T113 Best Practices and Exciting Discoveries in Identifying, Mapping, and Analyzing Planetary Landforms and Terrestrial Analogues (Posters)

Monday, 16 October 2023
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Hall B

POINCARÉ BASIN: GEOMORPHOLOGIC MAPPING FOR ENDURANCE -A & -R

Paper number: T113-6
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

Science Goals and Exploration Site: Determining the Moon’s precise impact basin chronology and geochemical/thermal evolution are long-term goals that will address fundamental questions in both lunar and Solar System science and is the driving motivator behind the Endurance Mission Concept [e.g. National Academies Decadal Survey 2022; Keane et al., 2022]. To provide geologic context for both the Endurance-A & -R sampling caching rover concepts, we have begun geologic mapping along various portions of the traverses at high resolution in the manner of Runyon et al. [2020; 2022].

Poincaré Basin, a ~340 km diameter pre-Nectarian [e.g., Spudis et al., 2011; Fassett et al., 2012] basin on the Moon’s southern far side, allows sampling of both dateable SPA and other basin melt deposit and volcanically-emplaced mare. Here, we present a preliminary geomorphological map. Notably, Endurance-A may sample a possible volcanic topographic construct on the mare and a possible palimpsest crater.

Methods and Future Work: We mapped in ArcGIS Pro 3 at a scale of 1:200,000 using LROC WAC medium and high incidence photomosaics. The Global Lunar DTM 100 meter topographic model (GLD100) +LOLA sourced via QuickMap aided interpretation. We will soon complete the map, including information from composition.

Acknowledgments: Funded by NASA LDAP 80NSSC22K1338 originally awarded to K. Runyon.

References: [1] National Academies Decadal Survey 2023-2032 (2022), SBN 978-0-309-47578-5 | DOI 10.17226/26522. [2] Keane, J.T., Tikoo, S.M., Elliott, J., (2022), Endurance NASA Mission Concept Study. [3] Runyon, K.D., et al. (2020), JGR-P, doi:10.1029/2019JE006024. [4] Runyon, K.D., Nelson, L., Moriarty, D.P., III. (2022), PSJ doi:10.3847/PSJ/ac51e2 [5] Spudis, P.D., Wilhelms, D.E., Robinson, M.S., (2011), JGR doi:10.1029/2011JE003903 [6] Fassett, C.I., et al., (2012), JGR, doi:10.1029/2011JE003951 [7] LROC QuickMap: https://quickmap.lroc.asu.edu.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 55, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2023AM-391932

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