A Citizen Scientist Approach to High Resolution Geologic Mapping oflntracrater Impact Melt Deposits as an input to Numerical Models

NASA Citizen Science Seed Funding Program

Start Date: 10/07/2024
Project #: 2017
End Date: 10/06/2025
Award #: 80NSSC25K7017

PSI Personnel

Project Description

We're having every-day people contribute to geologically mapping the Moon's youngest molten-rock flow features

SCIENCE QUESTIONS: What are the dynamical emplacement details and evolution of impact melt and ejecta during and immediately following the formation of impact craters on the Moon? How well can citizen scientists accurately map the requisite geologic landforms?

TASKS: Using citizen scientists, we propose to 1) geomorphologically map impact melt deposits on the floor, walls, central peak, and proximal ejecta of Tycho Crater and an un-named simple crater within Lowell Crater at very fine spatial scales (1:10,000 or finer). We would use data from LRO WAC and NAC (necessary for the fine spatial scale), LOLA, and related and derived data products such as DTMs. This mapping will constrain and inform 2) numerical models (outside the scope of this proposal and intended for a sister LDAP proposal) of emplacement, flow, cooling, and evolution of impact melt flows and cold clasts with an emphasis on modeling the formation of and predicting the interior of melt-hosted pits. The mapping will be conducted by citizen scientists and the results will be used to train AI to identify impact melt.

EXPECTED SIGNIFICANCE: We will publish results showing the efficacy of citizen scientists conducting geologic mapping on fresh lunar impact melt flows. Assuming the mapping is of sufficient quantity, we will train an AI model on the mapping to help accelerate future impact melt mapping efforts on the Moon. Understanding the formation and flow of lunar impact melt will inform our understanding of impact cratering and landscape modification.