Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability
Cratering chronologies are used to derive the history of planetary bodies and assume an isotropic flux of impactors over the entire surface of the Moon. The impactor population is largely dominated by near-Earth-objects (NEOs) since ∼3.5 billion years ago. However, lunar impact probabilities from th...
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ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
2024
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10138/574262 |
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ftunivhelsihelda:oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/574262 |
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HELDA – University of Helsinki Open Repository |
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English |
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Chang'e 5 Chronology Impact craters Impact flux Moon 115 Astronomy Space science |
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Chang'e 5 Chronology Impact craters Impact flux Moon 115 Astronomy Space science Lagain, Anthony Devillepoix, Hadrien A. R. Vernazza, Pierre Robertson, Darrel Granvik, Mikael Pokorny, Petr Ozerov, Anthony Shober, Patrick M. Jorda, Laurent Servis, Konstantinos Fairweather, John H. Quesnel, Yoann Benedix, Gretchen K. Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability |
topic_facet |
Chang'e 5 Chronology Impact craters Impact flux Moon 115 Astronomy Space science |
description |
Cratering chronologies are used to derive the history of planetary bodies and assume an isotropic flux of impactors over the entire surface of the Moon. The impactor population is largely dominated by near-Earth-objects (NEOs) since ∼3.5 billion years ago. However, lunar impact probabilities from the currently known NEO population show an excess of impacts close to the poles compared to the equator as well as a latitudinal dependency of the approach angle of impactors. This is accompanied by a variation of the impact flux and speed with the distance from the apex due to the synchronicity of the lunar orbit around the Earth. Here, we compute the spatial dependency of the cratering rate produced by such variabilities and recalibrate the lunar chronology. We show that it allows to reconcile the crater density measured at mid-latitudes around the Chang'e-5 landing site with the age of the samples collected by this mission. Our updated chronology leads to differences in model ages of up to 30% compared to other chronology systems. The modeled cratering rate variability is then compared with the distribution of lunar craters younger than ∼1 Ma, 1 Ga and 4 Ga. The general trend of the cratering distribution is consistent with the one obtained from dynamical models of NEOs, thus potentially reflecting a nonuniform distribution of orbital parameters of ancient impactor populations, beyond 3.5 Ga ago, i.e., planetary leftovers and cometary bodies. If the nonuniformity of the cratering rate could be tested elsewhere in the Solar System, the recalibrated lunar chronology, corrected from spatial variations of the impact flux and approach conditions of impactors, could be extrapolated on other terrestrial bodies such as Mercury and Mars, at least over the last 3.5 billion years. The modeled cratering rate presented here has strong implications for interpreting results of the Artemis program, aiming to explore the South Pole of our satellite, in particular when it will come to link the radiometric age of the samples collected ... |
author2 |
Department of Physics Planetary-system research |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lagain, Anthony Devillepoix, Hadrien A. R. Vernazza, Pierre Robertson, Darrel Granvik, Mikael Pokorny, Petr Ozerov, Anthony Shober, Patrick M. Jorda, Laurent Servis, Konstantinos Fairweather, John H. Quesnel, Yoann Benedix, Gretchen K. |
author_facet |
Lagain, Anthony Devillepoix, Hadrien A. R. Vernazza, Pierre Robertson, Darrel Granvik, Mikael Pokorny, Petr Ozerov, Anthony Shober, Patrick M. Jorda, Laurent Servis, Konstantinos Fairweather, John H. Quesnel, Yoann Benedix, Gretchen K. |
author_sort |
Lagain, Anthony |
title |
Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability |
title_short |
Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability |
title_full |
Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability |
title_fullStr |
Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability |
title_full_unstemmed |
Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability |
title_sort |
recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability |
publisher |
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10138/574262 |
geographic |
South Pole |
geographic_facet |
South Pole |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_relation |
10.1016/j.icarus.2024.115956 We thank an anonymous reviewer for providing insightful and constructive reviews that significantly improved the quality of this manuscript. Thanks are especially extended to Mikhail Kreslavsky for his helpful reviews and valuable suggestions, which played a crucial role in enhancing the overall quality of the manuscript. A.L., J.H.F. and G.K.B are funded by the Australian Research Council grants DP210100336 , Curtin University , the Western Australian Government , and the Australian Government , and supported by the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre and ADACS (Astronomy Data and Compute Services) . This work received support from the french government under the France 2030 investment plan, as part of the Initiative d'Excellence d'Aix-Marseille Université - A*MIDEX AMX-21-RID-O47 . PP's work was supported by NASA Solar System Workings award 80NSSC21K0153 , NASA SSERVI award 80NSSC19M0217 , NASA ISFM EIMM award and the NASA Cooperative Agreement 80GSFC21M000 . A.O.'s work was supported through NASA Cooperative Agreement 80NSSC19M0089 . K.S. is supported by the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre , ADACS , and CSIRO . Lagain , A , Devillepoix , H A R , Vernazza , P , Robertson , D , Granvik , M , Pokorny , P , Ozerov , A , Shober , P M , Jorda , L , Servis , K , Fairweather , J H , Quesnel , Y & Benedix , G K 2024 , ' Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability ' , Icarus , vol. 411 , 115956 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2024.115956 ORCID: /0000-0002-5624-1888/work/157597393 http://hdl.handle.net/10138/574262 fe943c23-cb4c-47f5-ac6f-9a24570d27d9 85182556930 001164823900001 |
op_rights |
cc_by_nc_nd info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess openAccess |
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1798854969166659584 |
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ftunivhelsihelda:oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/574262 2024-05-12T08:11:17+00:00 Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability Lagain, Anthony Devillepoix, Hadrien A. R. Vernazza, Pierre Robertson, Darrel Granvik, Mikael Pokorny, Petr Ozerov, Anthony Shober, Patrick M. Jorda, Laurent Servis, Konstantinos Fairweather, John H. Quesnel, Yoann Benedix, Gretchen K. Department of Physics Planetary-system research 2024-04-09T14:41:03Z 19 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10138/574262 eng eng ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE 10.1016/j.icarus.2024.115956 We thank an anonymous reviewer for providing insightful and constructive reviews that significantly improved the quality of this manuscript. Thanks are especially extended to Mikhail Kreslavsky for his helpful reviews and valuable suggestions, which played a crucial role in enhancing the overall quality of the manuscript. A.L., J.H.F. and G.K.B are funded by the Australian Research Council grants DP210100336 , Curtin University , the Western Australian Government , and the Australian Government , and supported by the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre and ADACS (Astronomy Data and Compute Services) . This work received support from the french government under the France 2030 investment plan, as part of the Initiative d'Excellence d'Aix-Marseille Université - A*MIDEX AMX-21-RID-O47 . PP's work was supported by NASA Solar System Workings award 80NSSC21K0153 , NASA SSERVI award 80NSSC19M0217 , NASA ISFM EIMM award and the NASA Cooperative Agreement 80GSFC21M000 . A.O.'s work was supported through NASA Cooperative Agreement 80NSSC19M0089 . K.S. is supported by the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre , ADACS , and CSIRO . Lagain , A , Devillepoix , H A R , Vernazza , P , Robertson , D , Granvik , M , Pokorny , P , Ozerov , A , Shober , P M , Jorda , L , Servis , K , Fairweather , J H , Quesnel , Y & Benedix , G K 2024 , ' Recalibration of the lunar chronology due to spatial cratering-rate variability ' , Icarus , vol. 411 , 115956 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2024.115956 ORCID: /0000-0002-5624-1888/work/157597393 http://hdl.handle.net/10138/574262 fe943c23-cb4c-47f5-ac6f-9a24570d27d9 85182556930 001164823900001 cc_by_nc_nd info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess openAccess Chang'e 5 Chronology Impact craters Impact flux Moon 115 Astronomy Space science Article publishedVersion 2024 ftunivhelsihelda 2024-04-17T14:29:09Z Cratering chronologies are used to derive the history of planetary bodies and assume an isotropic flux of impactors over the entire surface of the Moon. The impactor population is largely dominated by near-Earth-objects (NEOs) since ∼3.5 billion years ago. However, lunar impact probabilities from the currently known NEO population show an excess of impacts close to the poles compared to the equator as well as a latitudinal dependency of the approach angle of impactors. This is accompanied by a variation of the impact flux and speed with the distance from the apex due to the synchronicity of the lunar orbit around the Earth. Here, we compute the spatial dependency of the cratering rate produced by such variabilities and recalibrate the lunar chronology. We show that it allows to reconcile the crater density measured at mid-latitudes around the Chang'e-5 landing site with the age of the samples collected by this mission. Our updated chronology leads to differences in model ages of up to 30% compared to other chronology systems. The modeled cratering rate variability is then compared with the distribution of lunar craters younger than ∼1 Ma, 1 Ga and 4 Ga. The general trend of the cratering distribution is consistent with the one obtained from dynamical models of NEOs, thus potentially reflecting a nonuniform distribution of orbital parameters of ancient impactor populations, beyond 3.5 Ga ago, i.e., planetary leftovers and cometary bodies. If the nonuniformity of the cratering rate could be tested elsewhere in the Solar System, the recalibrated lunar chronology, corrected from spatial variations of the impact flux and approach conditions of impactors, could be extrapolated on other terrestrial bodies such as Mercury and Mars, at least over the last 3.5 billion years. The modeled cratering rate presented here has strong implications for interpreting results of the Artemis program, aiming to explore the South Pole of our satellite, in particular when it will come to link the radiometric age of the samples collected ... Article in Journal/Newspaper South pole HELDA – University of Helsinki Open Repository South Pole |