herschel (CH1), which George Tarsoudis has a diameter of 16.8 ± 0.4 km, height of 64 ± 10 m , resulting in Geologic Lunar Research (GLR) group flank slope of 0.44°. The dome CH1 has a rille which cannot be unambi- guously attributed to formation by Abstract tensional stress or flowing of lava. If In this study we examine three lunar it was assumed to be of intrusive ori- gin, the dome C. Herschel 1 could be domes located near the crater C. Herschel and Archytas, in Mare assigned to class In2. Regarding it as Frigoris. The diameters of the domes an effusive dome would imply to as- Archytas 1 and 2 are determined to 33.0 sign it to the effusive class C1. ± 1 km and 11.0 ± 0.4 km. Their heights amount to 70 ±120 m and 265 ± 30 m, resulting in flank slopes of 0.25° and 2.7°. The edifice volumes correspond to 22.4 and 12.6 km³. The dome Archytas 1 1.Introduction belongs to class In3 in the GLR classifi- The Mare Basins were formed by large cation scheme of intrusive domes while impacts. These impacts formed large Archytas 2 belongs to class B1 of the cavities which collapsed. These GLR classification scheme of effusive collapses led to large-scale fracturing in domes. Archytas 1 is a large dome inter- the crust. The fractures are thought to be preted to be an intrusive structure due the conduits along which the basaltic to the presence of a short straight rille magmas ascended to the surface. Lunar and a fault traversing the surface, sug- domes have formed as effusive shield- gesting that its uplift resulted from the like volcanoes or as laccoliths, if the rise of magma that did not erupt onto the magma remained subsurface (Head and surface, producing a vertical rupture of Gifford, 1980). The summit pit is an the surface. It is the first lunar dome indication of the volcanic origin of these having a concentric crater on the sum- structures but it is not always present. mit. Domes without a summit pit could still Based on rheologic modelling we obtai- be volcanic in origin, but appear to have ned for Archytas 2 dome effusion rate of covered their central vent with lava 3 -1 6 (plug domes). Another possibility is that 119 m s , magma viscosity of 4.4 x 10 page 1 LUNAR DOMES SELENOLOGY TODAY # 11 Fig. 1 page 2 LUNAR DOMES SELENOLOGY TODAY # 11 Fig. 2a page 3 LUNAR DOMES SELENOLOGY TODAY # 11 Fig. 2b page 4 LUNAR DOMES SELENOLOGY TODAY # 11 these domes represent intrusion of the UCLN 1994 list of control points. lava: the magma accumulated within All images are oriented with north up the lunar crust, slowly increasing in and west (IAU) to the left. pressure and causing the crustal rock above it to bow up-ward. The profile Further morphometric data were of domes that are flat suggests that obtained by a photoclinometric there was no gradual inclination at analysis (Horn, 1989; Carlotto, 1996; the vent (the rising lava did not build cf. also Wöhler et al., 2006; Lena et al., up the dome in a series of flows) but 2006 and references therein). We a subsurface intrusion of magma furthermore determined a UVVIS five- (intrusive origin). Due to their low band spectrum of the dome based on profile, Lunar Orbiter and Clementine Clementine imagery at the wavelengths of 415, 750, 900, 950, and 1000 nm. images do not tend to show them very 2 well, due to the typically high solar The sample area was 2x2 km . The angle on such images. Hence, as part reflectance values were derived relying of our program of observations and on the calibrated and normalised cataloguing of lunar domes, we have Clementine UVVIS reflectance data as used high resolution telescopic CCD provided by Eliason et al. (1999). The images carried out under oblique extracted Clementine UVVIS data illumination conditions. In this article were examined in terms of 750 nm we report measurement and include reflectance (albedo) and the R415/R750 CCD images of two previously and R950/R750 colour ratios. Albedo at unlisted lunar domes, located at 750 nm is an indicator of variations in latitude 34.76°N and longitude soil composition, maturity, particle 32.57°W (near crater C. Herschel) size, and viewing geometry. and latitude 56.52° N and 2.71° W The R /R colour ratio essentially is (in Mare Frigoris). Moreover we 415 750 a measure for the TiO2 content of examine another lunar dome in Mare mature basaltic soils, where high R / Frigoris, possibly of intrusive origin, 415 R ratios correspond to high TiO situated at 55.71°N and longitude 750 2 content and vice versa (Charette et al., 0.71°E. 1974). However, for many lunar 2. Method and measurement regions the relation between R415/R750 ratio and TiO2 content displays a For each of the observations, the local significant scatter (Gillis and Lucey, solar altitude and the Sun's 2005). The R950/R750 colour ratio is selenographic colongitude were related to the strength of the mafic calculated using the LTVT software absorption band, representing a package by Mosher and Bondo measure for the FeO content of the (2006) which requires a calibration of soil, and is also sensitive to the optical the images by identifying the precise maturity of mare and highland selenographic coordinates of some materials (Lucey et al. 1998). landmarks on the image. This calibration was performed based on page 5 LUNAR DOMES SELENOLOGY TODAY # 11 3. Region around C. Herschel. basin suggesting that KREEP is General description abundant in the region, although its specific distribution appears to be not Mare Imbrium sits in the Imbrium basin. directly related to the distribution of The basin material is of the Lower Imbrium basin deposits. Moreover the Imbrian epoch, with the mare material distribution of KREEP, tracked by Th being of the Upper Imbrian and content, is not directly correlated with Eratosthenian epochs (Wilhelms,1987). Imbrium basin ejecta, but has had a The mare is lined with mountain ranges complex, multiphase history involving to the south. The Alpes are part of the both impact and volcanic process 1200 km diameter basin defining ring of (Spudis, 1993). Different lithological Imbrium as also the Montes Carpatus in units, included in USGS lunar geologic the south, the Apennines in the map I-602, are apparent in the western southeast, and the Montes Caucasus to part of Mare Imbrium, characterized by the east. The Montes Caucasus and long wrinkle ridges and basalts of Alpes consist of rugged massifs that Imbrian age, mapped as 3 distinct units, make up the rim crest of the Imbrium Im1 through Im3, and described as flat, basin. The knobby Alpes formation, a smooth material of mare areas (Schaber, unit with wide distribution around the 1969). We have studied a dome, located Imbrium basin (Spudis, 1988; Spudis, in the western part of Mare Imbrium, 1993; Wilhelms,1987; Whitford-Stark, near a small lunar crater named 1990) is found along the backslope of C.Herschel, a circular bowl shaped the basin rim crest in the north and east formation. The crater lies on a wrinkle- of the basin. ridge of the lunar mare named Dorsum In the western segment of the basin Heim. No lunar domes located near exterior, hummocky to radially lineated Dorsum Heim and crater C. Herschel Fra Mauro material makes up the are reported in the USGS I-602, in backslope deposits (Spudis, 1988). ALPO catalogue and in the revised list of lunar domes (Kapral and Garfinkle, Basalts of Mare Frigoris cover Imbrium 2005). In the revised list is reported a basin deposits north of the basin rim at radial distances of 300-700 km from the dome of 3 km in diameter located at rim crest.