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Geosciences
Special Issues
Recent Advances in Lunar Studies
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Recent Advances in Lunar Studies

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2018) | Viewed by 39271

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nicolle E. B. Zellner

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, Albion College, Albion, MI, USA
Interests: lunar cratering rate; lunar impact glasses and other samples; origins of life; conditions for habitability on the early Earth; planetary missions; astronomy education
Dr. Karen Cahill

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Planetary Science Institute and JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Interests: remote sensing; space weathering; laboratory spectroscopy; spectral modeling; planetary missions; lunar spectroscopy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The journal Geosciences is accepting papers for a Special Issue related to recent advances in studies of the Moon. Since the Apollo era, sample studies, remote analyses, and dynamical models continue to tease out details related to the Moon’s formation and evolution. Additionally, the international lunar science community is eager to continue its presence on the Moon, as evidenced by recent, upcoming, and future lunar missions. All of these topics are of great interest to the broader geoscience community.

The Special Issue welcomes papers that describe studies related to any of the above topics and will be an outlet for rapid, accessible, and peer-reviewed publications. The editors especially welcome papers from young investigators.

Dr. Nicolle E. B. Zellner
Dr. Karen Cahill
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Moon
  • craters
  • volatiles
  • bombardment
  • surface processes
  • space weathering
  • neutron, gamma ray, X-ray spectroscopy
  • radar
  • planetary missions

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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78 pages, 5953 KiB  
Article
History of the Terminal Cataclysm Paradigm: Epistemology of a Planetary Bombardment That Never (?) Happened
by William K. Hartmann
Geosciences 2019, 9(7), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9070285 - 28 Jun 2019
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 12504
Abstract
This study examines the history of the paradigm concerning a lunar (or solar-system-wide) terminal cataclysm (also called “Late Heavy Bombardment” or LHB), a putative, brief spike in impacts at ~3.9 Ga ago, preceded by low impact rates. We examine origin of the ideas, [...] Read more.
This study examines the history of the paradigm concerning a lunar (or solar-system-wide) terminal cataclysm (also called “Late Heavy Bombardment” or LHB), a putative, brief spike in impacts at ~3.9 Ga ago, preceded by low impact rates. We examine origin of the ideas, why they were accepted, and why the ideas are currently being seriously revised, if not abandoned. The paper is divided into the following sections: Overview of paradigm. Pre-Apollo views (1949–1969). Initial suggestions of cataclysm (ca. 1974). Ironies. Alternative suggestions, megaregolith evolution (1970s). Impact melt rocks “establish” cataclysm (1990). Imbrium redux (ca. 1998). Impact melt clasts (early 2000s). Dating of front-side lunar basins? Dynamical models “explain” the cataclysm (c. 2000s). Asteroids as a test case. Impact melts predating 4.0 Ga ago (ca. 2008–present.). Biological issues. Growing doubts (ca. 1994–2014). Evolving Dynamical Models (ca. 2001–present). Connections to lunar origin. Dismantling the paradigm (2015–2018). “Megaregolith Evolution Model” for explaining the data. Conclusions and new directions for future work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Lunar Studies)
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8 pages, 1069 KiB  
Article
Using Size and Composition to Assess the Quality of Lunar Impact Glass Ages
by Pham Nguyen and Nicolle Zellner
Geosciences 2019, 9(2), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9020085 - 13 Feb 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3525
Abstract
Determining the impact chronology of the Moon is an important yet challenging problem in planetary science even after decades of lunar samples and other analyses. In addition to crater counting statistics, orbital data, and dynamical models, well-constrained lunar sample ages are critical for [...] Read more.
Determining the impact chronology of the Moon is an important yet challenging problem in planetary science even after decades of lunar samples and other analyses. In addition to crater counting statistics, orbital data, and dynamical models, well-constrained lunar sample ages are critical for proper interpretation of the Moon’s impact chronology. To understand which properties of lunar impact glasses yield well-constrained ages, we evaluated the compositions and sizes of 119 Apollo 14, 15, 16, and 17 impact glass samples whose compositions and 40Ar/39Ar ages have already been published, and we present new data on 43 others. These additional data support previous findings that the composition and size of the glass are good indicators of the quality of the age plateau derived for each sample. We have further constrained those findings: Glasses of ≥200 μm with a fraction of non-bridging oxygens (X(NBO)) of ≥0.23 and a K2O (wt%) of ≥0.07 are prime candidates for argon analyses and more likely to yield well-constrained 40Ar/39Ar ages. As a result, science resulting from impact glass analyses is maximized while analytical costs per glass are minimized. This has direct implications for future analyses of glass samples for both those in the current lunar collection and those that have yet to be collected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Lunar Studies)
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8 pages, 199 KiB  
Article
Ethical and Social Aspects of a Return to the Moon—A Geological Perspective
by Vera Assis Fernandes
Geosciences 2019, 9(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010012 - 26 Dec 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4753
Abstract
The forward planning of the return of Humans to the lunar surface as envisioned by different national and collaborative space agencies requires consideration of the fragility and pristine nature of the lunar surface. Current international treaties are outdated and require immediate action for [...] Read more.
The forward planning of the return of Humans to the lunar surface as envisioned by different national and collaborative space agencies requires consideration of the fragility and pristine nature of the lunar surface. Current international treaties are outdated and require immediate action for their update and amendment. This should be taken as an opportunity for self-reflection and potential censoring, enabling a mature, responsible, and iterated sequence of decisions prior to returning. The protocols developed for assessing the ethical and social impacts of Humans on the lunar surface will provide a blueprint for planning future exploration activities on other planetary bodies in the Solar System and beyond. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Lunar Studies)

Review

Jump to: Research

13 pages, 224 KiB  
Review
Scientific Knowledge of the Moon, 1609 to 1969
by Charles A. Wood
Geosciences 2019, 9(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010005 - 21 Dec 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7587
Abstract
Discoveries stemming from the Apollo 11 mission solved many problems that had vexed scientists for hundreds of years. Research and discoveries over the preceding 360 years identified many critical questions and led to a variety of answers: How did the Moon form, how [...] Read more.
Discoveries stemming from the Apollo 11 mission solved many problems that had vexed scientists for hundreds of years. Research and discoveries over the preceding 360 years identified many critical questions and led to a variety of answers: How did the Moon form, how old is its surface, what is the origin of lunar craters, does the Moon have an atmosphere, how did the Moon change over time, is the Moon geologically active today, and did life play any role in lunar evolution? In general, scientists could not convincingly answer most of these questions because they had too little data and too little understanding of astronomy and geology, and were forced to rely on reasoning and speculation, in some cases wasting hundreds of years of effort. Surprisingly, by 1969, most of the questions had been correctly answered, but a paucity of data made it uncertain which answers were correct. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Lunar Studies)
34 pages, 7240 KiB  
Review
The New Moon: Major Advances in Lunar Science Enabled by Compositional Remote Sensing from Recent Missions
by Deepak Dhingra
Geosciences 2018, 8(12), 498; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8120498 - 18 Dec 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 9541
Abstract
Volatile-bearing lunar surface and interior, giant magmatic-intrusion-laden near and far side, globally distributed layer of purest anorthosite (PAN) and discovery of Mg-Spinel anorthosite, a new rock type, represent just a sample of the brand new perspectives gained in lunar science in the last [...] Read more.
Volatile-bearing lunar surface and interior, giant magmatic-intrusion-laden near and far side, globally distributed layer of purest anorthosite (PAN) and discovery of Mg-Spinel anorthosite, a new rock type, represent just a sample of the brand new perspectives gained in lunar science in the last decade. An armada of missions sent by multiple nations and sophisticated analyses of the precious lunar samples have led to rapid evolution in the understanding of the Moon, leading to major new findings, including evidence for water in the lunar interior. Fundamental insights have been obtained about impact cratering, the crystallization of the lunar magma ocean and conditions during the origin of the Moon. The implications of this understanding go beyond the Moon and are therefore of key importance in solar system science. These new views of the Moon have challenged the previous understanding in multiple ways and are setting a new paradigm for lunar exploration in the coming decade both for science and resource exploration. Missions from India, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and several private ventures promise continued exploration of the Moon in the coming years, which will further enrich the understanding of our closest neighbor. The Moon remains a key scientific destination, an active testbed for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) activities, an outpost to study the universe and a future spaceport for supporting planetary missions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Lunar Studies)
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