A New Lunar Crustal Thickness Constrained by Converted Seismic Waves Detected Beneath the Apollo Seismic Network
Analysis of conversions between compressional and shear waves is a workhorse method for constraining crustal and lithospheric structure on Earth; yet, such converted waves have not been unequivocally identified in seismic data from the largest events on the Moon, due to the highly scattered waveforms of shallow seismic events. We reanalyze the polarization attributes of waveforms recorded by the Apollo seismic network to identify signals with rectilinear particle motion below 1 Hz, arising from conversions across the crust-mantle boundary. Delay times of these converted waves are then inverted to estimate crustal thickness and wave speeds beneath the seismometers. Combined with gravimetric modeling, these new crustal thickness tie-points yield an updated lunar crustal model with an average thickness of 29–47 km. The model provides critical context for future lunar exploration and geophysical studies, predicting a 15-36 km thick crust at Schrödinger basin and 29–52 km at potential Artemis III landing locations.
Session: Exploring Planetary Interiors and Seismology: Observations, Models, Experiments and Future Missions [Poster]
Type: Poster
Room: Exhibit Hall
Date: 4/17/2025
Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)
Presenting Author: Doyeon Kim
Student Presenter: No
Invited Presentation:
Poster Number: 103
Additional Authors
Doyeon Kim Presenting Author Corresponding Author doyeon.kim@imperial.ac.uk Imperial College London |
Vedran Lekic ved@umd.edu University of Maryland, College Park |
Mark Wieczorek mark.wieczorek@cnrs.fr Université Paris Cité |
Nicholas Schmerr nschmerr@umd.edu University of Maryland, College Park |
Gareth Collins g.collins@imperial.ac.uk Imperial College London |
Mark Panning mark.p.panning@jpl.nasa.gov NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
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A New Lunar Crustal Thickness Constrained by Converted Seismic Waves Detected Beneath the Apollo Seismic Network
Category
Exploring Planetary Interiors and Seismology: Observations, Models, Experiments and Future Missions
Description