The Rima Bode Region – Candidate for a Future Lunar Landing Site

Abstract

Much of our knowledge about the history and evolution of the Moon stems from orbital and laboratory analyses of volcanic materials. Pyroclastics are our best source of information about lunar mantle composition and mineralogy, P/T conditions, and volatiles in the interior. The volatiles in pyroclastic glasses are also relevant for in situ resource utilization (ISRU). Together with mare basalts that originate from comparatively shallower mantle sources, they provide complementary insights into the three-dimensional structure of the lunar interior. Other magmatic deposits bear clues to the crystallization of the magma ocean (e.g., Mg-suite rocks), relating to the formation and global distribution of KREEP. Ages of volcanic deposits, determined via crater sizefrequency distributions (CSFD) and/or radiometric and exposure ages, allow reconstruction of the thermal evolution of the Moon. Other important questions address the ascent and eruption of magmas and the dichotomy of volcanic deposits between the nearside and farside. Evidence for evolved magmas, i.e., domes and silicic pyroclastic deposits is also present on the Moon, providing added key information on the geochemical, mineralogical, and thermal evolution of the Moon.