Chinese scientists have completed a new geological map of the entire Moon, with a scale of 1:5,000,000. The map utilizes the latest findings from China's Chang'e lunar program and is intended to provide more accurate scientific support for future research and exploration of the Moon.
The project was led by the Geological Institute of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. The main map measures approximately 2.8 meters in length and 1.2 meters in height. It also includes detailed geological maps of the lunar north and south polar regions.
The updated map depicts more than 13,000 impact craters and 81 impact basins. It also distinguishes 14 types of geological structures and 17 types of rocks.
Based on the latest results of lunar research, including data from the Chang'e missions, the map features three major improvements. The first is a refinement of the Moon's geological timescale. According to current research, scientists have adjusted the age of the beginnings of the main geological periods. The beginning of the Aitken period is now set at 4.33 billion years, the Nectarian period at 4.17 billion years, and the Imbrian period at 3.92 billion years. The map also offers a more detailed global division of the late stratigraphy of the Moon for the first time.
The second improvement is an updated overview of lunar materials. Thanks to higher-resolution maps that show the distribution of key minerals, and thanks to revised rock classification standards, scientists have identified a previously unrecognized type of rock—gabbro-norite. This discovery was made in the South Pole-Aitken basin based on the latest findings from the Chang'e-4 and Chang'e-6 missions. According to scientists, this is a material that offers a direct view of the composition of the deeper layers of the Moon.
The third innovation is a mapping standard specifically created for the scale of 1:5,000,000. Researchers have established different minimum mapping units for various geological elements. This is intended to make the map clear while also preserving scientifically important details.
Yang Zhiming, director of the Geological Institute of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, stated that the updated geological map will provide important scientific support for the construction of a future Chinese lunar research station, the selection of landing sites on the Moon, and other missions into deep space.
He added that the new map represents China's latest contribution to understanding the evolution of the Solar System.
gnews.cz/CMG