Physical and Chemical Evolution of Lunar Mare Regolith

The lunar landscape evolves both physically and chemically over time due to impact cratering and energetic processes collectively known as space weathering. Despite returned soil samples and global remote sensing reflectance measurements, the rate of space weathering in the lunar regolith is not well understood. To address this, we developed a novel three-dimensional landscape evolution model to simulate the physical processes that control the burial, excavation, and transport of regolith on airless bodies. Applying this model to the lunar mare, we find that over billions of years of surface evolution, material typically spends only a few million years on the surface where it is exposed to the effects of space weathering. The small surface residence times are a result of vigorous mixing by small-scale impacts, predominantly driven by secondary crater formation. We deduce the rate of space weathering by comparing our modeled distribution of surface residence times on the lunar mare to measurements of space weathering maturity from Apollo soil samples and orbital surface reflectance datasets. These chemical constraints indicate that soil on the lunar mare reaches maturity in 7 Myr of cumulative surface exposure though due to uncertainties in the rate of small secondary crater production, this timescale could be 2-3 times higher. Weathering progresses more rapidly upon initial exposure to space but the surface residence time required to achieve maturity is realized over billions of years as regolith is repeatedly buried and exposed by small impacts.

Automated summary

A novel three-dimensional landscape model was developed to study the space weathering processes of lunar regolith, revealing that materials typically spend only a few million years on the lunar surface due to vigorous mixing by small-scale impacts. By comparing modeled surface residence times with measurements of space weathering maturity, the rate of space weathering and the timescale for regolith to reach maturity on the lunar mare were estimated.