Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo‐Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing Regions

Abstract Lobate scarps (thrust faults) in the lunar south polar region (90°–60°S) provide important insights into tectonic history, seismicity, and seismic hazard potential of landing sites. In this study, we discovered 75 new lobate scarps and >500 segments, exhibiting latitudinal variation of g...

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Main Authors: Abhisek Mishra, P. Senthil Kumar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-09-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098505
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author Abhisek Mishra
P. Senthil Kumar
author_facet Abhisek Mishra
P. Senthil Kumar
author_sort Abhisek Mishra
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Lobate scarps (thrust faults) in the lunar south polar region (90°–60°S) provide important insights into tectonic history, seismicity, and seismic hazard potential of landing sites. In this study, we discovered 75 new lobate scarps and >500 segments, exhibiting latitudinal variation of geometry and movement directions. Formation ages of 141 prominent scarp segments show fault growth rates and directions, decreasing ages from south pole to mid‐latitude, continuous tectonic activity in the last 100 million years with a peak around 10 Ma, seismic resetting of ages, and timings of global contraction. The scarps are capable of producing small‐medium size moonquakes within 5–10 km depths. The deterministic seismic hazard analysis, considering occurrence of MW 1–4 shallow moonquakes along the scarps in the next few decades, and their seismic ground motion characteristics, suggests variable levels of potential seismic risk at the Artemis candidate landing regions and further probabilistic seismic hazard analysis is necessary.
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spelling doaj-art-9fef2b11f4af41ee894d8d4847428f8b2025-08-20T02:10:43ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072022-09-014918n/an/a10.1029/2022GL098505Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo‐Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing RegionsAbhisek Mishra0P. Senthil Kumar1CSIR‐National Geophysical Research Institute Hyderabad IndiaCSIR‐National Geophysical Research Institute Hyderabad IndiaAbstract Lobate scarps (thrust faults) in the lunar south polar region (90°–60°S) provide important insights into tectonic history, seismicity, and seismic hazard potential of landing sites. In this study, we discovered 75 new lobate scarps and >500 segments, exhibiting latitudinal variation of geometry and movement directions. Formation ages of 141 prominent scarp segments show fault growth rates and directions, decreasing ages from south pole to mid‐latitude, continuous tectonic activity in the last 100 million years with a peak around 10 Ma, seismic resetting of ages, and timings of global contraction. The scarps are capable of producing small‐medium size moonquakes within 5–10 km depths. The deterministic seismic hazard analysis, considering occurrence of MW 1–4 shallow moonquakes along the scarps in the next few decades, and their seismic ground motion characteristics, suggests variable levels of potential seismic risk at the Artemis candidate landing regions and further probabilistic seismic hazard analysis is necessary.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098505lunar south polar regionlobate scarpstectonic historyshallow moonquakesseismic hazardrobotic and human landing sites
spellingShingle Abhisek Mishra
P. Senthil Kumar
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo‐Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing Regions
Geophysical Research Letters
lunar south polar region
lobate scarps
tectonic history
shallow moonquakes
seismic hazard
robotic and human landing sites
title Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo‐Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing Regions
title_full Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo‐Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing Regions
title_fullStr Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo‐Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing Regions
title_full_unstemmed Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo‐Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing Regions
title_short Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Lobate Scarps in the Lunar South Polar Region: Evidence for Latitudinal Variation of Scarp Geometry, Kinematics and Formation Ages, Neo‐Tectonic Activity and Sources of Potential Seismic Risks at the Artemis Candidate Landing Regions
title_sort spatial and temporal distribution of lobate scarps in the lunar south polar region evidence for latitudinal variation of scarp geometry kinematics and formation ages neo tectonic activity and sources of potential seismic risks at the artemis candidate landing regions
topic lunar south polar region
lobate scarps
tectonic history
shallow moonquakes
seismic hazard
robotic and human landing sites
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098505
work_keys_str_mv AT abhisekmishra spatialandtemporaldistributionoflobatescarpsinthelunarsouthpolarregionevidenceforlatitudinalvariationofscarpgeometrykinematicsandformationagesneotectonicactivityandsourcesofpotentialseismicrisksattheartemiscandidatelandingregions
AT psenthilkumar spatialandtemporaldistributionoflobatescarpsinthelunarsouthpolarregionevidenceforlatitudinalvariationofscarpgeometrykinematicsandformationagesneotectonicactivityandsourcesofpotentialseismicrisksattheartemiscandidatelandingregions