Farouk El-Baz

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1972

Abstract

The panoramic and metric camera systems. which were flown for the first time on Apollo 1S. obtained a total of 4.140 photographs with a resolution of 1 3 m and 25 30 m respectively. Data dcrived from the metric camera system will allow mapping the overflown 12", of the lunar surface at 1:250.000 scale with 50 m contours: those of the panoramic camera will producc large scale maps (up to 110,000) with 5 10 m contours. The Hassetblad camera was also utilized to ohi uin oblique views with color filn. The combined data represent the most thorough photographic coverage of any Apollo mission to date Photogeologic interpretation of these data and corrclation with other remotely sensed data, both from earth and from lunar orbit. will allow extrapolation ol knowledge gained by surface exploration to large segments ol the moon. Several new leatures of probable volcanic origin were detected 1) dark-haloed cones in the Apollo Taurus-Littrow landing site, These "cinder cones" may have brought to the surface pyroclastic fragments deep within the moon in the post-mnare period of iunar surface history, (2) a D-shaped su ucture light-colored units and blister-like smooth doines in ItS foor. The structure is believed be young collapsed caldera ; (3) what appears to be a lava lake on the lunar farside with ""lava marks" and evidence of lava drainage into promineat fissures, (4) unusually largc (up to 40 km in diameter) domes near Rima Schroedinger 1 on the southern farside: and ($) numerous lava flows in western Mare Imbrium. some of which cross mare ricges. Other features on which new data landslides or rock avalanches onc and a smaller one (approximately in Mare Inginil. Mare Marginis, produced by alteration of the matcrials in albedo. observed for the first time bencath the LM. probably due to and astronaut foot tracks, probably due to destruckion were obtained inulude: l) two lineated units that are interpreted s on the northwestern Fim of Tsiblkovsky (anproximately So- longl. s km long) in the Taurus-Littrow site, (2) unusual light-colored swirk and Oceanus Procellaru These sinuous iarkings may hav heen ac the antipodal areas f mpact points. and man-caused hane from lunar orbit, which include: brightening of the surface area compaction during descent - and darkening of the areas around Rover of the fless than 1 mm) photometric layer.

Download

Share

COinS