A lunar dome north-east of the crater Schröter
2016 September 24
In this study we examine a lunar dome identified using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Wide-angle Camera (LROC WAC) images, Selene-1 (Kaguya) and Clementine multispectral data, the Chandrayaan-1’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), and the LROC WAC-based GLD100 DTM. The dome lies to the north-east of the crater Schröter and has a base diameter of 35km. Its height, determined using the GLD100 dataset, amounts to 200m and the average slope angle x corresponds to 0°.65. It exhibits evidence of dark material, likely pyroclastic volcanic deposits, on its surface. The current study discusses the dome, which we term Sc1, the associated deposits and possible relationship between them. We assess the regional geology in the wider context of the extensive Sinus Aestuum province, characterised by dark mantle deposits (DMDs) produced in explosive volcanic eruptions, evaluate the origin of the dome Sc1 and its association with dark materials recently recognised as possible pyroclastic glasses, and provide insight into the distribution and stratigraphy of the DMDs in that region.
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