Introduction
The Moon is the nearest celestial body to the Earth. As such, it has long been investigated to understand its formation and evolution, as a paradigm for better understanding the terrestrial planets, as well as all airless bodies in our solar system (e.g., Vesta, Phobos). The Moon’s proximity to the Earth—more than one hundred times closer than any planet — makes it a convenient target for exploration by spacecraft. Since the dawn of the space age in the previous century, we have explored the Moon with several spacecraft and even succeeded in sending astronauts there. One of the lessons of those explorations that hinders any future lunar expeditions is the severe conditions on the lunar surface. The lack of an atmosphere (10-12 torr) means that cosmic/galactic/solar rays, as well as the many micrometeorites directly striking the surface; in addition, surface temperatures vary widely, over a day-night range of more than 300 K.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ashley, J.W., Boyd, A.K., Hiesinger, H., Robinson, M.S., Tran, T., van der Bogert, C.H., Wagner, R.V., LROC Science Team: Lunar pits: Sublunarean voids and the nature of Mare emplacement. In: 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, #2771. Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, Houston (2011)
Banerdt, W.B., Golombek, M.P., Tanaka, K.L.: Stress and tectonics on Mars. In: Kieffer, H., Jakosky, B.M., Snyder, C.W., Matthews, M. (eds.) Mars, pp. 249–297. Univ of Arizona Press, Tuscon (1992)
Calvari, S., Pinkerton, H.: Lava tube morphology on Etna and evidence for lava flow emplacement mechanisms. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 90, 263–280 (1999)
Clark, R.N.: Detection of Adsorbed Water and Hydroxyl on the Moon. Science 326, 562–564 (2009)
Coombs, C.R., Hawke, B.R.: A search for intact lava tubes on the Moon Possible lunar base habitats. In: The Second Conference on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century l, pp. 219–229 (1992)
Cruikshank, D.P., Wood, C.A.: Lunar rilles and Hawaiian volcanic features; possible analogues. The Moon 3, 412–447 (1971)
Cushing, G.E., Titus, T.N., Wynne, J.J., Christensen, P.R.: THEMIS observes possible cave skylights on Mars. Geophys. Res. Let. 34, L17201 (2007)
Cushing, G.E.: Visible Evidence of Cave-Entrance Candidates in Martian Fresh-Looking Pit Craters. In: 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, #2494 Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, Houston (2011)
Denisov, A.N., Kuznetsov, N.V., Nymmik, R.A., Panasyuk, M.I., Sobolevskii, N.M.: On the problem of lunar radiation environment. Cosmic Research 48(6), 509–516 (2010)
Feldman, W.C., Prettyman, T.H., Maurice, S., Nelli, S., Elphic, R., Funsten, H.O., Gasnault, O., Lawrence, D.J., Murphy, J.R., Tokar, R.L., Vaniman, D.T.: Topographic control of hydrogen deposits at low latitudes to midlatitudes of Mars. J. Geophys. Res. 110, E11009 (2005), doi:10.1029/2005JE002452
Gault, D.E., Hörz, F., Brownlee, D.E., Hartung, J.B.: Mixing of the lunar regolith. In: Proc. Lunar Science Conference V, pp. 2365–2386 (1974)
Gornitz, V.: The origin of sinuous rilles. Moon 6, 337–356 (1973), doi:10.1007/BF00562210
Greeley, R.: Lava tubes and channels in the Lunar Marius Hills. The Moon 3, 289–314 (1971)
Grun, E., Zook, H.A., Fetctig, H., Gese, R.H.: Collisional Balance of the Meteoritic Complex. Icarus 62, 244–272 (1985)
Haruyama, J., Matsunaga, T., Ohtake, M., Morota, T., Honda, C., Yokota, Y., Torii, M., Ogawa, Y.: LISM working group Global lunar-surface mapping experiment using the Lunar Imager/Spectrometer on SELENE. Earth Planets Space 60, 243–256 (2008a)
Haruyama, J., Ohtake, M., Matsunaga, T., Morota, T., Honda, C., Yokota, Y., Pieters, C.M., Hara, S., Hioki, K., Saiki, K., Miyamoto, H., Iwasaki, A., Abe, M., Ogawa, Y., Takeda, H., Shirao, M., Yamaji, A., Josset, J.-L.: Lack of exposed ice inside lunar South Pole Shackleton crater. Science 322, 938–939 (2008b)
Haruyama, J., Ohtake, M., Matsunaga, T., Morota, T., Honda, C., Yokota, Y., Abe, M., Ogawa, Y., Miyamoto, H., Iwasaki, A., Pieters, C.M., Asada, N., Demura, H., Hirata, N., Terazono, J., Sasaki, S., Saiki, K., Yamaji, A., Torii, M., Josset, J.-L.: Long-lived volcanism on the lunar farside revealed by SELENE Terrain Camera. Science 323, 905–908 (2009a)
Haruyama, J., Hioki, K., Shirao, M., Morota, T., Hiesinger, H., van der Bogert, C.H., Miyamoto, H., Iwasaki, A., Yokota, Y., Ohtake, M., Matsunaga, T., Hara, S., Nakanotani, S., Pieters, C.M.: Possible lunar lava tube skylight observed by SELENE cameras. Geophys. Res. Let. 36, L21206 (2009b), doi:10.1029/2009GL040635
Haruyama, J., Hara, S., Hioki, K., Morota, T., Yokota, Y., Shirao, M., Hiesinger, H., van der Bogert, C.H., Miyamoto, H., Iwasaki, A., Ohtake, M., Saito, Y., Matsunaga, T., Nakanotani, S., Pieters, C.M., Lucey, P.G.: New discoveries of lunar holes in Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Ingenii. In: 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, #1285. Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, Houston (2010)
Haruyama, J., Morota, T., Shirao, M., Hiesinger, H., van der Bogert, C.H., Pieters, C.M., Lucey, P.G., Ohtake, M., Nishino, M., Matsunaga, T., Yokota, Y., Miyamoto, H., Iwasaki, A.: Water in lunar holes? In: 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, #1134. Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, Houston (2011)
Hayatsu, K., Hareyama, M., Kobayashi, S., Yamashita, N., Sakurai, K., Hasebe, N.: HZE Particle and Neutron Dosages from Cosmic Rays on the Lunar Surface. In: Proc. Int Workshop Advances in Cosmic Ray Science. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 78 (suppl. A), 149–152 (2009)
Head, J.W.: Lunar Volcanism in Space and Time. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 14(2), 265–300 (1976)
Head, J.W., Wilson, L.: Lunar mare volcanism: Stratigraphy, eruption conditions, and the evolution of secondary crusts. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 56, 2155–2175 (1992)
Hörz, F.: Lava tubes; Potential shelters for habitats. In: Mendell, W.W. (ed.) Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, pp. 405–412 (1985)
Hulme, G.: Turbulent lava flow and the formation of lunar sinuous rilles. Mod. Geol 4, 107–117 (1973)
Ichimura, A.S., Zent, A.P., Quinn, R.C., Taylor, L.A.: Formation and Detection of OH/OD in Lunar Soils After 1H2+/D2+ Bombardment. In: 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, # 2724. Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, Houston (2011)
Keihm, S.J., Langseth, M.G.: Surface brightness temperatures at the Apollo 17 heat flow site: Thermal conductivity of the upper 15 cm of regolith. In: Proc. Lunar Science Conference IV, pp. 2503–2513 (1973)
Keszthelyi, L.: A preliminary thermal budget for lava tubes. J. Geophys. Res. 100(B10), 20411–20420 (1995)
Langseth, M.G., Keihm, S.J., Peters, K.: Revised lunar heat-flow values. In: Proc. Lunar Science Conference VII, pp. 3143–3171 (1976)
Mandeville, J.C., Bariteau, M.: Cosmic dust and micro-debris measurements on the MIR space station. Adv. Space Res. 28(9), 1317–1324 (2001)
Marsch, E., Mühlhäuser, K.–. H., Schwenn, R., Rosenbauer, H., Pilipp, W., Neubauer, F.M.: Solar Wind Protons - Three-Dimensional Velocity Distributions and Derived Plasma Parameters Measured Between 0.3 and 1 AU. J. Geophys. Res. 87, 52–72 (1982)
McBride, N., McDonnell, J.A.M., Gardner, D.J., Griffiths, A.D.: Meteoroids at 1 AU: Dynamic and Properties. In: Burke, W., Guyenne, T.-D. (eds.) Environment Modeling for Space-based Applications, Symposium Proceedings (ESA SP-392): ESTEC Noordwijk, pp. 335–342 (1996)
McCord, T.B., Taylor, L.A., Combe, J.-P., Kramer, G., Pieters, C.M., Sunshine, J.M., Clark, R.N.: Sources and physical processes responsible for OH/H2O in the lunar soil as revealed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3). J. Geophys. Res. 116, E00G05 (2010), doi:10.1029/2010JE003711
Melosh, H.J.: Impact Cratering. A Geologic Process. Oxford Univ. Press, New York (1989)
Morota, T., Haruyama, J., Ohtake, M., Matsunaga, T., Honda, C., Yokota, Y., Kimura, J., Ogawa, Y., Hirata, N., Demura, H., Iwasaki, A., Sugihara, T., Saiki, K., Nakamura, R., Kobayashi, S., Ishihara, I., Takeda, H., Hiesinger, H.: Timing and characteristics of the latest mare eruption on the Moon. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 302, 255–266 (2011)
Naumann, R.J.: Pegasus satellite measurements of meteoroid penetration. NASA TM X-1192 (1985)
Oberbeck, V.R., Willam, L.Q., Greeley, R.: On the origin of lunar sinuous rilles. Mod. Geol. 1, 75–80 (1969)
Okubo, C.H., Martel, S.J.: Pit crater formation on Kilauea volcano. Hawaii J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 86, 1–18 (1998), doi:10.1016/S0377-0273(98)00070-5
Pieters, C.M., Goswami, J.N., Clark, R.N., Annadurai, M., Boardman, J., Buratti, B., Combe, J.-P., Dyar, M.D., Green, R., Head, J.W., Hibbitts, C., Hicks, M., Isaacson, P., Klima, R., Kramer, G., Kumar, S., Livo, E., Lundeen, S., Malaret, E., McCord, T., Mustard, J., Nettles, J., Petro, N., Runyon, C., Staid, M., Sunshine, J., Taylor, L.A., Tompkins, S., Varanasi, P.: Character and Spatial Distribution of OH/H2O on the Surface of the Moon Seen by M3 on Chandrayaan-1. Science 326, 568–572 (2009)
Sakimoto, S.E., Crisp, H.J., Baloga, S.M.: Eruption constraints on tube-fed planetary lava flows. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 6597–6613 (1997)
Stubbs, T.J., Vondrak, R.R., Farell, W.M.: A dynamic fountain model for lunar dust. Ad. Spac. Res. 37, 59–66 (2006)
Sunshine, J.M., Farnham, T.L., Feaga, L.M., Groussin, O., Merlin, F., Milliken, R.E., A’Hearn, M.F.: Temporal and Spatial Variability of Lunar Hydration as Observed by the Deep Impact Spacecraft. Science 326, 565–568 (2009)
Valerio, A., Tallarico, A., Dragoni, M.: Mechanisms of formation of lava tubes. J. Geophys. Res. 113, B08209 (2008), doi:10.1029/2007JB005435
Villanueva, G.L., Mumma, M.J., Bonev, B.P., DiSanti, M.A., Gibb, E.L., Böhnhardt, H., Lippi, M.: A sensitive search for deuterated water in Comets 8P/Tuttle. Astrophys J. 690, L5-L9 (2009)
Vasavada, A.R., Paige, D.A., Wood, S.E.: Near-Surface Temperatures on Mercury and the Moon and the Stability of Polar Ice Deposits. Icarus 141, 179–193 (1999)
Wyrick, D., Ferrill, D.A., Morris, A.P., Colton, S.L., Sims, D.W.: Distribution, morphology, and origins of Martian pit crater chains. J. Geophys. Res. 109, E06005 (2004), doi:10.1029/2004JE002240
Zent, A.P., Ichimura, A.I., McCord, T.B., Taylor, L.A.: Production of OH/H2O in Lunar Samples via Proton Bombardment. In: 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, Houston (2010)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Haruyama, J. et al. (2012). Lunar Holes and Lava Tubes as Resources for Lunar Science and Exploration. In: Badescu, V. (eds) Moon. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27969-0_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27969-0_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27968-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27969-0
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)