162-6 A Regional Geologic Map of the Marius Hills Pit
Session: Planetary Geologic Mapping Across the Solar System
Presenting Author:
Erin LeonardAuthors:
Leonard, Erin J.1, Scully, Jennifer E. C.2, Elder, Catherine3, Fraeman, Abigail4, Kerber, Laura5(1) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, (2) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, (3) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, (4) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, (5) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA,
Abstract:
The Marius Hills region on the Moon is located near the center of Oceanus Procellarum and primarily west-northwest of Marius Crater. The region consists of a series of isolated and clusters of hills, and a major ridge system running approximately north-south stretching for >1000 km. The Marius Hills pit was the first lunar pit discovered and is hypothesized to be an opening into a lava tube, making it a site of particular interest for future robotic and human exploration. While there have been several studies of the Marius Hills region as a whole, a regional geologic map of the Marius Hills specifically centered on the pit area is needed to provide geologic context for any future exploration. We defined the map region as a 1-degree square, designed to have the Marius Hills pit near the center and extend to contain prominent nearby domes and part of the ridge system. The geologic map is at a scale of 1:100,000 with a digital mapping scale of 1:25,000. Vertex spacing is 20 meters. The minimum size of a unit is ~1 km and the minimum point or linear feature is ~250 m in width. Geologic units are identified using the LROC NAC images and Digital Terrain Model (DTM), LOLA-SELENE DTM, and Clementine UVVIS Hybrid mosaic datasets. The pit is located within a rille, near a sharp ~90-degree bend in the rille. To date, we have identified several geologic units in this region, including dome material, smooth plains material, crater ejecta material, and rille wall material. Additionally, we have identified linear features including rille wall, inferred rille wall, trough, and ridge crest. With the completion of the geologic map, we will construct a geologic history of the region and place the Marius Hills pit in geologic context.
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025
doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-9461
© Copyright 2025 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved.
A Regional Geologic Map of the Marius Hills Pit
Category
Topical Sessions
Description
Session Format: Oral
Presentation Date: 10/21/2025
Presentation Start Time: 09:35 AM
Presentation Room: HBGCC, 214B
Back to Session