Geology topics
Publications and source records attributed to R. Phinney.
Despite the fact that the Surveyor 3 landed in a crater, the general appearance of the terrain is remarkably similar to that revealed by Surveyor 1. Evidence of the transport of material down the crater wall was observed. Some picture degradation occurred, apparently as a result of fine particulate lunar surface material being deposited on the TV system mirror during the unusual landing.
Active and passive seismic experiments show that the southern Sierra, despite standing 1.8 to 2.8 kilometers above its surroundings, is underlain by crust of similar seismic thickness, about 30 to 40 kilometers. Thermobarometry of xenolith suites and magnetotelluric profiles indicate that the upper mantle is eclogitic to depths of 60 kilometers beneath the western and central parts of the range, but little subcrustal lithosphere is present beneath the eastern High Sierra and adjacent Basin and Range. These and other data imply the crust of both the High Sierra and Basin and Range thinned by a factor of 2 since 20 million years ago, at odds with purported late Cenozoic regional uplift of some 2 kilometers.
Significant new information has been provided by Surveyor III's successful landing and operation on the lunar surface; some of the most significant and interesting events are presented here. Pending completion of data reduction and more detailed analysis of the information available from the Surveyor mission, only limited interpretive discussion is included.
Much valuable new information has been provided by Surveyor III ; some of the most significant and interesting events are presented here. Only a limited interpretive discussion is included at this time, pending completion of data reduction and more detailed analysis of information available from the Surveyor mission.