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The surface layer of the Moon preserves vital evidences of lunar impact and cratering processes due to the absence of any Aeolian and fluvial erosion processes acting on it. By examining these evidences, which are recorded throughout the evolutionary history of the Moon, several basic aspects of lunar science can be understood, and this has direct relevance to the surfaces of other airless bodies within the solar system. In this study, rock abundance data obtained from Thermal Infrared (TIR) observations and radar Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR) data sets obtained from polarimetric SAR observations were correlated at some sample sites on the lunar surface. Preliminary results yielded qualitative and quantitative estimates for surface rock abundances. Except at distal ejecta deposits of young, bright craters a general correlation was observed between the two datasets. Mixed results were observed from the impact melt flows where the situation is complex due to the possible subsurface-volume and volume-subsurface interactions of the radar waves. But the flow features were clearly separated from the interior and ejecta regions of their parent craters in terms of CPR and rock abundances. The extent and distributions of pyroclastic deposits and dark haloed regions could not be distinctly identified at the resolution of datasets utilized. Near Gerasimovich D crater, the Diviner Radiometer has provided the first TIR observations of a newly discovered impact melt flow which was not visible in the optical imagery. This facilitated the first ever quantitative comparisons of the radar CPR and rock abundance values near such a region. Also, significant differences in spatial patterns between the radar and rock concentration data sets were observed, owing to the differences in the sensitivity of the two observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The miniaturized synthetic aperture radar Mini-SAR onboard Indian Chandrayaan-1 mission was the first ever lunar orbiting SAR that acquired several data strips covering a wide variety of geological units over lunar equatorial and low latitude regions, some of which were not studied earlier at radar wavelengths. The Mini-SAR observations, complemented by high resolution optical imagery and higher incidence angle radar datasets, were effectively used to create a catalog of SAR backscatter properties of various lunar geological features. The radar backscatter along with the parameters circular polarization ratio (CPR), relative phase (δ) and m (the degree of polarization)–chi (the Poincare ellipticity) decomposition technique were used to study the scattering mechanisms, surface/sub-surface roughness and regional topography of some of the craters and their ejecta fields. The study revealed that the Taylor and Descartes craters in the lunar highlands region were characterized by high backscatter and low CPR values, while the Maunder and Kopff craters in the Mare Orientale basin were characterized by relatively low backscatter and elevated CPR values. The fresh crater Jackson and its ejecta blankets on the lunar far-side showed very high backscatter along with elevated CPR values due to the presence of abundant wavelength-scale scatterers. The radar dark Pyroclastic Orientale ring deposits showed both low backscatter and low CPR values, as reported by previous radar observations of pyroclastic deposits. The elevated CPR values corresponding to the interior and exterior of Santos Dumont crater could be attributed to rough crater walls and regional topography, respectively. Finally, attempt was made to bring out the differences in the origin of two similar-sized craters Taylor and Kopff, with the help of SAR polarimetric parameters. Differences in the CPR values of Mare and highland craters were attributed to the sensitivity of CPR to the ilmenite content and presence of surface/sub-surface rocks with diameter of about one-tenth the radar wavelength and larger. This could act as a potential method to distinguish craters of different origin and (or) composition, where the information regarding relative age and regolith composition are not available. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]