The following update is in regard to reported anomalies in and around Lobachevsky on the lunar farside. Be sure to read the reports on the link below in order to appreciate  the nature of the controversey and understand the geologically rich region we are dealing with.

Francis Ridge
Coordinator,
The Lunascan Project
-----------------------------

From: LanFleming@aol.com
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 1998 20:40:14 EST
To: slk@evansville.net, VestAJes@aol.com, Bill63@aol.com, MikeLomax@aol.com
Subject: Re:   Lobachevsky Volcano Gif
X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 for Mac sub 84
 

Fran wrote: <<Do you have a version with big FOV?>>

I could make the FOV a little bigger, but not much. Unfortunately, I have to
cut the negative up to fit it into my slide scanner. I know some of you guys
consider this desecration on the order of flag burning, but that's the breaks.

<< Also, send that volcano shot!>>

Yessir. Here it is. I hope you can read the file. The volcano (if that's what
it is) is on the floor of Lobachevsky near the center. It's scanned at 506 DPI.
I indicated where the apparent caldera is with an arrow.

There is also another landform that appears to have two flows down its slope.
I marked one of them with an arrow. It looks almost like an amoeba spreading
its pseudopods. This stuff is obviously higher albedo than the surrounding
terrain, and almost looks transparent, as opposed to the dark flows out of the
small crater in the rim. (Why would lava be black in one place and light in
another close by?)  Notice too that there are few craters in either of the two
landforms, and that the stuff from the lower one has seeped into some craters
and covered them partially.

The landforms and the flows must have been relatively recent. I'm thinking
that there could still be active volcanism in this region of the moon. I wonder why El Baz didn't comment on this when he wrote about the small crater
in the rim of Lobachevsky.

Lan Fleming, VGL
 

From: VestAJes@aol.com
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 1998 21:42:15 EST
To: LanFleming@aol.com, slk@evansville.net, Bill63@aol.com, MikeLomax@aol.com
Subject: Re: Lobachevsky Volcano Gif
X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 for Windows 95 sub 49

In a message dated 98-02-08 20:40:14 EST, LanFleming writes:

<< There is also another landform that appears to have two flows down its
slope. I marked one of them with an arrow. It looks almost like an amoeba
spreading its pseudopods. This stuff is obviously higher albedo than the >>

Could be a short runout landslide. I doubt it would be Lava because it
partially fills a crater and lava hasn't flowed on the moon in the last 2 BY.
Yep my guess was a landslide. Then I took a closer look. Where is the higher
slope it came from?

Wait a minute. This picture is geologically wrong. If it were a landslide
there would be a scar from the source and a lighter albedo scar at that. The
slide itself would be of a higher albedo if it was new. The top of the mass
disappears over the lip of the rock it is laying on. Perhaps a ejecta string
from another impact crater?

The central peak is a volcanic remnant from the original impact IMO. Sometime
the central rebound peak became a volcano if there was a magma chamber caused
by the impact. I would say the peak is as old as Lobachevsky itself. The
Volcanic cone is apparent, and it even has a fissure in its side.

I still can't explain that dark stain, unless it is a concentrated mineral
just in that one location, released by the impact.

Jon Floyd, VGL
 

From: VestAJes@aol.com
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 1998 08:47:43 EST
To: LanFleming@aol.com, slk@evansville.net, Bill63@aol.com, MikeLomax@aol.com
Subject: Re: Lobachevsky Volcano Gif
X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 for Windows 95 sub 49

In a message dated 98-02-08 22:27:19 EST, LanFleming writes:

<<  I think that these features could also be volcanic, too. I think this was
an unusually active region for volcanism, and I'm not so sure it was all that
long ago.  >>

There are few things that would cause the feature you noted.

A surface lava flow: This is contraindicated due to the seismic data that
indicated that the moon was cool for the past 2 billion years.

A land slide: This is also not reasonable because the scar from the slide is
missing.

Ejecta from elsewhere: There is no other indication elsewhere in the crater of
ejecta.

Taling or waste material from a mining operation: This could explain a number
of the anomalies noted in the crater including the dark stain on the crater
wall.

This is the short list of candidates that would cause the feature. Any others?

Jon