Surface area modelling for the craters and ejecta produced during 4.1-3.8 Ga: implications for the Late Heavy Bombardment of the Moon
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Abstract
The lack of lunar sample rock ages before 4.2 Ga, found by some authors, was explained because of a more intense bombardment than the expected for that time. This hypothetical event was initially named the “Terminal Lunar Cataclysm” and later renamed as the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB). Over time, arguments and counterarguments have been given to support or not this hypothesis. In this work, a model was used to estimate the covered area by impact craters and their ejecta considering an exponentially declining impact rate for the period between 4.2 and 3.8 Ga without taking into account an LHB-type event. To estimate the area affected by the formation of an impact crater, we considered three scenarios in which the extent of the ejecta was 0.5 Rc, 1 Rc, and 1.5 Rc, where Rc is the radius of the crater. The area of the Moon's surface covered in each case was 83%, 95.7%, and 99.2%, respectively.This indicates that an LHB is not needed to explain the lack of lunar rocks with ages older than 4.2 Ga. Even though these results are not enough, by themselves, to refute the LHB, they can contribute to the discussion around it.
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