Elliptical structure of the lunar South Pole-Aitken basin

Abstract

The South Pole-Aitken basin (SP-A) is the largest and oldest basin on the Moon. The basin has usually been interpreted to exhibit a degraded circular structure, but here we demonstrate that the topography, iron and thorium signatures of the basin are well described by ellipses with axes measuring 2400 by 2050 km and centered at −53°, 191°E. Topography, abundances of iron, thorium, and the distribution of mare basalts are all elevated in the northern halves of the ellipses. We also identify an outer topographic ellipse whose semiminor axis scales with the main topographic ellipse by approximately 2 . Taken together, these data imply that the basin was created by an oblique impact along an azimuth of approximately 19°, measured counterclockwise from longitude 191°E. The geometry of the elevated central farside topography surrounding SP-A suggests that it predates the impact. The elliptical ring structures of SP-A and their scaling relationships will help to understand the formation of large and elliptical basins elsewhere in the Solar System. This refined basin shape will also inform local geology, geochemistry, and geophysics of the region.