Global regolith thermophysical properties of the Moon from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment

Abstract

We used infrared data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment to globally map thermophysical properties of the Moon's regolith fines layer. Thermal conductivity varies from 7.4$\times$10${}^{-4}$ W m${}^{-1}$ K${}^{-1}$ at the surface, to 3.4$\times$10${}^{-3}$ W m${}^{-1}$ K${}^{-1}$ at depths of $\sim$1 m, given density values of 1100 kg m${}^{-3}$ at the surface, to 1800 kg m${}^{-3}$ at 1-m depth. On average, the scale height of these profiles is $\sim$7 cm, corresponding to a thermal inertia of 55 $\pm$2 J m${}^{-2}$ K${}^{-1}$ s${}^{-1/2}$ at 273 K, relevant to the diurnally active near-surface layer, $\sim$4-7 cm. The temperature-dependence of thermal conductivity and heat capacity leads to a $\sim$2$\times$ diurnal variation in thermal inertia at the equator. On global scales, the regolith fines are remarkably uniform, implying rapid homogenization by impact gardening of this layer on timescales $<$ 1 Gyr. Regional and local scale variations show prominent impact features $<$ 1 Gyr old, including higher thermal inertia ($>$ 100 J m${}^{-2}$ K${}^{-1}$ s${}^{-1/2}$) in the interiors and ejecta of Copernican-aged impact craters, and lower thermal inertia ($<$ 50 J m${}^{-2}$ K${}^{-1}$ s${}^{-1/2}$) within the lunar cold spots identified by Bandfield et al. (2014). Observed trends in ejecta thermal inertia provide a potential tool for age-dating craters of previously unknown age, complementary to the approach suggested by Ghent et al. (2014). Several anomalous regions are identified in the global 128 pixels-per-degree maps presented here, including a high-thermal inertia deposit near the antipode of Tycho crater.

Accepted for publication in Journal of Geophysical Research - Planets

References in corpus (1)

• Thermal inertia of main belt asteroids smaller than 100 km from IRAS data

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