Abstract
AbstractMagnetic field measurements made from orbit show that there are strong magnetic anomalies on the Moon, but many of these show no clear correlation with known geological processes. Given that the primary magnetic carrier on the Moon is metallic iron, which is considerably denser than the silicate minerals that make up the crust, we might expect that there would be a correlation between the magnetic field and gravity. If the magnetic anomaly were related to iron‐rich impact ejecta, there might also be a correlation between the magnetic field and topography. We use magnetic field, topography, and gravity data to test whether such correlations exist. Our results demonstrate that some magnetic anomalies show statistically significant positive correlations with free‐air gravity and topography, and the magnetic sources within these regions could potentially be iron‐rich impact ejecta. In a few cases, the magnetic anomalies show statistically significant positive correlations with Bouguer gravity, implying that the magnetic anomalies are associated with density anomalies within either the crust or upper mantle. The origin of the vast remainder of lunar magnetic anomalies remains enigmatic.
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