NASA specialists have published an entertaining image made by the LRO vehicle exploring the Moon. It shows a complex of volcanoes called Mons Rümker.
Mons Rümker is located in the northern part of the Oceanus Procellarum on the visible side of the Moon. It rises 1,300 meters above the surrounding surface and covers an area of about 4,000 km2. The mountain has a highly varied topography consisting of domes, winding furrows, ridges and frozen lava flows.
The oldest section of Mons Rümker, characterized by uneven, linear topography along its northern edge, is thought to have formed from the impact emissions that led to the formation of Sinus Iridum. It occurred about 3.8 to 3.7 billion years ago. After 100 million years, the lunar volcanoes began to erupt, which formed the shape of the mountain.
The domes photographed by the LRO were likely formed from slowly erupting basaltic magma that created small shield volcanoes on the surface. Researchers divide them into two types: steep-sided domes and shallow domes. Steep-sided domes are relatively high and have slopes greater than 5 degrees, while shallow domes are noticeably lower (less than 200 meters) and have more gentle slopes. Most of the domes of Mons Rümker are located on the west side of the complex, with a large concentration in the southwest.
Because of the combination of traces of ancient volcanism and a variety of impact emissions, Mons Rümker was originally considered as a landing site for China’s Chang’e-5 mission. However, in December 2020, it landed at a different location about 170 kilometers to the northeast.
Chang’e-5 managed to return about 1.7 kilograms of regolith to Earth, allowing researchers to gain valuable insights into the geologic history of the Moon. The age of the massif from which the samples were taken was found to be about 1.5 billion years old, much younger than the estimated age of Mons Rümker. Due to its unique volcanic history, which remains unexplored, it is still an attractive target for future lunar missions, both automated and manned.
According to LROC
