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Impact Resurfacing of the Artemis Exploration Zone: Sample Locations for Primordial Crust and South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) Ejecta.

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Title: Impact Resurfacing of the Artemis Exploration Zone: Sample Locations for Primordial Crust and South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) Ejecta.
Authors: Frueh, T.1,2 (AUTHOR) tfrh@vols.utk.edu, Camon, A.3 (AUTHOR), Boyce, M.4 (AUTHOR), Halwa, S. L.5 (AUTHOR), Ligeza, G.6,7 (AUTHOR), Lemelin, M.3 (AUTHOR), Thomson, B. J.1 (AUTHOR), Kring, D. A.8,9 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets. Oct2025, Vol. 130 Issue 10, p1-28. 28p.
Subject Terms: Lunar south pole, Moon, Lunar craters, Lunar exploration, Lunar soil, Crust of the earth, Event stratigraphy
Abstract: Regolith samples from the lunar south pole are expected to contain material from the ancient lunar crust and potentially the uppermost mantle, excavated by the South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) impact. In this study, we aim to understand the impact resurfacing processes following the SPA impact and the subsequent redistribution of primordial crust and SPA‐derived mantle material within the initial Artemis exploration zone (AEZ). Our goal is to identify optimal sampling locations for these materials. To achieve this, we reconstruct the south pole stratigraphy by modeling the cumulative thickness of post‐SPA crater materials and estimating the present SPA ejecta thickness. By calculating crater excavation depths, we then infer which craters were excavated from what stratigraphic layer. We estimate a cumulative post‐SPA ejecta layer thickness of ∼190 m to ∼1.8 km across different locations. We infer that all craters >10 km in diameter within the AEZ have likely been excavated below the post‐SPA regolith layer. Based on surficial presence of anorthositic and mafic material, we postulate an SPA ejecta thickness in the AEZ of several hundred meters up to ∼10 km. The extent to which primordial crust and SPA‐derived mantle material have been excavated depends on the wide range of possible SPA ejecta thicknesses. Their surficial presence and sampling potential are influenced by the age of the excavating crater. By integrating the stratigraphic model with mineral maps, we identify promising sampling targets, including regolith with potentially concentrated SPA material in the ejecta blanket of Kocher and primordial crust in the ejecta blanket of Shackleton crater. Plain Language Summary: The lunar south polar region is ancient and densely cratered. It is situated on the rim of the South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) basin, the largest and oldest impact basin on the Moon. The formation of the SPA basin by a massive meteoroid impact may have excavated material from the upper lunar mantle. This material was emplaced as a thick layer of debris on top of the ancient lunar crust. Subsequent cratering events buried the region beneath newer layers of debris. This study investigates how ancient crustal materials and SPA ejecta were redistributed and where to sample these materials. To achieve this, we estimate the thickness of the SPA debris and the combined debris of later impacts. By calculating the depths from which craters excavated material, we determined which impacts likely exposed ancient crust or SPA material. Additionally, we analyzed the surface composition of the south polar region to identify areas with enhanced concentrations of ancient crustal or SPA‐derived material. The results indicate that the ejecta blanket of Kocher crater is the most promising location for sampling SPA materials. In contrast, we identify the ejecta blanket of the Shackleton crater as the best site to access samples of the Moon's primordial crust. Key Points: We reconstruct the lunar south pole stratigraphy, built of the ancient crust, ejecta from the SPA basin, and post‐SPA crater materialsPost‐SPA ejecta layers have a cumulative thickness of ∼190 m to ∼1.8 km and SPA ejecta of ∼100 m to 10 km, depending on the trajectoryConcentrated material from SPA is likely present near Kocher crater and primordial crust near Shackleton crater [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Impact Resurfacing of the Artemis Exploration Zone: Sample Locations for Primordial Crust and South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) Ejecta.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Frueh%2C+T%2E%22">Frueh, T.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> tfrh@vols.utk.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Camon%2C+A%2E%22">Camon, A.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Boyce%2C+M%2E%22">Boyce, M.</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Halwa%2C+S%2E+L%2E%22">Halwa, S. L.</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ligeza%2C+G%2E%22">Ligeza, G.</searchLink><relatesTo>6,7</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lemelin%2C+M%2E%22">Lemelin, M.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thomson%2C+B%2E+J%2E%22">Thomson, B. J.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kring%2C+D%2E+A%2E%22">Kring, D. A.</searchLink><relatesTo>8,9</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Geophysical+Research%2E+Planets%22">Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets</searchLink>. Oct2025, Vol. 130 Issue 10, p1-28. 28p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lunar+south+pole%22">Lunar south pole</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Moon%22">Moon</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lunar+craters%22">Lunar craters</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lunar+exploration%22">Lunar exploration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lunar+soil%22">Lunar soil</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Crust+of+the+earth%22">Crust of the earth</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Event+stratigraphy%22">Event stratigraphy</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Regolith samples from the lunar south pole are expected to contain material from the ancient lunar crust and potentially the uppermost mantle, excavated by the South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) impact. In this study, we aim to understand the impact resurfacing processes following the SPA impact and the subsequent redistribution of primordial crust and SPA‐derived mantle material within the initial Artemis exploration zone (AEZ). Our goal is to identify optimal sampling locations for these materials. To achieve this, we reconstruct the south pole stratigraphy by modeling the cumulative thickness of post‐SPA crater materials and estimating the present SPA ejecta thickness. By calculating crater excavation depths, we then infer which craters were excavated from what stratigraphic layer. We estimate a cumulative post‐SPA ejecta layer thickness of ∼190 m to ∼1.8 km across different locations. We infer that all craters >10 km in diameter within the AEZ have likely been excavated below the post‐SPA regolith layer. Based on surficial presence of anorthositic and mafic material, we postulate an SPA ejecta thickness in the AEZ of several hundred meters up to ∼10 km. The extent to which primordial crust and SPA‐derived mantle material have been excavated depends on the wide range of possible SPA ejecta thicknesses. Their surficial presence and sampling potential are influenced by the age of the excavating crater. By integrating the stratigraphic model with mineral maps, we identify promising sampling targets, including regolith with potentially concentrated SPA material in the ejecta blanket of Kocher and primordial crust in the ejecta blanket of Shackleton crater. Plain Language Summary: The lunar south polar region is ancient and densely cratered. It is situated on the rim of the South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) basin, the largest and oldest impact basin on the Moon. The formation of the SPA basin by a massive meteoroid impact may have excavated material from the upper lunar mantle. This material was emplaced as a thick layer of debris on top of the ancient lunar crust. Subsequent cratering events buried the region beneath newer layers of debris. This study investigates how ancient crustal materials and SPA ejecta were redistributed and where to sample these materials. To achieve this, we estimate the thickness of the SPA debris and the combined debris of later impacts. By calculating the depths from which craters excavated material, we determined which impacts likely exposed ancient crust or SPA material. Additionally, we analyzed the surface composition of the south polar region to identify areas with enhanced concentrations of ancient crustal or SPA‐derived material. The results indicate that the ejecta blanket of Kocher crater is the most promising location for sampling SPA materials. In contrast, we identify the ejecta blanket of the Shackleton crater as the best site to access samples of the Moon's primordial crust. Key Points: We reconstruct the lunar south pole stratigraphy, built of the ancient crust, ejecta from the SPA basin, and post‐SPA crater materialsPost‐SPA ejecta layers have a cumulative thickness of ∼190 m to ∼1.8 km and SPA ejecta of ∼100 m to 10 km, depending on the trajectoryConcentrated material from SPA is likely present near Kocher crater and primordial crust near Shackleton crater [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1029/2025JE009050
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 28
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Lunar south pole
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Moon
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Lunar craters
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Lunar exploration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Lunar soil
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Crust of the earth
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Event stratigraphy
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Impact Resurfacing of the Artemis Exploration Zone: Sample Locations for Primordial Crust and South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) Ejecta.
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              Text: Oct2025
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