中国科学院机构知识库网格
Chinese Academy of Sciences Institutional Repositories Grid
A potential subsurface cavity in the continuous ejecta deposits of the Ziwei crater discovered by the Chang’E-3 mission

文献类型:期刊论文

作者Ding,Chunyu1,2; Xiao,Zhiyong1,3; Su,Yan4,5
刊名Earth, Planets and Space
出版日期2021-02-17
卷号73期号:1
关键词Chang’E-3 Lunar penetrating radar Moon Impact crater Porosity
DOI10.1186/s40623-021-01359-7
英文摘要AbstractIn the radargram obtained by the high-frequency lunar penetrating radar onboard the Chang’E-3 mission, we notice a potential subsurface cavity that has a smaller permittivity compared to the surrounding materials. The two-way travel time between the top and bottom boundaries of the potential cavity is?~?21?ns, and the entire zone is located within the continuous ejecta deposits of the Ziwei crater, which generally have similar physical properties to typical lunar regolith. We carried out numerical simulations for electromagnetic wave propagation to investigate the nature of this low-permittivity zone. Assuming different shapes for this zone, a comprehensive comparison between our model results and the observed radargram suggests that the roof of this zone is convex and slightly inclined to the south. Modeling subsurface materials with different relative permittivities suggests that the low-permittivity zone is most likely formed due to a subsurface cavity. The maximum vertical dimension of this potential cavity is?~?3.1?m. While the continuous ejecta deposits of Ziwei crater are largely composed of pre-impact regolith, competent mare basalts were also excavated, which is evident by the abundant meter-scale boulders on the wall and rim of Ziwei crater. We infer that the subsurface cavity is supported by excavated large boulders, which were stacked during the energetic emplacement of the continuous ejecta deposits. However, the exact geometry of this cavity (e.g., the width) cannot be constrained using the single two-dimensional radar profile. This discovery indicates that large voids formed during the emplacement of impact ejecta should be abundant on the Moon, which contributes to the high bulk porosity of the lunar shallow crust, as discovered by the GRAIL mission. Our results further suggest that ground penetrating radar is capable of detecting and deciphering subsurface cavities such as lava tubes, which can be applied in future lunar and deep space explorations.Subsurface cavities of the Moon are the ideal natural shelter for future lunar explorations since they provide ideal insulation from cosmic radiation, meteoroid impacts, temperature fluctuations, etc. In this paper, we first report that a potential subsurface cavity with a height of ~3.1?m is revealed by the lunar penetrating radar onboard Chang’E-3 Yutu Rover
语种英语
WOS记录号BMC:10.1186/S40623-021-01359-7
出版者Springer Berlin Heidelberg
源URL[http://ir.bao.ac.cn/handle/114a11/54643]  
专题中国科学院国家天文台
通讯作者Xiao,Zhiyong
作者单位1.Sun Yat-Sen University; Planetary Environmental and Astrobiological Research Laboratory, School of Atmospheric Sciences
2.Southern University of Science and Technology; Department of Earth and Space Sciences
3.Chinese Academy of Sciences; Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology
4.National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration
5.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
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GB/T 7714
Ding,Chunyu,Xiao,Zhiyong,Su,Yan. A potential subsurface cavity in the continuous ejecta deposits of the Ziwei crater discovered by the Chang’E-3 mission[J]. Earth, Planets and Space,2021,73(1).
APA Ding,Chunyu,Xiao,Zhiyong,&Su,Yan.(2021).A potential subsurface cavity in the continuous ejecta deposits of the Ziwei crater discovered by the Chang’E-3 mission.Earth, Planets and Space,73(1).
MLA Ding,Chunyu,et al."A potential subsurface cavity in the continuous ejecta deposits of the Ziwei crater discovered by the Chang’E-3 mission".Earth, Planets and Space 73.1(2021).

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来源:国家天文台

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