Global Regolith Thermophysical Properties of the Moon From the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment

We used infrared data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment to globally map thermophysical properties of the Moon's regolith fines layer. Thermal conductivity varies from 7.4 × 10−4 W m−1 K−1 at the surface to 3.4 × 10−3 W m−1 K−1 at depths of ~1 m, giv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geophysical research. Planets 2017-12, Vol.122 (12), p.2371-2400
Main Authors: Hayne, Paul O., Bandfield, Joshua L., Siegler, Matthew A., Vasavada, Ashwin R., Ghent, Rebecca R., Williams, Jean‐Pierre, Greenhagen, Benjamin T., Aharonson, Oded, Elder, Catherine M., Lucey, Paul G., Paige, David A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chronology
Dating techniques
Diviner
Ejecta
Ejection
Equator
Equatorial regions
Gardening
Heat transfer
impacts
Inertia
Infrared radiometers
lunar
Lunar regolith
Lunar spacecraft
Lunar surface
Meteorite craters
Meteorites
Moon
Physical properties
Planetary surfaces
Reconnaissance
Regolith
Scale height
Specific heat
Surface boundary layer
Temperature cycles
Temperature dependence
thermal
Thermal conductivity
Thermal inertia
Thermophysical properties
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Summary:We used infrared data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment to globally map thermophysical properties of the Moon's regolith fines layer. Thermal conductivity varies from 7.4 × 10−4 W m−1 K−1 at the surface to 3.4 × 10−3 W m−1 K−1 at depths of ~1 m, given density values of 1,100 kg m−3 at the surface to 1,800 kg m−3 at 1 m depth. On average, the scale height of these profiles is ~7 cm, corresponding to a thermal inertia of 55 ± 2 J m−2 K−1 s−1/2 at 273 K, relevant to the diurnally active near‐surface layer, ~4–7 cm. The temperature dependence of thermal conductivity and heat capacity leads to an ~2 times diurnal variation in thermal inertia at the equator. On global scales, the regolith fines are remarkably uniform, implying rapid homogenization by impact gardening of this layer on timescales
ISSN:2169-9097
2169-9100
DOI:10.1002/2017JE005387