Principal Investigator Jason Soderblom
In this Project, we are modeling how the impact-driven redistribution of pristine crustal and upper mantle material is reflected in the composition of the lunar surface. We will use this model to address key outstanding questions regarding the Moon: the origin of the ~1 ppm Th in the lunar highlands, the emplacement age and distribution of KREEP, and the genesis of the Procellarum KREEP terrane (PKT). These questions are sensitive to different aspects of lunar crust and mantle differentiation and evolution, and to the relative timing of large impacts. We will explore these questions by simulating the evolution of the lunar crust, considering different lunar crust-mantle evolution hypotheses and impact scenarios, and quantitatively comparing our results to Lunar Prospector Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (LP-GRS) derived surface composition maps and GRAIL-derive crustal thicknesses maps.