Evidence for isostasy in the lunar mascon Maria

Abstract

The pronounced positive gravity anomalies in the lunar circular maria imply lack of isostatic compensation of the lunar mascons. This lack of isostasy is hard to reconcile with the rheological properties of the lunar crust. Analysis of the negative ring anomalies that appear to surround the major positive gravity peaks indicates that associated with each mascon is a mass deficit of approximately the same size. In view of the lunar rheology these mass deficits most probably represent compensating mass deficits beneath the lunar mascon maria. Consequently, most lunar mascons appear to be near isostatic equilibrium, and the observed gravity anomalies may be essentially the superposition of positive gravity peaks due to the basaltic mare fill, and less pronounced, broader gravity lows due to the compensating mass deficits at depth.