Moon: near-infrared spectral reflectance, a first good look.

A positive identification of the minerals olivine, plagioclase, and several types of pyroxenes were made at several locations on the lunar surface by using remote measurements. For example, the crater Aristarchus is found to have an average pyroxene composition of augite, and plagioclase is obviously present. A dark mantle deposit in the crater J. Herschel is at least partly composed of a mixture of 70o7o olivine and 30o7o pyroxene. These determinations were possible because the reflectance spectra for 10-20 km diameter lunar areas have been measured for the first time in the IR spectral region (0.65-2.5/m) with sufficient spectral resolution and photometric precision to define mineral electronic absorption bands. The reflectance for all lunar regions observed (over 100 to present) continues to increase toward longer wavelengths to at least 2.5/m, and several mineral absorption bands appear. The telescopic spectra are of similar quality and contain features similar to laboratory spectra of lunar samples. The absorption features in several spectra have been quantitatively analyzed using newly developed computer processing techniques, including thermal flux removal and absorption band fitting, to produce these mineral identifications. Detection and quantitative analysis of these absorptions provide a much improved basis for remotely determining and mapping surface mineralogy quantitatively from the ground or using airborne or spacecraft platforms.

[1]  T. McCord,et al.  Vitrification darkening in the lunar highlands and identification of Descartes material at the Apollo 16 site , 1973 .

[2]  R. Singer.  Near-infrared spectral reflectance of mineral mixtures - Systematic combinations of pyroxenes, olivine, and iron oxides , 1981 .

[3]  Larry A. Lebofsky,et al.  Lunar spectral types. , 1971 .

[4]  R. Clark,et al.  The Galilean satellites: New near-infrared spectral reflectance measurements (0.65–2.5 μm) and a 0.325–5 μm summary , 1980 .

[5]  R. N. Clark,et al.  A LARGE-SCALE INTERACTIVE ONE-DIMENSIONAL ARRAY PROCESSING SYSTEM , 1980 .

[6]  T. McCord,et al.  Optical properties of mineral separates, glass, and anorthositic fragments from Apollo mare samples , 1971 .

[7]  T. McCord,et al.  Remote sensing of lunar surface mineralogy - Implications from visible and near-infrared reflectivity of Apollo 11 samples , 1970 .

[8]  John B. Adams,et al.  Visible and near‐infrared diffuse reflectance spectra of pyroxenes as applied to remote sensing of solid objects in the solar system , 1974 .

[9]  Roger N. Clark,et al.  Water frost and ice - The near-infrared spectral reflectance 0.65-2.5 microns. [observed on natural satellites and other solar system objects , 1981 .

[10]  J. B. Adams,et al.  Plagioclase feldspars - Visible and near infrared diffuse reflectance spectra as applied to remote sensing , 1978 .

[11]  Roger G. Burns,et al.  Crystal field spectra and evidence of cation ordering in olivine minerals , 1970 .

[12]  William K. Hartmann,et al.  Observations of the Moon and of the terrestrial rocks in the infrared , 1965 .

[13]  D. Cruikshank.  Moon: Infrared Studies of Surface Composition , 1969, Science.

[14]  Infrared Observations of the Moon , 1968 .

[15]  R. Clark,et al.  ATMOSPHERIC EXTINCTION 0.65 - 2.50 ΜM ABOVE MAUNA KEA. , 1979 .

[16]  R. G. J. Strens,et al.  Mineralogical Applications of Crystal Field Theory , 1973 .

[17]  H. Mao,et al.  Effects of compositional variation on absorption spectra of lunar pyroxenes , 1978 .

[18]  R. Clark,et al.  The Galilean satellites - New near-infrared spectral reflectance measurements /0.65-2.5 microns/ and a 0.325-5 micron summary , 1980 .

[19]  R. Clark,et al.  Mars - Near-infrared spectral reflectance and compositional implication , 1978 .

[20]  T. McCord,et al.  Electronic spectra of pyroxenes and interpretation of telescopic spectral reflectivity curves of the moon. , 1972 .

[21]  Roger N. Clark,et al.  The Mercury soil: Presence of Fe2+ , 1979 .

[22]  T. McCord.  Color differences on the lunar surface , 1969 .

[23]  R. Clark,et al.  Planetary reflectance measurements in the region of planetary thermal emission , 1979 .

[24]  Robert G. Tull,et al.  The reflectivity spectrum of Mars in the near-infrared☆ , 1966 .

[25]  Roger G. Burns,et al.  Mineralogical applications of crystal field theory , 1970 .

[26]  T. McCord,et al.  Characterization of lunar mare basalt types. I - A remote sensing study using reflection spectroscopy of surface soils , 1976 .

[27]  T V Johnson,et al.  Lunar Spectral Reflectivity (0.30 to 2.50 Microns) and Implications for Remote Mineralogical Analysis , 1970, Science.

[28]  Effects of overlapping optical absorption bands of pyroxene and glass on the reflectance spectra of lunar soils. , 1980 .

[29]  C. Pieters.  Mare basalt types on the front side of the moon - A summary of spectral reflectance data , 1978 .