Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2018, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (1): 297-313.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.yx.2016-11-30

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Determination of multiring structure and analysis on the deep structure of the Lunar Mare Imbrium Basin

WANG Qinglong,LIU Jianzhong,GUO Dijun,JI Jinzhu,LIU Jingwen,WANG Juntao,LUO Lin   

  1. 1. College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130061, China
    2. Lunar and Planetary Science Research Center, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
    3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2016-05-13 Revised:2016-11-20 Online:2018-01-15 Published:2018-01-15

Abstract: The Imbrium Basin is the largest lunar near side and the most researched multiring impact basin on the Moon that a substantial amount of studies has been done on the boundary restoration of its multiring structure. But so far most scholars have not reached a consensus on the initial shape of the multiring structure and neither on the multiring position/quantity, basin size, etc. This paper used GRAIL Freeair gravity anomaly and LOLA laser altimetry data to carry out a multisource data integration analysis. The results show that the Imbrium Basin has a three ring structure with eccentric circles of boundary feature; the diameters of the three rings are 1500 km, 1100 km and 665 km, respectively from the outside to the inside. Based on the Euler inversion results, there are two fault structures at different depths pertinent to the tectonic movement properties and directions in the central Imbrium Basin. The two fault structures are named (1) the deep fault structure, which is gradually inclined and extends inwardly at the depth >40 km; and (2) the shallow fault structure, which is gradually inclined and extends outwardly at the depth ≤40 km. Studies on material composition combined with geophysical characteristics show that the geological tectonic evolution of the Imbrium area can be mainly divided into two stages. Stage 1: The gradually inclined and inwardly extended structure at the depth >40 km formed from the main evolution of the internal dynamic that is a magmatic condensation process in the early stage of the Moon(4.53.85 Ga); it provides a channel for the generation, differentiation and migration of deep magma in the early stage of the moon. This structure fault represents the tectonic evolution stage of the deep magma ocean of the Imbrium area before the Imbrium Basin impacted. Stage 2: The gradually inclined and outwardly extended structure at the depth ≤40 km formed from two kinds of equally significant geological dynamic evolutions of internal and external dynamic of lunar geological processes in the late stage of the Moon(≤3.85 Ga), it provides a migration path for the different stages of the basaltic magma eruption or overflow to the lunar surface. This structure fault represents the tectonic evolution stage of the mare magmatism of different stages of basaltic magma eruption,filling overflow of the Imbrium area in the late stage of the moon after the Imbrium Basin impacted.

Key words: Moon, Imbrium Basin, multiring structure, deep structure, GRAIL gravity data

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