Potential Geologic Significances of Hertzsprung Basin Revealed by CE-2 CELMS Data

The Hertzsprung basin (2 °N, 128 °W) is a relatively well-preserved Nectarian-age basin on the Moon farside with a diameter of 570 km. Low FeO+TiO
₂
abundance (FTA) and substantial topographic elevation change make the Hertzsprung Basin particularly relevant for evaluating the microwave thermal emission (MTE) mechanism over the lunar surface. In this study, microwave sounder (CELMS) data from the Chang'E-2 satellite are employed to investigate MTE features of the Hertzsprung Basin combined with FTA, surface slope, and rock abundance data. The results are as follows. First, the influence of topography on the CELMS data is essentially negligible, at least in low-latitude regions. Second, the brightness temperature (T
_B
) behavior in the basin floor is similar to that in the nearby highlands, indicating homogeneity of the regolith thermophysical parameters in the highland areas. Third, abnormally low TB is interpreted to represent the existence of large boulders, which brings about two distinct and influential mechanisms on the observed T
_B
. Fourth, a warm interior of the shallow lunar crust is inferred because of the high T
_B
anomaly in the basin floor, Michelson crater, and southeastern region. Finally, the Orientale impact event exerted limited influence on the thermophysical structures of the lunar regolith in the study area.