Petrophysical Insights Into Lunar Mafic Extrusive Basalts Over Reiner Gamma Formation

Abstract

The enigmatic swirls of Reiner Gamma Formation (RGF) have been found to be associated with localized magnetic surges and high albedo markings. The intriguing diversity within deep-seated lithologies unravels the compositional evolution of the RGF soil, thereby providing new insights into the geological formation of lunar swirls. The present work contributes to the petrophysical significance of possible mafic units by utilizing the multisensor data from recent lunar missions. The compositional characterization of mafic-rich regolith facilitates an improved high-resolution eigenvector-based pyroxene spectroscopy. This provides evidence of endogenic magmatic water in the spectra of high Mg orthopyroxene with pronounced olivine content. Some regions in the western part contribute to the presence of chromium with the possible emplacement of mafic-rich basalts in the oxygen-deficient environment. The sensitivity of the radar echo to the petrographic units has been utilized to derive the physical characteristics of the regolith grains. The regions with enhanced hydration attribute to an increased dielectric permittivity with an associated surge in bulk density and circular polarization ratio. This is in concordance with the degree of maturity in the regolith due to space weathering. Moreover, a relatively compact confinement of the soil pattern has been observed in the immature mafic-rich patches, emphasizing the mechanical stability of the regolith. The regional geomorphology indicates the emanation of wrinkled ridges, wherein higher mafic abundance zone attributes to the primitive source of extruded magma. In essence, this study proposes the inclusion of local charged dust variant in the global formation perspective of the RGF.