Journal articles on the topic 'Regolith'
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1
Tan, Wei, Xiaorong Qin, Jiacheng Liu, Mei-Fu Zhou, Hongping He, Christina Yan Wang, Jian Huang, Jianxi Zhu, Yuzeng Yao, and Thomas Cudahy. "FEASIBILITY OF VISIBLE SHORT-WAVE INFRARED REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY TO CHARACTERIZE REGOLITH-HOSTED RARE EARTH ELEMENT MINERALIZATION." Economic Geology 117, no. 2 (March 1, 2022): 495–508. http://dx.doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.4877.
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Abstract Regolith-hosted rare earth element (REE) deposits predominate global resources of heavy REEs. Regoliths are underlain by various types of igneous rocks and do not always host economically valuable deposits. Thus a feasible and convenient method is desired to identify REE mineralization in a particular regolith. This study presents a detailed visible short-wave infrared reflectance (VSWIR) spectroscopic study of the Renju regolith-hosted REE deposit, South China, to provide diagnostic parameters for targeting REE orebodies in regoliths. The results show that the spectral parameters, M794_2nd and M800_2nd, derived from the VSWIR absorption of Nd3+ at approximately 800 nm, can be effectively used to estimate the total REE concentrations in regolith profiles. M1396_2nd/M1910_2nd ratios can serve as proxies to evaluate weathering intensities in a regolith. Abrupt changes of specific spectral features related to mineral abundances, chemical compositions, and weathering intensities can be correlated with variations of protolith that formed a regolith. These VSWIR proxies are robust and can be used for exploration of regolith-hosted REE deposits.
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Beddingfield, Chloe B., and Richard J. Cartwright. "Miranda's Thick Regolith Indicates a Major Mantling Event from an Unknown Source." Planetary Science Journal 3, no. 11 (November 1, 2022): 253. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac9a4e.
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Abstract We investigated “muted” craters and scarps across Miranda’s cratered terrain. The morphologies of the muted craters are most consistent with modification by regolith deposition instead of erosion or viscous relaxation. We used three techniques to estimate regolith thickness. (1) Analysis of muted crater depth–Diameter (d-D) ratios near the South Polar Terrain Chasma indicates that regolith mantling their floors ranges from 0.3 to 1.2 km thick. Because older craters may have collected more regolith than younger craters, the true thickness may be similar to the highest estimate. (2) Analysis of crater size–frequency distributions across the cratered terrain indicates a thickness of 1.0 ± 0.2 km. (3) Analysis of a central mound within Alonso Crater indicates a thickness of 1.4 − 0.4 + 0.3 km near Verona Rupes and may represent an upper limit. These results indicate that Miranda has one of the thickest regoliths in the solar system, which has important implications for Miranda’s interior thermal properties. Regolith appears to mantle some scarps within Arden but not Elsinore or Inverness, indicating that Arden may be the oldest corona, contrary to previous relative age estimates. In this scenario, the mantling event was ongoing during Arden’s formation but before Elsinore or Inverness formed. We propose three possible sources for Miranda’s thick regolith: (1) giant impact ejecta, (2) plume deposits, and (3) Uranian ring deposits. We favor the ring deposit hypothesis, which is consistent with the regolith’s large spatial extent, substantial thickness, and Miranda’s slightly spectrally blue color. Follow-up studies that rigorously investigate these scenarios are required.
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Verkercke, S., J. Y. Chaufray, F. Leblanc, E. M. Bringa, D. Tramontina, L. Morrissey, and A. Woodson. "Effects of Airless Bodies’ Regolith Structures and of the Solar Wind’s Properties on the Backscattered Energetic Neutral Atoms Flux." Planetary Science Journal 4, no. 10 (October 1, 2023): 197. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/psj/acf6bd.
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Abstract The surfaces of airless planetary bodies, such as the Moon or Mercury, are covered with regoliths, which interact with the solar wind. The solar protons can either be absorbed by the surface or neutralized and reflected as hydrogen energetic neutral atoms (ENAs). The ENA flux is thought to depend mostly on the structure of the upper regolith layer. By using a model combining a Monte Carlo approach to describe a solar proton’s journey through the lunar surface with molecular dynamics to characterize its interactions with the regolith’s grains, we highlight the surface roughness as a key parameter that influences the backscattered H ENA flux. By considering spherical silica grains, the lunar regolith’s structure is described using the open-source code Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (or LAMMPS), which allows a realistic description of grain-on-grain contacts. The roughness of the modeled regolith, characterized by the roughness ratio, is shown to be dictated by the surface energy and the grain-size distribution. This work shows that a rougher surface favors deeper penetration of the protons inside the regolith, which increases the number of collisions and thus decreases their reflected fraction. The angular distribution of the backscattered H ENAs is influenced by both the surface roughness and the solar zenith angle. We show that the angular distribution of the backscattered ENAs is anisotropic and is influenced by the regolith’s structure, which is consistent with Chandrayaan-1 measurements. This work aims for a better understanding of the interactions ongoing at this interface and intends to look into the possibility of deducing information on the surface structure solely from ENA flux measurements. Highlighting the key structural parameters influencing the ENA backscattering will also help the development of models of surface-bounded exospheres.
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Gavrishin, Anatoli I., and Ivan V. Ivanov. "On the influence of the trace element composition of regoliths on the labor safety of astronauts on the Moon." Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology 63, no. 2 (February 25, 2023): 78–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.31089/1026-9428-2023-63-2-78-87.
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Introduction. The problem of using near-Earth space to meet various human needs, including the development of minerals, especially on the Moon, is becoming relevant, which increases the importance of research on occupational safety in these conditions. The study aims to research the trace element composition of regoliths in comparison with terrestrial rocks and its significance for the safety of astronauts on the lunar surface. Materials and methods. The researchers evaluated the trace element composition of the regolith by calculating the concentration coefficients and the quality drop coefficient. When identifying homogeneous classes of regoliths by concentrations of 38 chemical elements, we used computer technology to classify multidimensional observations under conditions of self-organization. Results. We know that the concentrations of many trace elements in regoliths significantly exceed their concentrations in terrestrial soils. Calculated for the Luna-16 and Luna-24 marine regoliths, as well as for Apollo-11 and Apollo-12, the quality reduction coefficient varies from 27 to 100, which corresponds to the "crisis" category. This indicates that the content of trace elements in the regolith ranges from weekly critical (27 for the Luna-16 regolith) to highly critical (100 for the Apollo-12 regolith). The researchers identified trace elements whose concentrations in lunar regoliths significantly exceed their concentrations in terrestrial soils: Cr, Be, Co, Sc, Ho, Se, Ni, Au, Ag, Er, Tm, Y, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy Yb, Lu, Cd, Zr, Sr, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu. Trace trace elements are included in the group of substances with allergenic, fibrogenic and carcinogenic effects and can have a negative impact on the health of future lunar colonists. Limitations. The authors have conducted the study for the composition of regolith on the surface of the Moon and did not cover aspects of human protection from lunar dust by space stations, structures, spacesuits and special equipment. Conclusion. When assessing the impact of environmental factors on the safety of astronauts during the colonization of the Moon, attention should be paid to the toxicological aspects of working conditions, in particular the trace element composition of regoliths and lunar dust.
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Zheng, Xiaowei, Cong Zhao, Xiaoyan Sun, and Weiwei Dong. "Lunar Regolith Geopolymer Concrete for In-Situ Construction of Lunar Bases: A Review." Polymers 16, no. 11 (June 3, 2024): 1582. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym16111582.
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The construction of lunar bases represents a fundamental challenge for deep space exploration, lunar research, and the exploitation of lunar resources. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology constitutes a pivotal tool for constructing lunar bases. Using lunar regolith to create geopolymers as construction materials offers multiple advantages as an ISRU technique. This paper discusses the principle of geopolymer for lunar regolith, focusing on the reaction principle of geopolymer. It also analyzes the applicability of geopolymer under the effects of the lunar surface environment and the differences between the highland and mare lunar regolith. This paper summarizes the characteristics of existing lunar regolith simulants and the research on the mechanical properties of lunar regolith geopolymers using lunar regolith simulants. Highland lunar regolith samples contain approximately 36% amorphous substances, the content of silicon is approximately 28%, and the ratios of Si/Al and Si/Ca are approximately 1.5 and 2.6, respectively. They are more suitable as precursor materials for geopolymers than mare samples. The compressive strength of lunar regolith geopolymer is mainly in the range of 18~30 MPa. Sodium silicate is the most commonly utilized activator for lunar regolith geopolymers; alkalinity in the range of 7% to 10% and modulus in the range of 0.8 to 2.0 are suitable. A vacuum environment and multiple temperature cycles reduce the mechanical properties of geopolymers by 8% to 70%. Future research should be concentrated on the precision control of the lunar regolith’s chemical properties and the alkali activation efficacy of geopolymers in the lunar environment.
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Fang, Feiyang, Chunyu Ding, Jianqing Feng, Yan Su, Ravi Sharma, and Iraklis Giannakis. "In-Situ Radar Observation of Shallow Lunar Regolith at the Chang’E-5 Landing Site: Research Progress and Perspectives." Remote Sensing 15, no. 21 (October 30, 2023): 5173. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs15215173.
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China accomplished a historic milestone in 2020 when the mission Chang’e-5 (CE-5) to the Lunar’s surface was successfully launched. An extraordinary component of this mission is the “Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar” (LRPR) housed within its lander, which currently stands as the most advanced payload in terms of vertical resolution among all penetrating radars employed in lunar exploration. This provides an unprecedented opportunity for high-precision research into the interior structure of the shallow lunar regolith. Previous studies have achieved fruitful research results based on the data from LRPR, updating our perception of the shallow-level regolith of the Moon. This paper provides an overview of the new advancements achieved by the LRPR in observing the basic structure of the shallow regolith of the Moon. It places special emphasis on the role played by the LRPR in revealing details about the shallow lunar regolith’s structure, its estimated dielectric properties, the provenance of the regolith materials from the landing area, and its interpretation of the geological stratification at the landing site. Lastly, it envisions the application and developmental trends of in situ radar technology in future lunar exploration.
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Martin, Audrey C., and Joshua P. Emery. "MIR Spectra and Analysis of Jovian Trojan Asteroids." Planetary Science Journal 4, no. 8 (August 1, 2023): 153. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/psj/aced0c.
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Abstract Jovian Trojan asteroids make up a large group of primitive bodies that populate Jupiter's L4 and L5 Lagrange points. The Trojans’ dynamics and composition carry insight into the formation mechanisms that shaped our solar system. Mid-infrared (MIR; 5–35 μm) spectra of Trojans exhibit puzzling silicate emission features, like spectra of optically thin comet comae, which may be interpreted as “fluffy” regoliths. By understanding the physical properties of the regolith (e.g., particle size and regolith porosity), more accurate compositional interpretations can be made. Here we show 14 Spitzer Space Telescope MIR spectra of Trojans and their compositional makeup. Through parameterization of spectral features and comparison to laboratory and remote-sensing spectra, the results show that the Trojans have highly porous regoliths of fine-particulate crystalline (forsterite, enstatite, and possibly a small amount of fayalite and diopside) and amorphous silicates. These results are consistent with a primordial Kuiper Belt origin.
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Shukla, Shashwat, Valentyn Tolpekin, Shashi Kumar, and Alfred Stein. "Investigating the Retention of Solar Wind Implanted Helium-3 on the Moon from the Analysis of Multi-Wavelength Remote Sensing Data." Remote Sensing 12, no. 20 (October 14, 2020): 3350. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs12203350.
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The Moon has a large potential for space exploration and mining valuable resources. In particular, 3He provides rich sources of non-radioactive fusion fuel to fulfill cislunar and Earth’s energy demands, if found economically feasible. The present study focuses on developing advanced techniques to prospect 3He resources on the Moon from multi-sensor remote sensing perspectives. It characterizes optical changes in regolith materials due to space weathering as a new retention parameter and introduces a novel machine learning inversion model for retrieving the physical properties of the regolith. Our analysis suggests that the reddening of the soil predominantly governs the retention, along with attenuated mafic band depths. Moreover, semi-variograms show that the spatial variability of 3He is aligned with the episodic weathering events at different timescales. We also observed that pyroclastic regoliths with high dielectric constant and increased surface scattering mechanisms exhibited a 3He abundant region. For ejecta cover, the retention was weakly associated with the dielectric contrast and a circular polarization ratio (CPR), mainly because of the 3He-deficient nature of the regolith. Furthermore, cross-variograms revealed inherent cyclicity attributed to the sequential process of weathering effects. Our study provides new insights into the physical nature and near-surface alterations of lunar regoliths that influence the spatial distribution and retention of solar wind implanted 3He.
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Kaksonen, Anna H., Xiao Deng, Christina Morris, Himel Nahreen Khaleque, Luis Zea, and Yosephine Gumulya. "Potential of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to Grow on and Bioleach Metals from Mars and Lunar Regolith Simulants under Simulated Microgravity Conditions." Microorganisms 9, no. 12 (November 23, 2021): 2416. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9122416.
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The biomining microbes which extract metals from ores that have been applied in mining processes worldwide hold potential for harnessing space resources. Their cell growth and ability to extract metals from extraterrestrial minerals under microgravity environments, however, remains largely unknown. The present study used the model biomining bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to extract metals from lunar and Martian regolith simulants cultivated in a rotating clinostat with matched controls grown under the influence of terrestrial gravity. Analyses included assessments of final cell count, size, morphology, and soluble metal concentrations. Under Earth gravity, with the addition of Fe3+ and H2/CO2, A. ferrooxidans grew in the presence of regolith simulants to a final cell density comparable to controls without regoliths. The simulated microgravity appeared to enable cells to grow to a higher cell density in the presence of lunar regolith simulants. Clinostat cultures of A. ferrooxidans solubilised higher amounts of Si, Mn and Mg from lunar and Martian regolith simulants than abiotic controls. Electron microscopy observations revealed that microgravity stimulated the biosynthesis of intracellular nanoparticles (most likely magnetite) in anaerobically grown A. ferrooxidans cells. These results suggested that A. ferrooxidans has the potential for metal bioleaching and the production of useful nanoparticles in space.
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Carneiro Oliveira, Jéssica, Renato Crespo Pereira, Taylor Sawyer Johnson, and Rafael Loureiro. "Seed Priming with Ulva lactuca L. in Cultivars Grown in Martian and Lunar Regolith Analogues." Gravitational and Space Research 12, no. 1 (January 1, 2024): 77–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2024-0006.
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Abstract As human settlements expand to lunar and Martian bases, optimizing food production in these environments becomes crucial. This study investigates the use of macroalgae, specifically Ulva lactuca L., as an affordable, sustainable approach for seed priming to enhance germination in extraterrestrial soils. The focus was on the germination and growth of Capsicum annuum L. (pepper), Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce), Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea), and Pisum sativum L. (pea) in simulated Martian and lunar regolith. Two concentrations of U. lactuca powder (0.2 and 0.4 g · L−1) were tested under controlled conditions. The study also conducted a qualitative chemical analysis of U. lactuca to identify bioactive components essential for phytohormone formation. The germination and emergence rates of the seeds in the lunar regolith were higher than those in the Martian regolith. Martian regolith's optimal treatment for pea and chickpea seed germination was 0.2 g · L−1, which also favored seedling emergence. In the lunar regolith, optimal germination rates for pea seeds were observed with both treatments and chickpea seeds. The germination percentage of lettuce seeds in the lunar regolith was higher than the control, with 0.2 g · L−1, while there was no significant difference for the other seeds. The study recommends the application of U. lactuca powder as an effective biostimulant for the examined cultivars due to the presence of plant growth regulators (PGRs) that enhance germination and seedling emergence under challenging conditions.
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Paton, M. D., A. M. Harri, T. Mäkinen, and S. F. Green. "A penetrator for making thermal measurements in a gas-filled planetary regolith." Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems Discussions 1, no. 1 (December 22, 2011): 109–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gid-1-109-2011.
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Abstract. We introduce a general purpose penetrator, fitted with a heater, for measuring temperature and thermal diffusivity. Due to its simplicity of deployment and operation the thermal penetrator is well suited for remote deployment by spacecraft into a planetary regolith. Thermal measurements in planetary regoliths are required to determine the surface energy balance and to measure their thermal properties. If the regolith is on a planet with an atmosphere a good understanding of the role of convection is required to properly interpret the measurements. This could also help to identify the significant heat and mass exchange mechanisms between the regolith and the atmosphere. To understand the role of convection in our regolith analogues we use a network of temperature sensors placed in the target. In practical applications a penetrator will push material out of the way as it enters a target possible changing its thermal properties. To investigate this effect a custom built test rig, that precisely controls and monitors the motion of the penetrator, is used. The thermal diffusivity of limestone powder and sand is derived by fitting a numerical thermal model to the temperature measurements. Convection seems to play an important role in the transfer of heat in this case. Firstly a diffusion-convection model fits the laboratory data better than a diffusivity-only model. Also the diffusivity derived from a diffusivity-convection model was found to be in good agreement with diffusivity derived using other methods published in the literature. Thermal diffusivity measurements, inspection of the horizontal temperature profiles and visual observations suggests that limestone powder is compacted more readily than sand during entry of the penetrator into the target. For both regolith analogues the disturbance of material around the penetrator was determined to have an insignificant effect on the diffusivity measurements in this case.
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Paton, M. D., A. M. Harri, T. Mäkinen, and S. F. Green. "Investigating thermal properties of gas-filled planetary regoliths using a thermal probe." Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems 1, no. 1 (March 29, 2012): 7–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gi-1-7-2012.
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Abstract. We introduce a general purpose penetrator, fitted with a heater, for measuring temperature and thermal diffusivity. Due to its simplicity of deployment and operation the penetrator is well suited for remote deployment by spacecraft into a planetary regolith. Thermal measurements in planetary regoliths are required to determine the surface energy balance and to measure their thermal properties. If the regolith is on a planet with an atmosphere a good understanding of the role of convection is required to properly interpret the measurements. This could also help to identify the significant heat and mass exchange mechanisms between the regolith and the atmosphere. To understand the role of convection in our regolith analogues we use a network of temperature sensors placed in the target. In practical applications a penetrator will push material out of the way as it enters a target possible changing its thermal properties. To investigate this effect a custom built test rig, that precisely controls and monitors the motion of the penetrator, is used. The thermal diffusivity of limestone powder and sand is derived by fitting a numerical thermal model to the temperature measurements. Convection seems to play an important role in the transfer of heat in this case. Firstly a diffusion-convection model fits the laboratory data better than a diffusivity-only model. Also the diffusivity derived from a diffusivity-convection model was found to be in good agreement with diffusivity derived using other methods published in the literature. Thermal diffusivity measurements, inspection of the horizontal temperature profiles and visual observations suggests that limestone powder is compacted more readily than sand during entry of the penetrator into the target. For both regolith analogues the disturbance of material around the penetrator was determined to have an insignificant effect on the diffusivity measurements in this case.
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Hodder, A. P. W., and M. Z. Graham. "Earthquake Microzoning from Soil Properties." Earthquake Spectra 9, no. 2 (May 1993): 209–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1193/1.1585713.
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The extent of damage caused by an earthquake in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1968 to buildings erected on a variety of regoliths and foundation materials is correlated with the thickness of the regolith, the depth to the water table and semi-quantitative parameters derived from soil profile descriptions, particularly related to soil type and soil structure. From linear regression correlations, the expected damage for a comparable earthquake elsewhere can be determined. The model was tested for soil data for the Edgecumbe area, hit by a damaging earthquake in 1987. The predictions were sufficiently in accord with observations to suggest that soil properties that reflect the geotechnical properties of the upper parts of the regolith, particularly those that measure the shear strength, shear wave velocity and viscous damping of that material, may be useful for earthquake microzoning purposes in areas where there is a considerable thickness of unconsolidated materials above bedrock.
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Kew, G. A., and R. J. Gilkes. "Properties of regolith beneath lateritic bauxite in the Darling Range of south Western Australia." Soil Research 45, no. 3 (2007): 164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr06128.
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A morphological key has been developed for regolith that is exposed during mining of lateritic bauxite in the Darling Range of south Western Australia. The key distinguishes materials with different mineralogical and chemical properties. Iron oxide cemented (Zh) regolith has a gibbsitic matrix, quartz-rich (Zm) regolith has a gibbsite and kaolin matrix, and clay-rich (Zp) regolith has a kaolin matrix. An Si affinity element map (Si, Hf, Th) and a K affinity element group (K, Ba, Rb) are associated with granitic quartz-rich regolith and an Al/Fe element affinity group (Al, Fe, Ti, P, Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ga, Cr, V) is associated with clay and iron rich regolith. Doleritic regolith is generally associated with the Al/Fe affinity group. Although granite and granitic regolith exhibit similar element affinity groups, the abundance of elements within each is highly variable, which reflects the diversity in composition of granite within the region. The degree of euhedral character of clay-size platy crystals (kaolinite/gibbsite) does not differ for materials distinguished by the key, as both quartz-rich (Zm) and clay-rich (Zp) regolith and both granitic and doleritic saprolite contain subhedral kaolin crystals. The crystal size of platy kaolin (approximately 0.5 µm) is similar for different mine pits and for different regolith materials (Zm and Zp) within mine pits. There is a difference in halloysite tube length (0.52–1.18 µm) between mine pits, which may be related to the presence of weathered mica or to the alteration of halloysite in gibbsite-rich regolith. The internal and external diameters of halloysite tubes (about 0.11 and 0.24 µm) are similar for different mine pits and different regolith types within mine pits. The resin used during thin section preparation contains chlorine, so that determination of chlorine by EMPA provides a measure of the porosity of regolith material. A systematic negative relationship exists between chlorine concentration and total oxide weight % of porous regolith matrix determined by EMPA; both measurements provide an indication of the porosity of the clay matrix in regolith.
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Zhou, Ping, Zhe Zhao, Guangyuan Wei, and Hongyuan Huo. "Mineral Content Estimation of Lunar Soil of Lunar Highland and Lunar Mare Based on Diagnostic Spectral Characteristic and Partial Least Squares Method." Applied Sciences 12, no. 3 (January 24, 2022): 1197. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app12031197.
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Extraction of mineral and rock information of lunar regolith is of far-reaching significance to the study of material composition, geological structure and historical evolution of lunar regolith. Visible and near-infrared spectra can reflect mineral composition information, and can be used to extract mineral composition and distribution characteristics of lunar regolith. In this paper, the LSCC (Lunar Soil Characterization Consortium) data of lunar regolith is taken as the research object. The partial least squares (PLS) regression model is used to estimate the spectra of lunar regolith measured in RELAB laboratory of Brown University. The mineral contents of plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, ilmenite, agglutinate and volcanic glass in lunar regolith have been optimized and retrieved. The LSCC spectra of lunar regolith have been pre-processed by multivariate scattering correction (MSC), which highlight the spectral features of lunar regolith. The optimal number of principal components has been selected by cross-validation test. The PLS regression have been established for samples from lunar highland and lunar mare respectively. Two-thirds of samples have been randomly selected as experimental group to establish the prediction relationship between the spectra of lunar regolith and mineral content. The remaining one-third of samples have been used as verification group to further validate the prediction relationship. The results show that the partial least squares regression model has high accuracy and good stability. It is of theoretical and practical significance to optimize the inversion of mineral content in lunar regolith using spectral data of lunar regolith.
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Zhang, Xiang, Wenmin Lv, Lei Zhang, Jinhai Zhang, Yangting Lin, and Zhenxing Yao. "Self-Organization Characteristics of Lunar Regolith Inferred by Yutu-2 Lunar Penetrating Radar." Remote Sensing 13, no. 15 (August 1, 2021): 3017. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs13153017.
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Most previous studies tend to simplify the lunar regolith as a homogeneous medium. However, the lunar regolith is not completely homogeneous, because there are weak reflections from the lunar regolith layer. In this study, we examined the weak heterogeneity of the lunar regolith layer using a self-organization model by matching the reflection pattern of both the lunar regolith layer and the top of the ejecta layer. After a series of numerical experiments, synthetic results show great consistency with the observed Chang’E-4 lunar penetrating radar data and provide some constraints on the range of controlling parameters of the exponential self-organization model. The root mean square permittivity perturbation is estimated to be about 3% and the correlation distance is about 5–10 cm. Additionally, the upper layer of ejecta has about 1–2 rocks per square meter, and the rock diameter is about 20–30 cm. These parameters are helpful for further study of structural characteristics and the evolution process of the lunar regolith. The relatively small correlation distance and root mean square perturbation in the regolith indicate that the regolith is mature. The weak reflections within the regolith are more likely to be due to structural changes rather than material composition changes.
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MacLennan, Eric M., and Joshua P. Emery. "Thermophysical Investigation of Asteroid Surfaces. II. Factors Influencing Grain Size." Planetary Science Journal 3, no. 2 (February 1, 2022): 47. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac4967.
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Abstract Asteroid surfaces are subjected to mechanical weathering processes that result in the development and evolution of regolith. Two proposed mechanisms—impact bombardment and thermal fatigue—have been proposed as viable and dominant weathering processes. Previously, we compiled and estimated thermal inertias of several hundred asteroids (mostly in the main belt) for which we determined dependencies on temperature, diameter, and rotation period. In this work, we estimate grain sizes of asteroid regoliths from this large thermal inertia data set using thermal conductivity models. Following our previous work, we perform multivariate linear model fits to the grain size data set and quantify its dependency on diameter and rotation period. We find that the preferred model indicates that asteroid grain sizes are inversely dependent on object size for <10 km asteroids and exhibit no relationship above this size cutoff. Rotation period and grain size show a positive relationship when the rotation period is greater than ∼5 hr and an inverse relationship below this rotation period. These results indicate that both impact weathering and thermal fatigue are relevant regolith evolution mechanisms. We run post-hoc t-tests between spectral groups to infer the influence of composition on regolith grain sizes. We find that M-type (including suspected metal-rich objects) and E-type asteroids have larger grain sizes relative to our population sample and that P-type asteroids have distinctly smaller grains than other groups.
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Shackelford, A., K. L. Donaldson Hanna, M. Horton, and D. Noce. "Morphological and Spectral Characterization of Lunar Regolith Breakdown due to Water Ice." Planetary Science Journal 5, no. 1 (January 1, 2024): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad0041.
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Abstract Remote sensing observations of the Moon suggest that the lunar polar regolith environment is affected by several natural processes that may cause the regolith in these regions to become more porous and fine particulate. One of these processes may be the mechanical breakdown of regolith particles through the interaction of water ice and regolith by frost wedging. We present morphological and spectral analyses of high-fidelity lunar regolith simulants LHS-1 (lunar highlands simulant-1) and LMS-1 (lunar mare simulant-1) that have been exposed to varying concentrations of water ice (1, 10, and 30 wt%) over extended periods of time (1, 3, and 6 months) to evaluate the extent at which lunar regolith may be weathered by ice-regolith interactions in the Moon’s polar regions. To characterize changes in regolith particle morphology, we explored grain size and shape parameters with the CILAS ExpertShape suite and characterized the abundance and evolution of clinging fines with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Reflectance spectra were taken from 1.0–22.5 μm (444.4–10,000 cm−1) to characterize any differences in spectral features that may occur as a result of regolith breakdown. Both the morphological and spectral investigations display trends that show simulant particle degradation as a function of composition, increasing water concentration, and freezing time. Our study demonstrates that the lunar regolith is susceptible to mechanical breakdown in the presence of water ice and that water ice is likely a contributor to the weathering environment within permanently shadowed regions on the lunar surface.
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Harris, Franklin, John Dobbs, David Atkins, James A. Ippolito, and Jane E. Stewart. "Soil fertility interactions with Sinorhizobium-legume symbiosis in a simulated Martian regolith; effects on nitrogen content and plant health." PLOS ONE 16, no. 9 (September 29, 2021): e0257053. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257053.
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Due to increasing population growth and declining arable land on Earth, astroagriculture will be vital to terraform Martian regolith for settlement. Nodulating plants and their N-fixing symbionts may play a role in increasing Martian soil fertility. On Earth, clover (Melilotus officinalis) forms a symbiotic relationship with the N-fixing bacteria Sinorhizobium meliloti; clover has been previously grown in simulated regolith yet without bacterial inoculation. In this study, we inoculated clover with S. meliloti grown in potting soil and regolith to test the hypothesis that plants grown in regolith can form the same symbiotic associations as in soils and to determine if greater plant biomass occurs in the presence of S. meliloti regardless of growth media. We also examined soil NH4 concentrations to evaluate soil augmentation properties of nodulating plants and symbionts. Greater biomass occurred in inoculated compared to uninoculated groups; the inoculated average biomass in potting mix and regolith (2.23 and 0.29 g, respectively) was greater than the uninoculated group (0.11 and 0.01 g, respectively). However, no significant differences existed in NH4 composition between potting mix and regolith simulant. Linear regression analysis results showed that: i) symbiotic plant-bacteria relationships differed between regolith and potting mix, with plant biomass positively correlated to regolith-bacteria interactions; and, ii) NH4 production was limited to plant uptake yet the relationships in regolith and potting mix were similar. It is promising that plant-legume symbiosis is a possibility for Martian soil colonization.
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Wamelink, G. W. W., J. Y. Frissel, W. H. J. Krijnen, and M. R. Verwoert. "Crop growth and viability of seeds on Mars and Moon soil simulants." Open Agriculture 4, no. 1 (October 2, 2019): 509–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/opag-2019-0051.
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AbstractIf humans are going to establish a base on the Moon or on Mars they will have to grow their own crops. An option is to use Lunar and Martian regolith. These regoliths are not available for plant growth experiments, therefore NASA has developed regolith simulants. The major goal of this project was to cultivate and harvest crops on these Mars and Moon simulants. The simulants were mixed with organic matter to mimic the addition of residues from earlier harvests. Ten different crops, garden cress, rocket, tomato, radish, rye, quinoa, spinach, chives, pea and leek were sown in random lines in trays. Nine of the ten species grew well with the exception of spinach. It was possible to harvest edible parts for nine out of ten crops. The total biomass production per tray was highest for the Earth control and Mars soil simulant and differed significantly from Moon soil simulant. The seeds produced by three species were tested for germination (radish, rye and cress). The germination on Moon soil simulant was significantly lower in radish than for the Earth control soil.
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Shumway, Andrew O., David C. Catling, and Jonathan D. Toner. "Regolith Inhibits Salt and Ice Crystallization in Mg(ClO4)2 Brine, Implying More Persistent and Potentially Habitable Brines on Mars." Planetary Science Journal 4, no. 8 (August 1, 2023): 143. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/psj/ace891.
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Abstract On Mars, liquid water may form in regolith when perchlorate salts absorb water vapor and dissolve into brine, or when ice-salt mixtures reach their melting temperature and thaw. Brines created in this way can chemically react with minerals, alter the mechanical properties of regolith, mobilize salts in the soil, and potentially create habitable environments. Although Martian brines would exist in contact with regolith, few studies have investigated how regolith alters the formation and stability of brines at Mars-relevant conditions. To fill this gap, we studied magnesium perchlorate brine in a Martian regolith simulant at salt concentrations up to 5.8 wt.%. We measured the water mass fraction and water activity between 3 and 98% relative humidity at 25 °C using the isopiestic method, and monitored salt and ice crystallization between −150 °C and 20 °C with differential scanning calorimetry. Results show that regolith inhibits salt and ice crystallization, allowing water to form and persist at much colder and drier conditions than pure brine. Remarkably, in several samples, neither salt nor ice crystallized at any conditions. These results suggest that brines could exist in regolith for longer periods of the Martian year than previously thought, and could persist indefinitely under certain conditions. By retaining water, inhibiting salt and ice crystallization, and maintaining habitable water activity, briny regolith may be a more favorable environment for life than pure brine alone. These findings indicate the critical importance of brine–regolith interactions for understanding the properties, evolution, and potential habitability of Mars’s surface.
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Yu, Kevin, Ike Chi, William C. West, Lorlyn P. Reidy, and Katherine T. Faber. "(Invited) Zirconia-Based Hollow Anode Development for Molten Regolith Electrolysis." ECS Meeting Abstracts MA2023-01, no. 56 (August 28, 2023): 2743. http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/ma2023-01562743mtgabs.
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Molten regolith electrolysis (MRE) is a promising in-situ resource utilization technique for producing oxygen and molten metal alloys from lunar regolith. However, MRE requires operating temperatures at or above 1600°C to melt lunar regolith and dissociate the molten oxides to enable electrolysis. Anode degradation in this corrosive and oxidizing environment is a major concern for long-term operation on the lunar surface and can be mitigated by a novel hollow anode design with a solid electrolyte shell and porous metallic core as proposed here. The metallic anode will be shielded from the regolith melt by an oxygen ion-conducting zirconia-based ceramic, allowing electron transfer to occur in the interior of the shell. Additionally, bubble formation at a traditional anode surface is avoided, thereby eliminating the concerns of molten regolith splatter and increased ohmic resistance. This work focuses on corrosion studies of dense stabilized zirconia in contact with molten lunar mare and highlands regolith simulants at 1600°C to support hollow anode development. The interactions between zirconia and molten regolith are characterized using SEM/EDS, with an emphasis on elemental analysis to assess reactivity and degradation of zirconia.
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Johnson, Stewart W., and Koon Meng Chua. "Properties and Mechanics of the Lunar Regolith." Applied Mechanics Reviews 46, no. 6 (June 1, 1993): 285–300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.3120358.
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Knowledge of the lunar regolith is essential to success in lunar missions whether crewed or robotic. The regolith is the loose material overlying more intact strata on the Moon. It varies in thickness from several meters on the maria or lunar seas to many meters on the highlands of the Moon. The regolith is the material humans walked and drove on from 1969 to 1972. In the future, people will use it for radiation protection and as a resource for recovery of oxygen, silicon, iron, aluminum, and titanium. Implanted in the regolith by the solar wind are recoverable amounts of volatiles such as hydrogen and helium. Increasing our knowledge of the mechanical properties of the regolith will enable constructors of the 21st Century to build habitats, do mining, establish manufacturing, and erect telescopes on the Moon. We already know much of the regolith from robotic and astronaut missions to the Moon. There is much more to be learned.
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Oze, Christopher, Joshua Beisel, Edward Dabsys, Jacqueline Dall, Gretchen North, Allan Scott, Alandra Marie Lopez, Randall Holmes, and Scott Fendorf. "Perchlorate and Agriculture on Mars." Soil Systems 5, no. 3 (June 24, 2021): 37. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems5030037.
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Perchlorate (ClO4−) is globally enriched in Martian regolith at levels commonly toxic to plants. Consequently, perchlorate in Martian regolith presents an obstacle to developing agriculture on Mars. Here, we assess the effect of perchlorate at different concentrations on plant growth and germination, as well as metal release in a simulated Gusev Crater regolith and generic potting soil. The presence of perchlorate was uniformly detrimental to plant growth regardless of growing medium. Plants in potting soil were able to germinate in 1 wt.% perchlorate; however, these plants showed restricted growth and decreased leaf area and biomass. Some plants were able to germinate in regolith simulant without perchlorate; however, they showed reduced growth. In Martian regolith simulant, the presence of perchlorate prevented germination across all plant treatments. Soil column flow-through experiments of perchlorate-containing Martian regolith simulant and potting soil were unable to completely remove perchlorate despite its high solubility. Additionally, perchlorate present in the simulant increased metal/phosphorous release, which may also affect plant growth and biochemistry. Our results support that perchlorate may modify metal availability to such an extent that, even with the successful removal of perchlorate, Martian regolith may continue to be toxic to plant life. Overall, our study demonstrates that the presence of perchlorate in Martian regolith provides a significant challenge in its use as an agricultural substrate and that further steps, such as restricted metal availability and nutrient enrichment, are necessary to make it a viable growing substrate.
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Ott, Richard F., Sean F. Gallen, and Darryl E. Granger. "Cosmogenic nuclide weathering biases: corrections and potential for denudation and weathering rate measurements." Geochronology 4, no. 2 (July 6, 2022): 455–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-455-2022.
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Abstract. Cosmogenic radionuclides (CRNs) are the standard tool to derive centennial-to-millennial timescale denudation rates; however, it has been demonstrated that chemical weathering in some settings can bias CRNs as a proxy for landscape denudation. Currently, studies investigating CRN weathering biases have mostly focused on the largely insoluble target mineral quartz in felsic lithologies. Here, we examine the response of CRN build-up for both soluble and insoluble target minerals under different weathering scenarios. We assume a simple box model in which bedrock is converted to a well-mixed regolith at a constant rate, and denudation occurs by regolith erosion and weathering either in the regolith or along the regolith–bedrock interface, as is common in carbonate bedrock. We show that weathering along the regolith–bedrock interface increases CRN concentrations compared to a no-weathering case and how independently derived weathering rates or degrees can be used to correct for this bias. If weathering is concentrated within the regolith, insoluble target minerals will have a longer regolith residence time and higher nuclide concentration than soluble target minerals. This bias can be identified and corrected using paired-nuclide measurements of minerals with different solubility coupled with knowledge of either the bedrock or regolith mineralogy to derive denudation and long-term weathering rates. Similarly, single-nuclide measurements on soluble or insoluble minerals can be corrected to determine denudation rates if a weathering rate and compositional data are available. Our model highlights that for soluble target minerals, the relationship between nuclide accumulation and denudation is not monotonic. We use this understanding to map the conditions of regolith mass, weathering, and denudation rates at which weathering corrections for cosmogenic nuclides become large and ambiguous, as well as identify environments in which the bias is mostly negligible and CRN concentrations reliably reflect landscape denudation. We highlight how measurements of CRNs from soluble target minerals, coupled with bedrock and regolith mineralogy, can help to expand the range of landscapes for which centennial-to-millennial timescale denudation and weathering rates can be obtained.
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Ding, Chunyu, Yan Su, Shuguo Xing, Shun Dai, Yuan Xiao, Jianqing Feng, Danqing Liu, and Chunlai Li. "Numerical Simulations of the Lunar Penetrating Radar and Investigations of the Geological Structures of the Lunar Regolith Layer at the Chang’E 3 Landing Site." International Journal of Antennas and Propagation 2017 (2017): 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/3013249.
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In the process of lunar exploration, and specifically when studying lunar surface structure and thickness, the established lunar regolith model is usually a uniform and ideal structural model, which is not well-suited to describe the real structure of the lunar regolith layer. The present study aims to explain the geological structural information contained in the channel 2 LPR (lunar penetrating radar) data. In this paper, the random medium theory and Apollo drilling core data are used to construct a modeling method based on discrete heterogeneous random media, and the simulation data are processed and collected by the electromagnetic numerical method FDTD (finite-difference time domain). When comparing the LPR data with the simulated data, the heterogeneous random medium model is more consistent with the actual distribution of the media in the lunar regolith layer. It is indicated that the interior structure of the lunar regolith layer at the landing site is not a pure lunar regolith medium but rather a regolith-rock mixture, with rocks of different sizes and shapes. Finally, several reasons are given to explain the formation of the geological structures of the lunar regolith layer at the Chang’E 3 landing site, as well as the possible geological stratification structure.
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Caruso, Alicia S., Kenneth D. Clarke, Caroline J. Tiddy, Steven Delean, and Megan M. Lewis. "Objective Regolith-Landform Mapping in a Regolith Dominated Terrain to Inform Mineral Exploration." Geosciences 8, no. 9 (August 24, 2018): 318. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8090318.
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An objective method for generating statistically sound objective regolith-landform maps using widely accessible digital topographic and geophysical data without requiring specific regional knowledge is demonstrated and has application as a first pass tool for mineral exploration in regolith dominated terrains. This method differs from traditional regolith-landform mapping methods in that it is not subject to interpretation and bias of the mapper. This study was undertaken in a location where mineral exploration has occurred for over 20 years and traditional regolith mapping had recently been completed using a standardized subjective methodology. An unsupervised classification was performed using a Digital Elevation Model, Topographic Position Index, and airborne gamma-ray radiometrics as data inputs resulting in 30 classes that were clustered to eight groups representing regolith types. The association between objective and traditional mapping classes was tested using the ‘Mapcurves’ algorithm to determine the ‘Goodness-of-Fit’, resulting in a mean score of 26.4% between methods. This Goodness-of-Fit indicates that this objective map may be used for initial mineral exploration in regolith dominated terrains.
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Ding, Chunyu, Yan Su, Zhonghan Lei, Zongyu Zhang, Mi Song, Yuanzhou Liu, Ruigang Wang, Qingquan Li, Chunlai Li, and Shaopeng Huang. "Electromagnetic Signal Attenuation Characteristics in the Lunar Regolith Observed by the Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar (LRPR) Onboard the Chang’E-5 Lander." Remote Sensing 14, no. 20 (October 17, 2022): 5189. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs14205189.
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The Chinese Chang’E-5 probe landed in the Mons Rümker of Oceanus Procellarum on the near side of the Moon. The lunar regolith penetrating radar (LRPR) carried by the Chang’E-5 probe allows for the determination of in situ lunar regolith dielectric properties, which are probably related to the age and chemical composition of the regolith. In this paper, we analyze the Chang’E-5 LRPR data with the frequency shift method to estimate the loss tangent of the lunar regolith within a depth of ∼2.8 m. The loss tangent of the Chang’E-5 landing site is constrained to be 0.0148 ± 0.0016, which is substantially higher than that of the typical lunar regolith. The high loss tangent is found to be characteristic of the young basalt age (∼2.0 Ga) and high TiO2+FeO content (28.21 ± 1.57%) of the Chang’E-5 landing site. Integrated analysis of results from Chang’E-3, Chang’E-4, and Chang’E-5 show that the younger is the geologic age of the mare unit, the greater is the loss tangent of the lunar regolith, and the weaker is the radar electromagnetic signal penetrating ability.
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Hu, Bin, Deli Wang, Ling Zhang, and Zhaofa Zeng. "Structural Analysis of Lunar Regolith from LPR CH-2 Data Based on Adaptive f-x E MD: LPR Data Processed by Adaptive f-x EMD." Advances in Astronomy 2019 (July 1, 2019): 1–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/1528410.
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The Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) is one of the important scientific payloads in China’s Chang’E-3 (CE-3) to image within 100 m below the lunar surface. The acquired LPR data is significant for the research of lunar geological structure. Based on the sedimentary mechanism of lunar regolith, the regolith contains many rocks with different sizes. These local anomalies appear as diffraction in LPR data, which reduces the data quality and limits the structural analysis of lunar regolith. According to the kinematics characteristics of rock caused diffraction, we transform these problems to a problem of steep dip decreasing. To reach this goal, we adopt a data preprocessing workflow to improve the quality of the radar image, firstly. Then, a dip filter based on adaptive f-x empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is proposed to extract the rocks in the regolith and the corresponding removed IMF map indicates the degree of rock enrichment and highlights regolith-basement interface. Both simulation and LPR CH-2 data present a great performance. Finally, according to the processed result, we locate the position of each rock and highlight the contact interface of regolith and the basement rock.
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Brantley, Susan L. "Rock to regolith." Nature Geoscience 3, no. 5 (May 2010): 305–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo858.
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Birkeland, Peter W. "Whole regolith pedology." Geoderma 67, no. 3-4 (August 1995): 277–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0016-7061(95)90007-1.
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Zbik, Marek S., Yen-Fang Song, Chun-Chieh Wang, and Ray L. Frost. "Discovery of Discrete Structured Bubbles within Lunar Regolith Impact Glasses." ISRN Astronomy and Astrophysics 2012 (January 26, 2012): 1–3. http://dx.doi.org/10.5402/2012/506187.
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The unusual morphology and internal structure of bubbles within lunar regolith impact glasses have been studied using traditional scanning electron microscopy and the novel technique transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM), with 3D tomography reconstruction. Here, we show the previously unknown phenomenon of building a highly porous cellular structure within bubbles in glassy particles of the dust fraction of lunar regolith. Vesicles within studied lunar glasses are filled in with submicron-sized particles as shown in the presented micrograph. These particles consist of glass nano in size elements. What is shown in the TXM tomography reconstruction anaglyph demonstrates cellular-like, 3D structure where oblique probably glassy fine particles down to 100 nm in diameter build chains of sophisticated network. It also may be suggested that submicron and nano-sized grains present in lunar regolith are the result of particle liberation from broken glassy vesicles. This liberation takes place when regolith is exposed to constant impact pulverisation. Liberated particles are permanently enriching lunar soil in the finest soil constituent. This constituent presence in lunar regolith may be responsible for the unusual behaviour of lunar material. This unusual constituent of lunar regolith and its properties have to be better understood before our permanent lunar exploration begins.
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Zhang, Ling, Zhaofa Zeng, Jing Li, Ling Huang, Zhijun Huo, KunWang, and Jianmin Zhang. "Parameter Estimation of Lunar Regolith from Lunar Penetrating Radar Data." Sensors 18, no. 9 (September 1, 2018): 2907. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s18092907.
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Parameter estimation of the lunar regolith not only provides important information about the composition but is also critical to quantifying potential resources for lunar exploration and engineering for human outposts. The Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard China’s Chang’E-3 (CE-3) provides a unique opportunity for mapping the near-surface stratigraphic structure and estimating the parameters of the regolith. In this paper, the electrical parameters and the iron-titanium content of regolith are estimated based on the two sets of LPR data. Firstly, it is theoretically verified that the relative dielectric constant can be estimated according to the difference of the reflected time of two receivers from a same target. Secondly, in order to verify the method, a parameter estimation flow is designed. Subsequently, a simple model and a complex model of regolith are carried out for the method verification. Finally, on the basis of the two sets of LPR data, the electrical parameters and the iron-titanium content of regolith are estimated. The relative dielectric constant of regolith at CE-3 landing site is 3.0537 and the content of TiO2 and FeO is 14.0127%. This helps us predict the reserves of resources at the CE-3 landing site and even in the entire Mare Imbrium.
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Hu, Bin, Deli Wang, Ling Zhang, and Zhaofa Zeng. "Rock Location and Quantitative Analysis of Regolith at the Chang’e 3 Landing Site Based on Local Similarity Constraint." Remote Sensing 11, no. 5 (March 5, 2019): 530. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs11050530.
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Structural analysis of lunar regolith not only provides important information about lunar geology but also provides a reference for future lunar sample return missions. The Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard China’s Chang’E-3 (CE-3) provides a unique opportunity for mapping the subsurface structure and the near-surface stratigraphic structure of the regolith. The problem of rock positioning and regolith-basement interface highlighting is meaningful. In this paper, we propose an adaptive rock extraction method based on local similarity constraints to achieve the rock location and quantitative analysis for regolith. Firstly, a processing pipeline is designed to image the LPR CH-2 A and B data. Secondly, we adopt an f-x EMD (empirical mode decomposition)-based dip filter to extract low-wavenumber components in the two data. Then, we calculate the local similarity spectrum between the filtered CH-2 A and B. After a soft threshold function, we pick the local maximums in the spectrum as the location of each rock. Finally, according to the extracted result, on the one hand, the depth of regolith is obtained, and on the other hand, the distribution information of the rocks in regolith, which changes with the path and the depth, is also revealed.
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Bremer, Hanna. "Translocation in regolith: processes and forms." Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues 54, no. 1 (May 1, 2010): 66–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/zfg_suppl/54/2010/66.
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Feng, Jianqing, Matthew A. Siegler, and Mackenzie N. White. "Shallow Regolith Structure and Obstructions Detected by Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar at Chang’E-5 Drilling Site." Remote Sensing 14, no. 14 (July 13, 2022): 3378. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs14143378.
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This work analyzes the observations from the Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar (LRPR) onboard Chang’E-5 to reconstruct the subsurface structure of the regolith under the lander at the drilling site. This is the first stationary Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) array to operate on the Moon. Imaging results of pre-drilling and post-drilling measurements show that the thickness of local regolith is larger than 2 m. Within the LRPR’s detection range, we do not find any continuous layer. Instead, irregular, high-density zones are identified in the regolith. Two of these zones are on the drilling trajectory at ~30 cm and ~70 cm, consistent with the recorded drilling process. We speculate a rock fragment from the deeper, high-density zone obstructed the drill, which led to an early termination of the drilling. Based on our interpretation of subsurface structure, we modeled the LRPR echoes using a finite-difference time-domain method. The same imaging algorithm was also applied to the simulation data. The modeled data verify our inference of the regolith structure under the lander.
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Wang, Ruigang, Yan Su, Chunyu Ding, Shun Dai, Chendi Liu, Zongyu Zhang, Tiansheng Hong, Qing Zhang, and Chunlai Li. "A Novel Approach for Permittivity Estimation of Lunar Regolith Using the Lunar Penetrating Radar Onboard Chang’E-4 Rover." Remote Sensing 13, no. 18 (September 15, 2021): 3679. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs13183679.
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Accurate relative permittivity is essential to the further analysis of lunar regolith. The traditional hyperbola fitting method for the relative permittivity estimation using the lunar penetrating radar generally ignored the effect of the position and geometry of antennas. This paper proposed a new approach considering the antenna mounting height and spacing in more detail. The proposed method is verified by numerical simulations of the regolith models. Hence the relative permittivity of the lunar regolith is calculated using the latest high-frequency radar image obtained by the Yutu-2 rover within the first 24 lunar days. The simulation results show that the relative permittivity is underestimated when derived by the traditional method, especially at the shallow depth. The proposed method has improved the accuracy of the estimated lunar regolith relative permittivity at a depth of 0–3 m, 3–6 m, and 6–10 m by 35%, 14%, and 9%, respectively. The thickness of the lunar regolith at the Chang’E 4 landing site is reappraised to be 11.1 m, which improved by ~8% compared with previous studies.
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Kim, M.-H. Y., S. A. Thibeault, J. W. Wilson, L. C. Simonsen, L. Heilbronn, K. Chang, R. L. Kiefer, J. A. Weakley, and H. G. Maahs. "Development and Testing of in situ Materials for Human Exploration of Mars." High Performance Polymers 12, no. 1 (March 2000): 13–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0954-0083/12/1/302.
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Interplanetary space radiation poses a serious health hazard in long-term manned space missions. Natural Martian surface materials are evaluated for their potential use as radiation shields for manned Mars missions. The modified radiation fluences behind various kinds of Martian rocks and regolith are determined by solving the Boltzmann equation using NASA Langley’s HZETRN code along with the 1977 Solar Minimum galactic cosmic ray environmental model. To make structural shielding composite materials from constituents of the Martian atmosphere and from Martian regolith for Martian surface habitats, schemes for synthesizing polyimide from the Martian atmosphere and for processing Martian regolith/polyimide composites are proposed. Theoretical predictions of the shielding properties of these composites are computed to assess their shielding effectiveness. Adding high-performance polymer binders to Martian regolith to enhance the structural properties also enhances the shielding properties of these composites because of the added hydrogenous constituents. Laboratory testing of regolith simulant/polyimide composites is planned in order to validate this prediction and also to measure various structural properties.
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Sokołowska, Joanna J., Piotr Woyciechowski, and Maciej Kalinowski. "Rheological Properties of Lunar Mortars." Applied Sciences 11, no. 15 (July 28, 2021): 6961. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app11156961.
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NASA has revealed that they plan to resume manned missions and ensure the permanent presence of people in the so-called habitats on the Moon by 2024. Moon habitats are expected to be built using local resources—it is planned to use lunar regolith as aggregate in lunar concrete. Lunar concrete design requires a new approach in terms of both the production technology and the operating conditions significantly different from the Earth. Considering that more and more often it is assumed that the water present on the Moon in the form of ice might be used to maintain the base, but also to construct the base structure, the authors decided to investigate slightly more traditional composites than the recently promoted sulfur and polymer composites thermally hardened and cured. Numerous compositions of cement “lunar micro-mortars” and “lunar mortars” were made and tested to study rheological properties, namely, the consistency, which largely depend on the morphology of the fine-grained filler, i.e., regolith. For obvious reasons, the lunar regolith simulant (LRS) was used in place of the original Moon regolith. The used LRS mapped the grain size distribution and morphology of the real lunar regolith. It was created for the purpose of studying the erosive effect of dusty regolith fractions on the moving parts of lunar landers and other mechanical equipment; therefore, it simulated well the behavior of regolith particles in relation to cement paste. The obtained results made it possible to develop preliminary compositions for “lunar mortars” (possible to apply in, e.g., 3D concrete printing) and to prepare, test, and evaluate mortar properties in comparison to traditional quartz mortars (under the conditions of the Earth laboratory).
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NOBLE, Sarah K., Lindsay P. KELLER, and Carlé M. PIETERS. "Evidence of space weathering in regolith breccias II: Asteroidal regolith breccias." Meteoritics & Planetary Science 45, no. 12 (December 2010): 2007–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01151.x.
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Noble, Sarah K., Lindsay P. Keller, and Carlé M. Pieters. "Evidence of space weathering in regolith breccias I: Lunar regolith breccias." Meteoritics & Planetary Science 40, no. 3 (March 2005): 397–408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00390.x.
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Gavrishin, A. I., and I. V. Ivanov. "FACTORS OF POTENTIAL HAZARD OF REGOLITH MICROELEMENT COMPOSITION TO THE HEALTH OF FUTURE SETTLERS ON THE MOON." Aerospace and Environmental Medicine 56, no. 1 (2022): 14–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.21687/0233-528x-2022-56-1-14-25.
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The paper gives quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the lunar soil microelements, and potential hazard to the health of future Moon settlers. Chemical composition of regoliths from 4 lunar regions was analyzed and compared to terrestrial soil clarkes. Object of the investigation was regolith samples obtained from the mare regions in the missions of Luna-16, -24 and Apollo-11, -12. It was found that concentrations of microelements Cr, Ni, Co, Be, Sc, Y, Au, Ag as well as the majority of lanthanides were much higher than in terrestrial soils. The direct contact with high concentration of these elements is likely to endanger the health of settlers on the Moon.
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Windisch, Lisa, Stefan Linke, Magnus Jütte, Julian Baasch, Arno Kwade, Enrico Stoll, and Carsten Schilde. "Geotechnical and Shear Behavior of Novel Lunar Regolith Simulants TUBS-M, TUBS-T, and TUBS-I." Materials 15, no. 23 (December 1, 2022): 8561. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma15238561.
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The return to the Moon is an important short-term goal of NASA and other international space agencies. To minimize mission risks, technologies, such as rovers or regolith processing systems, must be developed and tested on Earth using lunar regolith simulants that closely resemble the properties of real lunar soil. So far, no singular lunar simulant can cover the multitude of use cases that lunar regolith involves, and most available materials are poorly characterized. To overcome this major gap, a unique modular system for flexible adaptable novel lunar regolith simulants was developed and chemically characterized in earlier works. To supplement this, the present study provides comprehensive investigations regarding geotechnical properties of the three base regolith simulant systems: TUBS-M, TUBS-T, and TUBS-I. To evaluate the engineering and flow properties of these heterogeneous materials under various conditions, shear tests, particle size analyses, scanning electron microscope observations, and density investigations were conducted. It was shown that small grains <25 µm (lunar dust) are highly compressive and cohesive even at low external stress. They are particularly important as a large amount of fine dust is present in lunar regolith and simulants (x50 = 76.7 to 96.0 µm). Further, ring shear and densification tests revealed correlations with damage mechanisms caused by local stress peaks for grains in the mm range. In addition, an explanation for the occurrence of considerable differences in the literature-based data for particle sizes was established by comparing various measurement procedures. The present study shows detailed geotechnical investigations of novel lunar regolith simulants, which can be used for the development of equipment for future lunar exploration missions and in situ resource utilization under realistic conditions. The results also provide evidence about possible correlations and causes of known soil-induced mission risks that so far have mostly been described phenomenologically.
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Innes, J. L. "Textural properties of regoliths on vegetated steep slopes in upland regions, Scotland." Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 77, no. 3 (1986): 241–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0263593300010877.
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ABSTRACTThe textural properties of many sediments provide a good indication of their provenance, but surprisingly little information is available on the transitional stages between the breakdown of a rock and the incorporation of the material into a fluvial sediment. These transitional stages are important as certain fractions (particularly the finer ones) may be selectively removed. Regoliths developed on steep slopes represent an early stage in the debris cascade and they are here examined in detail to assess the role of parent lithology on the textural properties of the regolith. There are substantial variations between lithologies, although the majority of regoliths are dominated by coarser fractions and are poorly sorted. Most particle size distributions show some degree of fit to both log-normal probability distributions and Rosin distributions. Differences from these can be ascribed to the processes operating on steep slopes, particularly the influx of sand- and silt-sized material by colluvial processes and the removal of clay-sized material by leaching. The regoliths form a distinct facies type which may be recognisable in the geological record.
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Michel, Patrick, Marco Delbo, Guy Libourel, Clément Ganino, Chryst'le Verati, and Benjamin Rémy. "Temperature shocks at the origin of regolith on asteroids." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 10, H16 (August 2012): 162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921314005171.
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AbstractSpace-based and remote sensing observations reveal that regolith – a layer of loose unconsolidated material – is present on all asteroids, including very small, subkm-sized near- Earth asteroids (NEAs) such as (25143) Itokawa. Classically, regolith is believed to be produced by the ejecta of impact craters produced by small particles hitting asteroid surfaces. Such an explanation works for bodies whose gravity field is strong enough for substantial reaccretion of impact debris, but it fails to account for the ubiquitous presence of regolith also on small asteroids with weaker gravity. Several works have proposed that the thermal fatigue due to a huge number of day/night temperature cycles is a process that contributes to the formation of regolith on the Moon, Mercury, and on the NEA (433) Eros by fracturing boulders and rocks on their surfaces. However, this process lacks a demonstration: in order to study under which conditions rock cracking on NEAs occurs, we calculated typical temperature cycles for NEAs and we performed laboratory experiments of similar thermal cycling on meteorites taken as analogue of asteroid surface material. We will present results of these experiments and discuss their implications regarding regolith formation on asteroids.
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Anan’ev, Pavel, Anna Plotnikova, Alexandr Timofeev, Roman Mesсheryakov, and Konstantin Belyakov. "Problems of robotic systems testing for moving on space objects." Robotics and Technical Cybernetics 9, no. 3 (September 30, 2021): 180–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.31776/rtcj.9303.
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The article discusses the issues of providing full-scale testing of machines and spacecraft. The authors consider the surface of a cosmic body and propose the creation of an analogue of the regolith of the Moon and Mars. It is noted that it is necessary to observe not only the physicochemical and granulometric composition of the analogue, but also its electromagnetic charge, which will allow testing robotic systems more fully. Conclusions and description of the process of regolith creation and its properties are given. Key words Robotic system, space, regolith, electromagnetic properties, physical modeling.
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Li, Han, Wei Zhao, Xinhui Wu, Hong Tang, Qiushi Li, Jing Tan, and Gong Wang. "3D Printing and Solvent Dissolution Recycling of Polylactide–Lunar Regolith Composites by Material Extrusion Approach." Polymers 12, no. 8 (July 31, 2020): 1724. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym12081724.
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The in situ resource utilization of lunar regolith is of great significance for the development of planetary materials science and space manufacturing. The material extrusion deposition approach provides an advanced method for fabricating polylactide/lunar regolith simulant (PLA/CLRS-1) components. This work aims to fabricate 3D printed PLA–lunar regolith simulant (5 and 10 wt.%) components using the material extrusion 3D printing approach, and realize their solvent dissolution recycling process. The influence of the lunar regolith simulant on the mechanical and thermal properties of the 3D printed PLA/CLRS-1 composites is systematically studied. The microstructure of 3D printed PLA/CLRS-1 parts was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) analysis. The results showed that the lunar regolith simulant can be fabricated and combined with a PLA matrix utilizing a 3D printing process, only slightly influencing the mechanical performance of printed specimens. Moreover, the crystallization process of PLA is obviously accelerated by the addition of CLRS-1 because of heterogeneous nucleation. Additionally, by using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) characterization, it is found that the 3D printing and recycling processes have a negligible influence on the chemical structure and molecular weight of the PLA/CLRS-1 composites. As a breakthrough, we successfully utilize the lunar regolith simulant to print components with satisfactory mechanical properties and confirm the feasibility of recycling and reusing 3D printed PLA/CLRS-1 components via the solvent dissolution recycling approach.
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Song, Hanjie, Chao Li, Jinhai Zhang, Xing Wu, Yang Liu, and Yongliao Zou. "Rock Location and Property Analysis of Lunar Regolith at Chang’E-4 Landing Site Based on Local Correlation and Semblance Analysis." Remote Sensing 13, no. 1 (December 24, 2020): 48. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs13010048.
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The Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard the Yutu-2 rover from China’s Chang’E-4 (CE-4) mission is used to probe the subsurface structure and the near-surface stratigraphic structure of the lunar regolith on the farside of the Moon. Structural analysis of regolith could provide abundant information on the formation and evolution of the Moon, in which the rock location and property analysis are the key procedures during the interpretation of LPR data. The subsurface velocity of electromagnetic waves is a vital parameter for stratigraphic division, rock location estimates, and calculating the rock properties in the interpretation of LPR data. In this paper, we propose a procedure that combines the regolith rock extraction technique based on local correlation between the two sets of LPR high-frequency channel data and the common offset semblance analysis to determine the velocity from LPR diffraction hyperbola. We consider the heterogeneity of the regolith and derive the relative permittivity distribution based on the rock extraction and semblance analysis. The numerical simulation results show that the procedure is able to obtain the high-precision position and properties of the rock. Furthermore, we apply this procedure to CE-4 LPR data and obtain preferable estimations of the rock locations and the properties of the lunar subsurface regolith.
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Akisheva, Yulia, and Yves Gourinat. "Utilisation of Moon Regolith for Radiation Protection and Thermal Insulation in Permanent Lunar Habitats." Applied Sciences 11, no. 9 (April 24, 2021): 3853. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app11093853.
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In the context of a sustainable long-term human presence on the Moon, solutions for habitat radiation and thermal protection with regolith are investigated. Regolith compression is studied to choose the optimal density-thickness combination in terms of radiation shielding and thermal insulation. The applied strategy is to protect the whole habitat from the hazards of galactic cosmic rays and design a dedicated shelter area for protection during solar particle events, which eventually may be a lava tube. Simulations using NASA’s OLTARIS tool show that the effective dose equivalent decreases significantly when a multilayer structure mainly constituted of regolith and other available materials is used instead of pure regolith. The computerised anatomical female model is considered here because future missions will be mixed crews, and, generally, more sex-specific data are required in the field of radiation protection and human spaceflight. This study shows that if reasonably achievable radioprotection conditions are met, mixed crews can stay safely on the lunar surface. Compressed regolith demonstrates a significant efficiency in thermal insulation, requiring little energy management to keep a comfortable temperature inside the habitat. For a more complete picture of the outpost, the radiation protection of lunar rovers and extravehicular mobility units is considered.
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Britt, Allison F., Raymond E. Smith, and David J. Gray. "Element mobilities and the Australian regolith - a mineral exploration perspective." Marine and Freshwater Research 52, no. 1 (2001): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf00054.
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Much of the Australian regolith ranges from Palaeogene to Late Cretaceous in age or even older, contrasting with the relatively young landscapes of the Northern Hemisphere. Hence, many imported geochemical exploration methods are unsuitable for Australian environments; this has led to successful homegrown innovation. Exploration geochemistry seeks to track geochemical anomalies arising from concealed ore deposits to their source. Much is known about element associations for different types of ore deposits and about observed patterns of dispersion. Element mobility in a range of Western Australian environments is discussed, drawing on field examples from the Mt Percy and Boddington gold mines and the Yandal greenstone belt, with reference to the effect of modern and past weathering regimes and the influence of groundwater on element mobility. Soil biota and vegetation affect Au mobility in the regolith, but specific processes, scale and environmental factors are unknown. Possible future synergies between biogeochemical or environmental research and regolith exploration geochemistry include determining the fundamental biogeochemical processes involved in the formation of geochemical anomalies as well as environmental concerns such as regolith aspects of land degradation. Exploration geochemists must study the work of biogeochemical and environmental researchers, and vice versa. There should also be collaborative research with regolith scientists and industry.