Abstract
The first unambiguous global distribution of Ca on the Moon has been revealed by the Kaguya Gamma-Ray Spectrometer. The observation of the 3737keV gamma rays from 40Ca with a high energy resolution Ge detector, corrected for fast neutrons, improved greatly our confidence in these remote sensing data. While the derived Ca abundance generally confirms the mare-highland dichotomy, we found that the eastern mare regions such as Crisium, Nectaris, and Fecunditatis exhibit unexpected high Ca abundances. This may be explained by regional concentrations of high-Ca clinopyroxene. Our Ca map also shows that the lowest CaO abundance found in the returned samples (∼8wt%) may actually be common in Oceanus Procellarum, suggesting the possible sampling bias of Apollo and Luna missions. These observational results on Ca serve as a complementary criterion for better characterization of mare regions on the Moon.
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