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| Ramps on the Moon | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ramps on the Moon |
| Caption | Artistic composite of lunar slope features |
| Location | Moon |
| Discovery | Observations by Lunar Orbiter program, Apollo program, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter |
| Type | Surface landform |
| Composition | Basaltic regolith, anorthosite |
Ramps on the Moon are linear or arcuate slope features observed on the Moon that resemble inclined pathways, terraces, or escarpments on crater walls, mare boundaries, and tectonic scarps. First noted in early photographic surveys by the Lunar Orbiter program and subsequently imaged by the Apollo program and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, these features have attracted study from teams at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the European Space Agency. Debate continues among researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Caltech, University of Arizona, University of Oxford, and Johns Hopkins University regarding their origin, morphology, and significance for future Artemis program sorties and robotic landers.
Ramps manifest as narrow, inclined strips on slopes within basins like Mare Imbrium, Mare Serenitatis, and around large craters such as Tycho (crater), Copernicus (crater), and Schrödinger (crater). They are documented in datasets from missions including Clementine (spacecraft), Kaguya (SELENE), Chang'e 3, and instruments like the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter and the Diviner (instrument). Researchers from Brown University, University of California, Berkeley, Purdue University, and Brown University have cataloged ramps alongside features like lobate scarps, rilles, and wrinkle ridges.
High-resolution imagery from LROC aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and stereoscopic mapping from Kaguya (SELENE) Terrain Camera show ramps with consistent slope angles and stratigraphic relationships to adjacent units mapped by teams at USGS and University of Hawaii. Spectral analyses from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper on Chandrayaan-1 and multispectral data from Diviner (instrument) correlate ramp surfaces with basaltic flows identified by researchers at Brown University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Topographic profiles derived from LOLA data processed by groups at Stanford University and University of Chicago reveal step-wise elevation changes comparable to terrestrial features studied at US Geological Survey field sites and by investigators at University of Cambridge.
Proposed origins include gravitational slumping related to impact cratering events examined by scientists at Lunar and Planetary Institute and Carnegie Institution for Science, progressive lava flow emplacement linked to volcanic models developed at California Institute of Technology and Arizona State University, or tectonic displacements associated with global contraction proposed by researchers at University of Texas at Austin and Johns Hopkins University. Alternative models invoke mass wasting seen in Grand Canyon analog studies by Smithsonian Institution researchers, seismic shaking from bombardment studied by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or shear failure comparable to mechanisms investigated at Geological Society of America meetings.
Ramps occur where mare basalts interface with highland anorthosite crust mapped in the lunar geological maps produced by USGS and described in syntheses by the Lunar and Planetary Institute. They are spatially associated with features cataloged by the International Astronomical Union nomenclature and often lie adjacent to mare wrinkle ridges analyzed by scientists at Cornell University. Mechanical models from Caltech and MIT simulate stress fields from thermal contraction, producing scarps and ramp-like offsets consistent with observations from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera teams and analysts at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Ramps have been targeted for study in mission planning by the Artemis program and concept studies at European Space Agency and Roscosmos. Remote sensing campaigns have been conducted by instruments on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Kaguya (SELENE), Chandrayaan-1, and Chang'e 2 with data archived at Planetary Data System repositories and analyzed by groups at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center, University of Colorado Boulder, and MIT. Proposals for in-situ exploration have come from teams at Carnegie Institution for Science, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and Purdue University to deploy instruments similar to those used on Apollo 15 and Apollo 17 geologic traverses.
Ramps influence site selection for landing campaigns by the Artemis program, Chang'e robotic missions, and proposed commercial missions by entities associated with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Intuitive Machines. They present both hazards and scientific opportunities for astronauts trained at Johnson Space Center and mission planners at European Space Agency and Roscosmos, informing rover traverse design similar to planning done for Mars Exploration Rover and Lunar Rover operations. Ramps may expose stratigraphy useful for sampling strategies advocated by the Planetary Science Decadal Survey and teams at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory focused on resource prospecting.
Media coverage and public discussion have sometimes equated ramps with artificial structures, prompting rebuttals from experts at Lunar and Planetary Institute, Smithsonian Institution, NASA, and research groups at Harvard University and Princeton University. Misinterpretations draw parallels to terrestrial infrastructure like roads or terraces studied by archaeologists at British Museum and University College London, but peer-reviewed analyses published by scientists at University of Arizona and Brown University emphasize natural geologic processes. Debates continue in symposia hosted by American Geophysical Union and Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Category:Lunar geology