Lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) Stratigraphy and Structure with Depth: Evidence for Significantly Decreased Th Concentrations and Thermal Evolution Consequences
Dating from the lunar magma ocean solidification period, the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) occupies 16% of the surface but has a much higher thorium abundance compared to the rest of the Moon and is thus interpreted to carry 40% of the radioactive elements by volume in the form of an anomalously t...
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ftmdpi:oai:mdpi.com:/2072-4292/15/7/1861/ 2023-08-20T04:09:52+02:00 Lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) Stratigraphy and Structure with Depth: Evidence for Significantly Decreased Th Concentrations and Thermal Evolution Consequences Jingyi Zhang James Head Jianzhong Liu Ross Potter agris 2023-03-30 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15071861 EN eng Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Satellite Missions for Earth and Planetary Exploration https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs15071861 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Remote Sensing; Volume 15; Issue 7; Pages: 1861 Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) radioactive elements thorium thermal anomaly stratigraphy structure with depth Imbrium basin South Pole–Aitken basin Text 2023 ftmdpi https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15071861 2023-08-01T09:30:51Z Dating from the lunar magma ocean solidification period, the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) occupies 16% of the surface but has a much higher thorium abundance compared to the rest of the Moon and is thus interpreted to carry 40% of the radioactive elements by volume in the form of an anomalously thick KREEP-rich layer. Subsequent research has focused on the processes responsible for PKT concentration and localization (e.g., degree-1 convection, farside impact basin effects, etc.), and the effect of PKT high-radioactivity localization on lunar thermal evolution (e.g., topography relaxation, mantle heating, late-stage mare basalt generation, etc.). Here we use a stratigraphic approach and new crustal thickness data to probe the nature of the PKT with depth. We find that most PKT characteristics can be explained by sequential impact cratering events that excavated and redistributed to the surface/near-surface a much thinner Th-rich KREEP layer at depth, implying that no anomalous conditions of PKT thickness, radioactive abundances, geodynamics, thermal effects or magma generation are likely to be required as in the previous studies. Text South pole MDPI Open Access Publishing South Pole Aitken ENVELOPE(-44.516,-44.516,-60.733,-60.733) Remote Sensing 15 7 1861 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
MDPI Open Access Publishing |
op_collection_id |
ftmdpi |
language |
English |
topic |
Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) radioactive elements thorium thermal anomaly stratigraphy structure with depth Imbrium basin South Pole–Aitken basin |
spellingShingle |
Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) radioactive elements thorium thermal anomaly stratigraphy structure with depth Imbrium basin South Pole–Aitken basin Jingyi Zhang James Head Jianzhong Liu Ross Potter Lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) Stratigraphy and Structure with Depth: Evidence for Significantly Decreased Th Concentrations and Thermal Evolution Consequences |
topic_facet |
Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) radioactive elements thorium thermal anomaly stratigraphy structure with depth Imbrium basin South Pole–Aitken basin |
description |
Dating from the lunar magma ocean solidification period, the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) occupies 16% of the surface but has a much higher thorium abundance compared to the rest of the Moon and is thus interpreted to carry 40% of the radioactive elements by volume in the form of an anomalously thick KREEP-rich layer. Subsequent research has focused on the processes responsible for PKT concentration and localization (e.g., degree-1 convection, farside impact basin effects, etc.), and the effect of PKT high-radioactivity localization on lunar thermal evolution (e.g., topography relaxation, mantle heating, late-stage mare basalt generation, etc.). Here we use a stratigraphic approach and new crustal thickness data to probe the nature of the PKT with depth. We find that most PKT characteristics can be explained by sequential impact cratering events that excavated and redistributed to the surface/near-surface a much thinner Th-rich KREEP layer at depth, implying that no anomalous conditions of PKT thickness, radioactive abundances, geodynamics, thermal effects or magma generation are likely to be required as in the previous studies. |
format |
Text |
author |
Jingyi Zhang James Head Jianzhong Liu Ross Potter |
author_facet |
Jingyi Zhang James Head Jianzhong Liu Ross Potter |
author_sort |
Jingyi Zhang |
title |
Lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) Stratigraphy and Structure with Depth: Evidence for Significantly Decreased Th Concentrations and Thermal Evolution Consequences |
title_short |
Lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) Stratigraphy and Structure with Depth: Evidence for Significantly Decreased Th Concentrations and Thermal Evolution Consequences |
title_full |
Lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) Stratigraphy and Structure with Depth: Evidence for Significantly Decreased Th Concentrations and Thermal Evolution Consequences |
title_fullStr |
Lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) Stratigraphy and Structure with Depth: Evidence for Significantly Decreased Th Concentrations and Thermal Evolution Consequences |
title_full_unstemmed |
Lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) Stratigraphy and Structure with Depth: Evidence for Significantly Decreased Th Concentrations and Thermal Evolution Consequences |
title_sort |
lunar procellarum kreep terrane (pkt) stratigraphy and structure with depth: evidence for significantly decreased th concentrations and thermal evolution consequences |
publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15071861 |
op_coverage |
agris |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-44.516,-44.516,-60.733,-60.733) |
geographic |
South Pole Aitken |
geographic_facet |
South Pole Aitken |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_source |
Remote Sensing; Volume 15; Issue 7; Pages: 1861 |
op_relation |
Satellite Missions for Earth and Planetary Exploration https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs15071861 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15071861 |
container_title |
Remote Sensing |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
1861 |
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1774723599081406464 |