Lunar Impact Melt Deposit Stratigraphy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lunar Data Analysis Program
Subaward to PSI from The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
PI: Benjamin Greenhagen (John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory)
Non PSI Personnel: Debra Buczkowski (Co-Investigator, John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory)
Overall Objectives
Project Description
When did the largest basins on the Moon form? Our team uses high-resolution LROC data to identify and map occurrences of impact melt in the Moon's largest basins. In addition to creating some of the highest-resolution geologic maps of these areas on the Moon, our results will also inform future landing and sampling sites. Future lunar surface exploration can radiometrically determine the ages of these impact melt deposits and slowly piece together the violent first billion years of the Moon's history. And the real zinger? The Moon's early history is a proxy record for our own Earth's early history, which has been obliterated. Our team is at PSI, Johns Hopkins APL, the University of Muenster (Germany), NASA/Goddard, the University of Maryland, the Brown University.
