Geology of the Lunar Moscoviense Basin, Poster 22

Moscoviense is a 640 km diameter multi-ring impact basin on the lunar far side. It contains the most prominent of the few mare deposits in that hemisphere and has a number of unique features that distinguish it from other... [ view full abstract ]

Moscoviense is a 640 km diameter multi-ring impact basin on the lunar far side. It contains the most prominent of the few mare deposits in that hemisphere and has a number of unique features that distinguish it from other lunar impact structures. Perhaps the most noted feature is the apparent offset of its ring structure, which has been proposed as the result of either a single oblique impact or the overlap of two unrelated impact basins. Additionally, the lunar crust at Moscoviense has been modeled as thinner than anywhere else on the Moon, its floor displays large gravity and thorium anomalies, and Mg-spinel was identified in its innermost ring. These characteristics illustrate the complexity of the basin’s geology and how little is known about the specifics of its formation and modification. 

Although Moscoviense has previously been mapped, new high resolution data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Clementine spacecraft permit maps to be made in greater spatial detail with consideration of observed surface composition. The purpose of this project was to use these new data to compile an updated geologic map centered on the Moscoviense basin. A particular focus was placed on determining the shape and extent of ejecta deposits and on identifying material variations in the basin floor while separating out materials not related to the basin. Combined with structural mapping and compositional analysis, the map offers a new look at one of the Moon’s most enigmatic basins.