Integrated Measurements and Analysis of Geophysics of Schrödinger (Images)

The Schrödinger impact basin, on the Lunar farside and within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) region, is the second youngest impact basin and the best-preserved peak-ring basin on the Moon. In 2024-2025, the Farside Seismic Suite (FSS) and Lunar Interior Temperature and Materials Suite (LITMS) will be deployed in the Schrödinger impact basin through Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) as part of the Artemis program to be delivered to the surface by Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). We synergistically target the Schrödinger impact basin for a detailed study of the surface and subsurface structure and geologic processes that formed and infilled the basin. Here, we present preliminary results from the IMAGES project to integrate new radar products and analysis of the Kaguya Lunar Radar Sounder (LRS) with data from the Kaguya Terrain Camera (TC), Moon Mineral Mapper (M3), Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Wide Angle Camera (WAC) and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), and GRAIL to explore geologic diversity, depositional processes, subsurface structure, and identify potential geohazards of the Schrödinger impact basin.

Goals of the IMAGES project are to: 1) investigate Schrödinger impact basin using radargrams, cluttergrams, and surface reflectometry of the Kaguya LRS data and integrate these with Kaguya TC, M3, LRO WAC and LOLA, and GRAIL data, 2) geologically interpret the merged surficial and subsurface data products including where possible mapping the buried extent of the peak ring and terrace zone, depth of impact or post-impact faulting, and thickness, stratigraphy and emplacement processes of impact or volcanic stratigraphic units, and 3) leverage the radiometric radar characterization of Schrödinger to lay the groundwork to undertake an absolute calibration of lunar radar using LITMS. In year 1, we have assembled and modified radargrams for the 117 LRS crossing of the impact basin ameliorating issues with navigation and data processing to generate a relatively uniform dataset. To assess out-of-plane reflections or clutter we have modeled these arrivals on cluttergrams using the LOLA topography in preparation for integrated mapping of subsurface reflectivity that avoids inadvertent mapping of these source of coherent noise. Surface reflectivity of the radar returns are additionally being analyzed including the application of the radar statistical reconnaissance method. Initial results are promising for the identification of thickness of some impact or post-impact volcanic units and use of reflectometry for additional geologic interpretation.