Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2018, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (1): 314-324.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.yx.2016-12-38

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Mineralogy of Mare Frigoris

ZHANG Xiaomeng,ZHANG Xunyu,CHEN Yuan,CAI Wei,LU Yu,WU Yunzhao   

  1. 1. School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
    2. Space Science Institute, Macao University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
    3. National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
    4. Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing 210023, China
    5. CAS Key Laboratory of Planetary Sciences, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
  • Received:2016-04-20 Revised:2016-12-20 Online:2018-01-15 Published:2018-01-15

Abstract: Mineral composition of mare basalt reflects chemical composition of magma source together with physical and chemical environments of the rocks formation, which is significant for both researches of origin and evolution of the Moon and exploitation and utilization of lunar resource.In this study, an elongated mare was chosen as our research area, and Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) hyperspectral data was applied to mineral spatial distribution.Mare Frigoris was mapped and characterized into 25 basalt units based on multisource remote sensing data including spectrum, terrain and elements abundance.We extracted 169 spectra curves of fresh craters from M3 hyperspectral image.Spectral parameters such as absorption center and absorption band area ratio were obtained through data processing.Mafic mineral variation of Mare Frigoris basalt was acquired by analyzing reflectance spectras absorption features.Basalt units in eastern Frigoris are older, with mafic mineral dominated by clinopyroxene containing lower CaO compared to returned lunar samples, which is similar to older basalt units in Mare Serenitatis and Mare Imbrium.Basalt units of western Frigoris and Sinus Roris are younger and rich in olivine.And the late stage basalts in Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Imbrium show the same feature too.These widespread olivinerich basalts suggest the uniqueness in the global evolution of the moon.Geographically speaking, Frigoris is an individual mare, but its source region may have connections with mares around in consideration of mineral differences between western and eastern Frigoris as well as mineral similarities with mares at the same location.

Key words: Mare Frigoris, M3, geological unit, mineralogy

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