Depth to Diameter Analysis on Small Simple Craters at the Lunar South Pole—Possible Implications for Ice Harboring

• Published in: Remote Sensing
• Main Authors: Ramiro Marco Figuera, Christian Riedel, Angelo Pio Rossi, Vikram Unnithan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2022
• Subjects: craters; lunar exploration; ice harboring; Science; Q; South Pole; South pole
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14030450; https://doaj.org/article/b81bf42a467749d1aeb6485e15d2d665

In this paper, we present a study comparing the depth to diameter (d/D) ratio of small simple craters (200–1000 m) of an area between −88.5° to −90° latitude at the lunar south pole containing Permanent Shadowed Regions (PSRs) versus craters without PSRs. As PSRs can reach temperatures of 110 K and are capable of harboring volatiles, especially water ice, we analyzed the relationship of depth versus diameter ratios and its possible implications for harboring water ice. Variations in the d/D ratios can also be caused by other processes such as degradation, isostatic adjustment, or differences in surface properties. The conducted d/D ratio analysis suggests that a differentiation between craters containing PSRs versus craters without PSRs occurs. Thus, a possible direct relation between d/D ratio, PSRs, and water ice harboring might exist. Our results suggest that differences in the target’s surface properties may explain the obtained results. The resulting d/D ratios of craters with PSRs can help to select target areas for future In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) missions.