2024/07/10 by Ken'yo Uh, Masanori Kameyama, Uh, Ken'yo +7
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Physical sciences #Geophysics (physics.geo-ph) #Planetary Science and Exploration #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2407.07505
openalex publication_date 2024/07/10 · openalex created_date 2024/07/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We develop a 2-D numerical model of magmatism and mantle convection to understand the volcanism on the Procellarum KREEP terrane (PKT) of the Moon, which continued for billions of years with two peaks of activities at 3.5-4 Gyr ago and around 2 Gyr ago. In our model, the effects of the PKT on lunar evolution are considered by initially imposing a region of localized radioactive enrichment. The calculated volcanism has two peaks induced by different mechanisms. The first peak occurs at 3.5-4 Gyr ago when magma generated in the deep mantle by internal heating ascends to the surface as partially molten plumes. The basaltic blocks in the uppermost mantle formed by this magmatism, then, sink to the deep mantle, triggering further plumes that cause the resurgence of volcanism at ∼2 Gyr ago. Our model shows that localized radioactive enrichment is important for the long-lasting volcanism with a couple of peaks.