Mineralogical diversity and geology of Humboldt crater derived using Moon Mineralogy Mapper data

M. Martinot*, S. Besse, J. Flahaut, C. Quantin-Nataf, L. Lozac'h, W. van Westrenen

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) spectroscopic data and high-resolution imagery data sets were used to study the mineralogy and geology of the 207 km diameter Humboldt crater. Analyses of M3 data, using a custom-made method for M3 spectra continuum removal and spectral parameters calculation, reveal multiple pure crystalline plagioclase detections within the Humboldt crater central peak complex, hinting at its crustal origin. However, olivine, spinel, and glass are observed in the crater walls and rims, suggesting these minerals derive from shallower levels than the plagioclase of the central peak complex. High-calcium pyroxenes are detected in association with volcanic deposits emplaced on the crater's floor. Geologic mapping was performed, and the age of Humboldt crater's units was estimated from crater counts. Results suggest that volcanic activity within this floor-fractured crater spanned over a billion years. The felsic mineralogy of the central peak complex region, which presumably excavated deeper material, and the shallow mafic minerals (olivine and spinel) detected in Humboldt crater walls and rim are not in accordance with the general view of the structure of the lunar crust. Our observations can be explained by the presence of a mafic pluton emplaced in the anorthositic crust prior to the Humboldt-forming impact event. Alternatively, the excavation of Australe basin ejecta could explain the observed mineralogical detections. This highlights the importance of detailed combined mineralogical and geological remote sensing studies to assess the heterogeneity of the lunar crust.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)612-629
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Geophysical Research. Planets
Volume123
Issue number2
Early online date21 Dec 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Feb 2018

Funding

We are grateful to J. L. Whitten and an unknown reviewer for their insightful remarks and suggestions. We thank the e-Mars team in Lyon (http://e-mars.geologie-lyon.fr/), Y. Lin, K. Donaldson-Hanna, M. Ohtake, S. Yamamoto, D. Dhingra, B. Horgan, L. Cheek, R. Klima, D. Kring, and G. Osinski for kindly sharing their data and for fruitful discussions. This work was supported by a Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Vici grant and a User Support Space Research grant from the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) to W. v. W. C. Q. N. is supported by European Research Council through the FP7/2007-2013/ERC grant agreement 280168. M3 and LRO data can be accessed in the PDS Geoscience Node, Lunar Orbital Data Explorer (http://ode.rsl.wustl.edu/). SELENE data can be accessed on the SELENE data archive (http://l2db. selene.darts.isas.jaxa.jp/index.html.en). The LRO LOLA and Kaguya Terrain Camera DEM merge can be accessed on the USGS Astrogeology Science Center (https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/ search/map/Moon/LRO/LOLA/ Lunar_LRO_LrocKaguya_DEMmerge_ 60N60S_512ppd). The data used in this study are attached as supporting information and are also available upon request from the main author (m.martinot@vu.nl).

FundersFunder number
FP7/2007
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Seventh Framework Programme280168
European Research Council
Netherlands Space Office
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

    Keywords

    • central peak complex
    • geological map
    • Humboldt crater
    • mineralogy
    • Moon Mineralogy Mapper

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