TY  - JOUR
A1  - Marco Figuera, Ramiro
A1  - Riedel, Christian
A1  - Rossi, Angelo Pio
A1  - Unnithan, Vikram
T1  - Depth to diameter analysis on small simple craters at the lunar south pole - possible implications for ice harboring
JF  - Remote sensing
N2  - In this paper, we present a study comparing the depth to diameter (d/D) ratio of small simple craters (200-1000 m) of an area between -88.5 degrees to -90 degrees latitude at the lunar south pole containing Permanent Shadowed Regions (PSRs) versus craters without PSRs. As PSRs can reach temperatures of 110 K and are capable of harboring volatiles, especially water ice, we analyzed the relationship of depth versus diameter ratios and its possible implications for harboring water ice. Variations in the d/D ratios can also be caused by other processes such as degradation, isostatic adjustment, or differences in surface properties. The conducted d/D ratio analysis suggests that a differentiation between craters containing PSRs versus craters without PSRs occurs. Thus, a possible direct relation between d/D ratio, PSRs, and water ice harboring might exist. Our results suggest that differences in the target's surface properties may explain the obtained results. The resulting d/D ratios of craters with PSRs can help to select target areas for future In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) missions.
KW  - craters
KW  - lunar exploration
KW  - ice harboring
Y1  - 2022
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14030450
SN  - 2072-4292
VL  - 14
IS  - 3
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  -