Mare volcanism in the lunar farside Moscoviense region: Implication for lateral variation in magma production of the Moon

Abstract

Accurate estimates of the duration and volume of extrusive volcanism of the Moon are essential for understanding the lunar thermal evolution. Here, using new high‐resolution images obtained by the SELENE Terrain Camera, we determined the thicknesses and ages of basalts in Mare Moscoviense, one of the most prominent mare deposits on the farside. Mare volcanism in Mare Moscoviense was active for at least ∼1.5 Ga following the formation of the Moscoviense basin. Mare basalts are estimated to be at least 600 m thick, corresponding to a total volume of 9,500–16,000 km3. The long duration and large volume of extrusive volcanism are plausibly attributed to the thinner crust of the Moscoviense basin relative to those of other farside basins. From a comparison with mare volume within a same‐sized nearside basin, we concluded that a magma production in the farside mantle was 3–10 times less than that of the nearside.