Compositional heterogeneity of central peaks within the South PoleAitken Basin

[1] Using high-spectral and -spatial resolution Moon Mineralogy Mapper data, we investigate compositional variations across the central peak structures of four impact craters within the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA). Two distinct causes of spectral diversity are observed. Spectral variations across the central peaks of Bhabha, Finsen, and Lyman are dominated by soil development, including the effects of space weathering and mixing with local materials. For these craters, the central peak structure is homogeneous in composition, although small compositional differences between the craters are observed. This group of craters is located within the estimated transient cavity of SPA, and their central uplifts exhibit similar mafic abundances. Therefore, it is plausible that they have all uplifted material associated with melts of the lower crust or upper mantle produced during the SPA impact. Compositional differences observed between the peaks of these craters reflect heterogeneities in the SPA subsurface, although the origin of this heterogeneity is uncertain. In contrast to these craters, Leeuwenhoek exhibits compositional heterogeneity across its central peak structure. The peak is areally dominated by feldspathic materials, interspersed with several smaller exposures exhibiting amafic spectral signature. Leeuwenhoek is the largest crater included in the study and is located in a region of complex stratigraphy involving both crustal (feldspathic) and SPA (mafic melt and ejecta) materials. The compositional diversity observed in Leeuwenhoek’s central peak indicates that kilometer-scale heterogeneities persist to depths of more than 10 km in this region.