Thrust Fault (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Thrust Fault

Caption

Over recent geologic time, as the lunar interior cooled and contracted the entire moon shrank by about 100 m. As a result, its brittle crust ruptured and thrust faults (compression) formed distinctive landforms known as lobate scarps. In a particularly dramatic example, a thrust fault pushed crustal materials (arrows) up the side of the farside impact crater named Gregory (2.1°N, 128.1°E). By mapping the distribution and determining the size of all lobate scarps, the tectonic and thermal history of the moon can be reconstructed over the past billion years.

Credit

NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University/Smithsonian

Usage Restrictions

None

License

Licensed content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.