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Scientists, at first, have completely mapped the surface of the Moon. The radiant geological map has been published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with NASA and the Planetary Lunar Institute.
Want an in-depth look at the 4.5 billion year history of Earth’s closest neighbor? Well the #USGS You’ve just released the most detailed geological map of the moon ever created. Start digging and see what you can discover. https://t.co/Tel2GgoIzo pic.twitter.com/2QFscMItUY
– USGS (@USGS) April 20, 2020
Described as the geological model of the lunar surface, the map is known as the “Unified Geological Map of the Moon”. Scientists created the digital map by combining data from six Apollo-era regional maps using geographic information system (GIS) software. But in addition to preserving these old data, the scientists also used new data.
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The map also combined data from the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), data on the north and south poles of the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), and data from the equatorial region of the JAXA SELENE / Kaguya lunar orbiter. In the end, scientists were able to come up with a unified description of stratigraphy (the study of rock layers) on the moon that solved problems that made previous maps inconsistent.
For the first time, all the geological features on the surface were constantly mapped, leading to a map consisting of 43 geological units across the lunar surface. The digital map has been released online and shows almost every detail of the moon’s geology with the help of a 1: 5,000,000 scale vivid color scheme. There is even an animated version of the map.
Study lead investigator Corey Fortezzo of the USGS explained: ” [the map] it provides vital information for new scientific studies by connecting exploration of specific sites on the moon with the rest of the lunar surface. “
SEE ALSO: NASA Releases First Geological Map of Saturn’s Lunar Titan
meMagician Credit: NASA / GSFC / USGS
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