Investigation of the South Pole-Aitken basin region using GIS and SELENE elemental information

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we performed comparative analysis among strati-graphic information and the Kaguya (SELENE) GRS data of the ~2,500-km-diameter South Pole-Aitken basin and surroundings. Our results indicate that the crustal materials are average to slightly above average in K and Th with respect to the rest of the Moon. The heavily cratered high-lands represent ancient deep-seated crustal and possibly mantle igneous materials harvested in part from the giant South Pole-Aitken impact event, as well as subsequent impact cratering events up until the end of the Late Heavy Bombardment, which includes intensive impact-related mixing of ejecta materials and lava flows. The geologic history of the South Pole-Aitken basin is distinct from the Procellarum-Imbrium region. The former records mainly pre-Nectarian activity such as the giant impact with minor mare volcanism during the Upper Imbriam, whereas the latter was largely resurfaced by activity such as the Imbrium impact event and subse-quent emplacement of voluminous mare-forming lavas during the Lower Imbriam and Upper Imbriam, Eraatos-thenian, and Copernican, respectively. These distinct geologic histories bear on the mineralogic and elemental signatures. In addition, the localized mare lavas within the South Pole-Aitken basin, which have remained fol-lowing the end of the period of Late Heavy bombardment, are elementally distinct from older rock materials within the basin through this GIS-based comparative analysis among the stratigraphic and Kaguya GRS data.