U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center | 2020 Apr 23
USGS Releases First-Ever Comprehensive Geologic Map of the Moon
Have you ever wondered what kind of rocks make up those bright and dark splotches on the moon? Well, the USGS has just released a new authoritative map to help explain the 4.5-billion-year-old history of our nearest neighbor in space.
Orthographic projections of the 'Unified Geologic Map of the Moon' showing the
geology of the Moon’s near side (left) and far side (right) with shaded topography
from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). This geologic map is a synthesis of
six Apollo-era regional geologic maps, updated based on data from recent satellite
missions. It will serve as a reference for lunar science and future human missions
to the Moon. Credit: NASA/GSFC/USGS
For the first time, the entire lunar surface has been completely mapped and uniformly classified by scientists from the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, in collaboration with NASA and the Lunar Planetary Institute.
The lunar map, called the “Unified Geologic Map of the Moon,” will serve as the definitive blueprint of the moon’s surface geology for future human missions and will be invaluable for the international scientific community, educators and the public-at-large. The digital map is available online now and shows the moon’s geology in incredible detail (1:5,000,000 scale). ...
To create the new digital map, scientists used information from six Apollo-era regional maps along with updated information from recent satellite missions to the moon. The existing historical maps were redrawn to align them with the modern data sets, thus preserving previous observations and interpretations. Along with merging new and old data, USGS researchers also developed a unified description of the stratigraphy, or rock layers, of the moon. This resolved issues from previous maps where rock names, descriptions and ages were sometimes inconsistent. ...
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