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  4. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LOCALIZED DARK-MANTLE DEPOSITS ON THE MOON

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LOCALIZED DARK-MANTLE DEPOSITS ON THE MOON

File(s)
Gustafson_cornellgrad_0058F_12374.pdf (30.56 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/xnrg-5j04
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/103290
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Gustafson, Olaf
Abstract

Volcanic deposits on the Moon offer an invaluable opportunity to study its interior and geologic evolution. Volcanic materials erupted onto the surface represent samples of the interior, whose properties provide information about magma source regions at depth, conditions encountered during ascent and eruption, the thermal history of the Moon, and its volatile budget. In addition, some lunar volcanic deposits contain valuable resources, such as iron, titanium, oxygen, and volatile elements, that could be utilized in-situ to support sustained exploration of the Moon and other solar system bodies. Several landmark orbital missions to the Moon were conducted in the early 2000s which provide new insights into the morphology and composition of relatively small (kilometer-scale) volcanic features that were previously undetected or poorly resolved. For this work I used high-resolution images, multi- and hyper-spectral mapping, and digital elevation models from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Cameras and Laser Altimeter, the Kaguya Terrain Camera and Multiband Imager, and the Chandrayaan-1 Moon Mineralogy Mapper to identify, study, and compare localized dark-mantle deposits across the Moon. These features are often presumed to be emplaced by pyroclastic volcanism. First, I surveyed the Moon to search for unidentified pyroclastic deposits and identified twelve probable previously unidentified deposits based on albedo, texture, morphology, and geologic setting. Next, I investigated potential dark mantling deposits on the Southeast Limb of the Moon, a region consisting of highlands terrain located SE of Mare Fecunditatus, south of Mare Smythii, and north of Mare Australe. I examined the physical and spectral properties of these deposits to constrain their composition and mode of emplacement, identify interdeposit variations, and draw conclusions about regional and subsurface geologic processes. Based primarily on morphology and topography, I concluded that many of the SE Limb deposits previously identified as pyroclastic in origin were likely effusively emplaced. I also identified three previously unmapped pyroclastic deposits. I found that the volcanic deposits in this area comprise three major spectral groups, similar to either Mare Fecunditatis, Mare Australe, or glassy pyroclastic deposits elsewhere on the Moon, and conclude that volcanism across the SE Limb was likely fed from at least two distinct magma source regions. Finally, I investigated known pyroclastic deposits on the NE Limb of the Moon, an area bounded by Mare Frigoris to the NW, Mare Serenitatis to the SW, Mare Crisium to the south, and Mare Humboldtianum to the NE. Spectral reflectance patterns indicated these deposits have broadly similar spectral properties, consistent with a mixture of juvenile glasses and orthopyroxene-rich highlands wall rock from the vents. But glass concentrations were found to vary significantly, suggesting diversity in eruption conditions. The Gauss pyroclastics were especially glass rich, and the Gauss S(a) deposit was determined to have a hybrid pyroclastic/effusive morphology and spectral properties intermediate between glassy pyroclastics and clinopyroxene-rich maria. There is a division between high-titanium pyroclastics in the western portion of the NE Limb and low-titanium pyroclastics in the eastern portion, suggesting at least two phases of volcanism across the NE Limb. Together, these findings provide important insights into lunar pyroclastic volcanism and support development of increasingly sophisticated models of lunar volcanic processes. My refinement of the catalog of lunar pyroclastic deposits and their physical and spectral properties illuminates the range of characteristics that these features can exhibit and geologic settings where they can occur. Documentation of detailed deposit characteristics indicates that simple models of Vulcanian-style emplacement are not sufficient to explain the diversity of observed features, implying a wider range of eruption styles (and inferred volatile contents) associated with these eruptions. Similarities and differences among deposits regionally and globally suggest that while many properties can be explained by local eruption dynamics, regional factors also have an influence.

Description
236 pages
Date Issued
2020-12
Keywords
Geology
•
Moon
•
Pyroclastic
•
Spectra
•
Volatile
•
Volcanic
Committee Chair
Pritchard, Matthew
Committee Member
Kay, Robert Woodbury
Gazel, Esteban
Degree Discipline
Geological Sciences
Degree Name
Ph. D., Geological Sciences
Degree Level
Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Type
dissertation or thesis
Link(s) to Catalog Record
https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/13312150

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