{"id":4051,"date":"2020-12-04T03:11:09","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T08:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/?page_id=4051"},"modified":"2021-03-19T19:27:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T23:27:16","slug":"b-section-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/1-apollo-17-diary-of-the-12th-man\/b-chapters-10-18\/chapter-12-pages-of-history-2\/b-section-2\/","title":{"rendered":"b. Section 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Continued from Chapter 12, Section 1):<\/p>\n

SECTION 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nStation 7 \u2013 The North Massif<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n\"\"Fig. 12.99.<\/strong> Planimetric map of the Station 7 layout, showing the locations of Pans 23, 24; the locations of various rock samples; and the position of the LRV with respect to the location of the large boulder (black oval) that was sampled (Modified from [[1<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong>])<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want me to help you with the dusting, Geno?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019ll get it. Only one guy can do it. \u2026You take a pan [as] before [coverage], and we\u2019ll start picking up some of those samples, and I\u2019ll take a pan afterward. \u2026Well, let\u2019s see here. \u2026See what kind of variety we can get here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is another one of our blue-gray breccias, I think, over there: re-crystallized breccias with some of that crushed anorthosite in it. \u2026I think right in here. I\u2019m going to take the pan at about\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, Jack, what\u2019s your frame count?\u201d interrupted Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201c131.\u201d I must have misread the indicator, as I had taken a number of photographs during our traverse to Station 7. The count was probably 141. \u201cBob, I\u2019m going to take the pan at 11 feet [focus], so you can see the fragments that we\u2019re going to pick up here. Then we can take another one for location work.\u201d This panorama consists of AS17-141-21646-64. 21651-55 are the before images of the many small rocks I would sample.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.100.<\/strong> The series of photos from my Pan 23 sequence is shown as quarters in these next four figures. This view looking south includes the large, squarish boulder at top right labeled \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d in Fig. 12.71\u2191<\/strong><\/span><\/a> of \u00a71. The distance between me and boulder “c\u201d is ~108 m as measured on the LROC Quickmap. This image may give the reader a better idea on how hard it is to judge distances on the Moon.\u00a0For a higher resolution view in a separate window, click here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Composite of NASA photos AS17-141-21660, -661, -662, -663).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.101. <\/strong>The view looking towards the east. The oval outlines a shallow depression with my footprints. The text spans the area where I picked up the indicated samples described below. For a higher resolution, unlabeled view in a separate window, click here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0(Composite of NASA photos AS17-141- 21656, -657, -658, -659).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.102.<\/strong> The view looking north. Cernan is working at the LRV, which was not fully framed. To the left of the Rover some of its tracks can be seen. The oval continues the area of shallow depression marked in Fig. 12.101. My footprints continue from the Rover. Three specific samples discussed below are indicated. A higher resolution, unlabeled view in a separate window, is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0(Composite of NASA photos AS17-141-21651, -652, -654, -655).<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"Fig. 12.103.<\/strong> The down-sun view looking west, which shows the relation between the Sta. 7 boulder (not fully framed at middle right) and boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d at left. The bright area between my shadow and the boulder above is a result of the intense back-scattering from the regolith. The boulders on the horizon in the distance at middle left are the fragments of the Sta. 6 boulder (See Fig. 12.136<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2193 for a larger view). By computing the size of boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d, deceptive distances and perspectives on the Moon can be demonstrated. The reseau marks are 10.3\u00ba apart in the original frame (AS17-141-21647) and if we use the distance of 108 m, the horizontal dimension is ~7.1 m whereas the vertical dimension is ~5.9 m (as a check on the photogrammetric trigonometry, the actual horizontal dimension can be measured directly with the LROC QuickMap tool; at 0.5 m\/px resolution, 5 measurements gave 7 \u00b1 0.89 m) . The boulder in this view is therefore comparable to looking at the LM Challenger<\/em> at one end of an American football field from the other end! For a higher resolution view in a separate window, click here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0(Composite of NASA photos AS17-141-21647, -648, -649, -646).<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"Fig. 12.104.<\/strong> The altitude vs. distance of a line between me and boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d. The mean slope is ~6.5\u00b0. The noteworthy point is the 25 m diameter crater between ~32 m and ~57 m. This crater cannot be seen in Fig. 12.103, probably because of the gradual upturn in the terrain (of about 1 in 20 m) masking its rim between 10 m and 30 m in front of me. (graph produced by the LROC QuickMap).<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"Fig. 12.105.<\/strong> The LROC QuickMap view showing the locations of the Sta. 6, 7 and a<\/strong>,b<\/strong>,c<\/strong> boulders at 0.67 m\/px. The large 25 m crater described in Fig. 12.104 is clearly seen between the Sta. 7 and \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d boulders. The original view can be accessed at the QuickMap website, https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mnk9OR<\/em><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShould have it (TV), Bob,\u201d Cernan reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a TV. And, I repeat, we\u2019d like to get some dusting of the [TCU] mirror and the lens of the TV; [that is, the] TCU and the TV.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me get you out of the Sun. \u2026I wouldn\u2019t do this for anybody but you, you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Looks good, Gene,\u201d Parker replied. \u201cThank you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what? I\u2019m getting tired of dusting. \u2026My primary tools: the dust brush and the hammer\u2026and my head. \u2026Okay. You ready to start picking [up rocks]?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPicking,\u201d I replied, tersely, as I leaned into the slope, with the scoop handle in my midsection, and bagged a sample. Once bagged, I did my usual three-rotation twirl to close the bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou notice the temperature difference with that high Sun angle?\u201d commented Cernan.<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger,\u201d Parker said, not resisting the impulse to chide me on my visor. \u201cYou\u2019re probably letting in a lot of infrared through without having that gold visor down, too. That\u2019s sort of an infrared shield.\u201d The problem, if one existed, would be UV radiation as Parker should have known; however, I rarely let sunlight in, directly, having grown up in the sunny Southwest.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but mine\u2019s been down all the time, Bob,\u201d countered Cernan, \u201c\u2026except in the shade.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, 540 (77510-26<\/strong>) is the first bag of selected samples (location in Fig. 12.101<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191),\u201d I reported. \u201cOkay. I\u2019m going to leave your [SCB] open, but don\u2019t let me [forget to close it].\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Fig. 12.106.<\/strong> (Upper<\/em>): The bottom side of rock sample 77515, a micropoikilitic impact melt breccia with a thick patina and numerous zap pits and small vesicles. Its location is marked in Fig. 12.102<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>. (NASA photo S73-23496). (Lower<\/em>): Anaglyph constructed from two convergent stereo views. For a higher resolution view of the anaglyph, click here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0(Derivative of NASA photos S73-23496, \u2011496B).<\/span><\/p>\n

[I tried to get as many surface rock fragments as possible in this sample bag. Most of the samples 77510-14 turned out to be a single friable, fine-grained breccia that had broken into five pieces by the time it arrived in Houston for study. Three of the other fragments, 77515, 77518 and 77519, are impact and impact-melt-breccias with Mg-suite affinities. 77517, however, appears to be exotic relative to other North Massif rock samples. As the orthopyroxene in 77517 is aluminous, and it is associated with aluminous spinel, it may have originally formed at high pressure at the base of the solidifying lunar magma ocean where a proto-mineral Mg-garnet would be stable, actually forming a solid solution with aluminous orthopyroxene. 77517 probably should be added to 72415, 76535, and possibly 79215 as probably derived from the deep mantle by the overturn effects of the Procellarum<\/em> large basin-forming event. (see Chapter 13).<\/span><\/p>\n

77516 is a medium-grained olivine-ilmenite basalt similar to subfloor gabbro or basalt with the olivine appearing as small phenocrysts in a matrix of intergrown laths of ilmenite, plagioclase and pyroxene.<\/span><\/p>\n

Post-mission examination of 77511, the regolith incorporated with the rock samples in 77510-14, provided an intermediate-high Is<\/sub>\/FeO maturity index of 80. This higher maturity relative to the soils at Station 6 may relate to Station 7\u2019s position on a significantly less steep slope on the regolith apron at the base of the North Massif. Down-slope replenishment of fresh debris would be at a slower rate here than at Station 6.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me get [this rock]. \u2026Here, put that one (rock) in there [too].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute,\u201d I cautioned, \u201clet\u2019s get a bag on it. We\u2019re getting too many rocks [without bags], and we don\u2019t know where they came from\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it will fit [in a bag]. Will it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019ll wrap it a little bit.\u201d This way the sample will at least have a bag number.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, wait a minute, it will fit. \u2026Wait a minute.\u201d Cernan works the bag around the sample.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Bag 541 (77017<\/strong>) is partially around another big rock in Gene\u2019s collection bag\u2026\u201d As I reported this, I retrieved my scoop by stepping on its angled head and grabbing the raised handle.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\"\"Fig. 12.107.<\/strong> (Upper<\/em>): The unusual appearance of sample 77017<\/strong> with chunks of feldspathic material suspended in a frothy black glass coating. (see Fig. 12.102\u2191<\/strong><\/span><\/a>for location) (NASA photo S73-17768). (Lower<\/em>): A 3D anaglyph of the same sample. The depth perception of the rock structure is excellent (few in the Press saw this sample originally, so it lacks the sobriquet of \u201cmarshmallow chocolate mousse\u201d, or perhaps even \u201cRocky Road\u201d, an American ice cream!). A higher resolution version can be downloaded in a separate window by clicking here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0(Derviative from NASA photos S73-17845, S73-17845B).<\/span><\/p>\n

[Post-mission examination of 77017<\/strong> disclosed that it is an unusual monomict breccia with the clasts comprised entirely of olivine-pyroxene-plagioclase gabbro in a matrix of vesicular glass rather than finely crystallized impact melt. Augite and pigeonite pyroxene crystals in the clasts contain inclusions of olivine and plagioclase, indicating a recrystallization event, that is, a metamorphic event at some point after this Mg-suite rock originally crystallized at depth in the crust.<\/span><\/p>\n

Analysis of the matrix glass indicated that it is derived from a mix of the local regolith and the olivine gabbro, suggesting that 77017 is regolith breccia that happened to include a Mg-suite fragment of olivine gabbro. A 40-39<\/sup>Ar age date on a dikelet of this glass that cuts a clast gave 1.5 billion years and probably dates the impact into regolith that formed the breccia. ]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you get pictures of this thing here?\u201d Cernan referred to the nearby, large boulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah; well, not the big rock yet. Not in focus anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got to do that.\u201d He stepped away to avoid his shadow and began to document the large boulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just collecting [rocks] in this area.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you keep grabbing a few, and I\u2019m going to [get the pictures].\u201d Cernan\u2019s flight-line stereo images are AS17-146-22298-315.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.108.<\/strong> Generally, as Cernan moved around the boulder at Station 7, he took two images, one up and one down to cover the total height. This is the first of nine 2-image views, some are vertical; others are offset. Part of the norite clast can be seen at the right edge. A large scale view in a separate window can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22298, -299).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.109.<\/strong> The second pair provided a seamless image for the entire height of the boulder. This view of the east face of the boulder shows, from right to left, the large knobby, light norite clast, blue-gray melt-breccia, and tan-gray vesicular melt-breccia.<\/strong> A large scale view in a separate window can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22300, -301).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.110.<\/strong> In this third offset pair, the light-colored norite clast takes up most of the central area of the boulder. A small part of boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d can be seen at the middle left edge of the Sta. 7 boulder. A large scale view in a separate window can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0(Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22302, -303).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.111.<\/strong> The fourth pair is also offset and the norite clast is now centered in the image. A large scale view in a separate window can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22304, -305).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.112.<\/strong> The fifth pair is skewed because the camera was pointing off normal to the verticle plane through the boulder in opposite directions between the two photos. A large scale view in a separate window can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22306, -307).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.113.<\/strong> Pair 06 provides an excellent view of the norite clast and two dikelets that cut across it marked by the red arrows. The dashed contour outlines the clast itself. Closer views of the dikelets are also shown in Fig. 12.117<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2193 below. The large scale, unmarked view can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22308, -309).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.114.<\/strong> Pair 07, further to the right, shows a large part of the blue-gray breccia on the right side of the photo. Note the rather large micrometeorite impact pit with the white halo at the lower right near ground level just above the shadow. A large scale view in a separate window can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0(Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22310, -311).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.115<\/strong> As Cernan moves around the boulder in Pair 08, the blue gray part of the boulder dominates. The zap pit is visible near ground level at right; and boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d behind the Sta. 7 boulder is emerging to the right. A large scale view in a separate window can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22312, -313).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.116.<\/strong> Cernan\u2019s 9th pair completes his flightline stereo sequence. The LM-sized boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d has completely emerged into view ~107 m away. A large scale view in a separate window can be downloaded here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22310, -311).<\/span><\/p>\n

[As discussed below, AS17-146-22298-308 (see Fig. 12.109<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191 through Fig. 12.114<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191 above) primarily show the blue-gray melt-breccia in the Station 7 boulder and the knobby, irregular surface of a large, ~2 m tall and ~1.5 m wide , roughly planer, norite clast that dominates the east side of the boulder. The norite clast that remains on the boulder is flat, but may be the side of what is a much larger, clast in the original outcrop. Apparent concentrations of plagioclase in the thicker portions of the clast suggest that the original norite mass was layered.<\/p>\n

The tan-gray, vesicular melt-breccia is visible in the upper left of these images (globular-shaped area) with the contact between the two melt-breccias trending from upper right to lower left, beginning at the center apex.[2<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong> AS17-146-22309, -311, and -313 show a black, extremely fine-grained dikelet cutting through the norite clast. (The thicker dikelet, together with a thinner one are marked in Fig. 12.117<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2193 which can be compared with Fig. 12.114<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191)]<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m doing.\u201d I was getting a little impatient to have a look at the large boulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of the blue-gray rocks, Bob.\u201d Cernan observed as he took a flight-line set of stereo photographs of the northeast face of the boulder. \u201cAnd it\u2019s got a light-colored fragment that runs the full height of it, about a meter and a half thick (wide). And then it\u2019s got the blue-gray rock on the other side. As a matter of fact, \u2026let me look at it closely. \u2026It\u2019s a [large] fragment in it all right.\u201d At the completion of his flight-line stereo sequence, Cernan took a series of close-up images of the norite clast (AS17-146-22316-28), using his sampling tongs to refine the focus of his Hasselblad. 22320-28 of this sequence includes images of the black dikelets that cut through the clast, whereas, 22326-28 are specifically the before sampling images of the largest dikelet (Fig. 12.116<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191). The afters are 22329-30 (Fig. 12.117, below).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\"\"Fig. 12.117.<\/strong> (Upper<\/em>) Black, glassy dikelets that originate from the blue-gray melt-breccia and cut the large norite clast. The upper photo shows a thin dikelet cutting across the lower part of the clast marked by the red arrows. (Lower<\/em>) The wider dikelet above it marked between the red arrows. See Fig. 12.114<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong> for positions of both together. The dashed circle marks the area from where samples 77075 and 77077 will be taken. ((Upper<\/em>) NASA Photos AS17-146-22323 and (Lower<\/em>) AS17-146-22327).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.118.<\/strong> This photo shows the dikelet area in the red circle after the samples were removed. In all these photos, Cernan is using the tongs to maintain an accurate distance for the focus setting. (NASA photo AS17-146-22329).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\"\"Fig. 12.119.<\/strong> (Upper<\/em>): Sample 77075, an impact melt dikelet in cataclastic norite taken from the end of the upper vein as indicated in Figs. 12.117<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191, 12.118<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191. The dike material is the dark part and the white is the noritic material. (Informally, sometimes referred to as the ‘Baked Potato’) (NASA photo S73-23995). (Lower<\/em>): An anaglyph from a convergent stereo pair. A larger-scale view in a separate window is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA photos S73-23995, -23995B).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Copy that, Gene,\u201d responds Parker. \u201cAnd remember to document around the corner if you\u2019re trying to get some photo-documentation of the boulder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBob, I wouldn\u2019t be absolutely positive,\u201d Cernan continued, \u201cbut it sure looks like I see a dikelet in here, that\u2019s in the inclusion. And I\u2019m going to get a close-up stereo of it. I\u2019d call it a dikelet, if you pinned me down.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Copy that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPin him down,\u201d I joked, as I finished bagging another selection of small rocks. In this sampling, I first get a fragment or two in the scoop and then grasp the scoop\u2019s handle with my right hand about a foot from the scoop itself to ease the process of pouring the fragments into a sample bag held in my left hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I could break a sample right off,\u201d Cernan said. \u201cHere\u2019s another one. It is a dikelet! There\u2019s three or four of them!\u201d Cernan\u2019s exposure to geology in the field over the last fifteen months was paying off. \u201cOhhhh, me, oh, my. \u2026The material in the dike looks\u2026 yeah, it is, it is, it\u2019s (dikelet material) not covering it (the inclusion). It\u2019s between the lighter-colored rock, and it\u2019s the blue-gray rock.\u201d Cernan is less than clear about what all these \u201cits\u201d refer to.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c542 (77530-45<\/strong>; rock suite sample location in Fig. 12.101<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>) is another bag of goodies\u201d I reported. \u201cGene, let me get rid of this [sample bag],\u201d and I walked over to where Cernan worked at scraping some dikelet fragments off the boulder and put the \u201cbag of goodies\u201d in his SCB.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.120.<\/strong> (Upper left<\/em>): Rock sample 77535, a vesicular pyroxene-ilmenite basalt (NASA photo S73-25008). (Upper right<\/em>): Sample 77536, also an ilmenite basalt (NASA photo S73-23828). (Lower left<\/em>): The 3D anaglyph of 77535 composited from convergent stereo photos. The larger scale version of the anaglyph is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA photos S73-25013, \u20112513B). (Lower right<\/em>): The 3D anaglyph of 77536 composited from convergent stereo photos. The larger scale version of the anaglyph is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0Both anaglyphs bring out the vesicles, zap pits, and the patina. (Derived from NASA photos S73-23838, -23828B).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.121.<\/strong> Two more examples from the \u201cbag of goodies\u201d. (Left<\/em>): Sample 77538<\/strong>, a trace-element-rich fragmental breccia with a light-colored matrix. It is covered with a patina and zap pits on all sides (NASA photo S73-19066). (Right<\/em>): Sample 77539<\/strong>, an impact melt rock with a rare anorthosite clast. Vesicles and zap pits are also evident. There were no convergent stereo pairs for either sample. (NASA photo S73-19062).<\/span><\/p>\n

[The mixed sample, 77530-45<\/strong>, contained some regolith, 77530-34<\/strong>, and six coherent rock fragments. 77535<\/strong> is a medium-grained, vesicular pyroxene-ilmenite basalt while 77536<\/strong> is a medium-grained, vesicular and porphyritic olivine basalt. 77538<\/strong> is a fine-grained, plagioclase dominated impact breccia. The other two fragments, 77539<\/strong> and 77545<\/strong>, are polymict, vesicular impact and impact-melt-breccias with Mg-suite clasts. As we became closer to the valley floor, more familiar examples of basalt had appeared in the regolith. (Figs. 12.120, 12.121 above show examples).<\/span><\/p>\n

The regolith sample, 77531<\/strong>, consists of 54% agglutinate and 8.3% basalt and orange and black ash fragments. The Is\/FeO maturity index is 79. A study of regolith samples from both the North<\/em> and South<\/em> Massif<\/em> slopes and the light mantle[3<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong> indicates that, compositionally, more than 25% of the of North Massif<\/em> regolith from Stations 6 and 7 can be attributed to material introduced from the basalts and pyroclastic ashes on the valley floor. On the other hand, less than 10% of the regolith at the base of the South Massif<\/em> and on the light mantle avalanche deposit reflects the addition of subfloor basalt and pyroclastic ash, probably due to the avalanche removing old regolith from the South Massif<\/em> slope, on the one hand, and having rock fragments sink in its fluidized, flowing mass on the other hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is likely that, temporarily at least, ash originally blanketed the slopes of the North<\/em> and South Massifs<\/em> 3.5 billion years ago, just as it did the valley floor. On one hand, in situ<\/em> basaltic regolith development on the valley floor would gradually incorporate ash to create the dark mantle regolith unit, whereas meteoritic bombardment on the steep slopes of the massifs would have moved ash gradually downhill, concentrating it at the base. There, continuous downward movement of breccia-dominated regolith from slopes would have overridden ash concentrations at the foot of each massif. ]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, wait a minute,\u201d Cernan hesitated. \u201cI got\u2026I got [fooled]. \u2026Well, maybe it isn\u2019t a dikelet. Maybe it\u2019s just a screen [of glass] covering\u2026a [glass] flow covering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you got [it right]. \u2026They\u2019re dikes,\u201d I assured him now that I could begin to look closely at what he had been trying to describe. \u2026They\u2019re little veinlets of [black, glass-like material in the large light-gray clast].\u201d By using the word \u201cveinlets\u201d, I hoped to convey a little more clearly what we were looking at. Dikelet is the better term as they apparently formed by the injection of molten rock rather than being minerals deposited from a hot, water-rich solution (hydrothermal mineral vein).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me get this whole thing in a bag,\u201d Cernan said. \u201cI got a rock, Bob. It\u2019s fractured, primarily [from] around the dike. It\u2019s in several pieces, but we\u2019re going to put it all in one bag.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Bag] 543 (77215<\/strong>),\u201d I reported.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Oh, man, they\u2019re going to have to [re]assemble that.\u201d As I held the bag open for him, Cernan continued, \u201cHere. \u2026Let me get it piece by piece\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.122.<\/strong> The fragments, 77215<\/strong>, of the cataclastic norite, the oldest lithology of the Station 7 boulder. The undevitrified noritic glass found in 77215<\/strong> provides an understanding of the thermal history of this boulder. The photos generally showed a light gray, or lighter albedo color of the norite in situ<\/em>; however, in the laboratory the fresh pieces were pure white apart from some patches of patina and zap pits as illustrated here. (NASA photo S73-17779).<\/span><\/p>\n

[Post-mission analysis of 77215<\/strong> shows that the large, light-gray to white clast in blue-gray breccia is crushed and sheared norite with about 75% made up of fragments of orthopyroxene (41%) and plagioclase (54%). Augite (clinopyroxene) has exsolved internally from the orthopyroxene, suggesting that the original pyroxene consisted of Ca-rich orthopyroxene that was subjected to a slow annealing event after its original crystallization. Although crushed, only a small amount of the plagioclase has been converted to maskelynite by shock.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rock fragments within the primary norite clast include norite (8%), anorthosite (10%), noritic glass (6%), and troctolite breccia (<1%). Plagioclase crystals in norite fragments enclose small crystals of K-feldspar as well as granitic glass. Dikelets similar to 77075, discussed below, cut thought the clast samples and have the same composition as the bulk norite.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 13 includes a summary of post-mission data on Apollo 17 Mg-suite samples. ]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. We need to get a [sample of the dike],\u201d I said. \u201cPut one of those [pieces of the] dikes in another bag. \u2026Bob, it looks like some fraction of the blue-gray material has obviously intruded [the large clast].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

[The dikelet connects directly with the blue-gray melt-breccia on its north contact with the norite clast, suggesting that melt from the blue-gray melt-breccia was injected into the norite clast; however, this would be inconsistent with its composition being that of the clast and not the breccia, as mentioned above. This inconsistency suggests that the melt that formed the dikelets was generated by heating or shock and subsequently migrated from the clast into open fractures. As will be discussed below, the younger tan-gray melt-breccia in contact with the blue-gray melt breccia may have been hot enough to partially remelt the latter as well as the norite clast.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot too full. That\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, can you get that dike there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[A] piece of it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis thing,\u201d I directed, pointing to a slight projection on the dikelet. \u201cCan you get that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can get it right here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I think\u2026No, get the piece with the [projection]. \u2026You get more of it, right there.\u201d For some reason, Cernan would not rely on my judgment about where to break off a sample. Instead, he began to make large swings with the hammer, rather than just using his wrist to take what the rock would give him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. \u2026It\u2019s this soft, white inclusion again. It breaks pretty easy. \u2026Oh, it\u2019s got to be a dike. Look at that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>It is. \u2026It is.\u201d I reassured him, again. \u201cOkay, [bag] 544 (77075-77<\/strong>, Fig. 12.119<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u2191).<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Oh, yeah, it is, because I just broke into it.\u201d Now, Cernan finally visualized the three-dimensional nature of the dikelet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d I agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet all of that [sample]?\u201d I asked, monitoring what Cernan was doing to get a sample of the dikelet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I\u2019ll get it all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you don\u2019t have [the dikelet contact],\u201d I cautioned. As usual, I really wanted to do the chipping, myself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019d like to have you guys moving again in 5 minutes to get to Station 8 on time.\u201d Somebody had lost perspective about a \u201cbird in the hand\u201d; however, we did need to see if we could obtain some insights into the Sculptured Hills<\/em> mystery.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d I replied, perfunctorily, and then went on. \u201c\u2026although the blue-gray [breccia] up on the hill (Station 6) looked like a fragment breccia, if this [blue-gray unit here] is still related [to it], then [vesicles indicate] it\u2019s been [through] some partial [re]melting at some time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a preserved contact between the dike and the white material (inclusion or clast),\u201d Cernan observed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I wanted,\u201d I told him. \u201cThat\u2019s what I wanted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t we get this big piece of dike now?\u201d he suggested.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSee if you can get\u2026\u201d I stopped as Cernan prepared to hit the dikelet a second time. \u201cWhoa! Don\u2019t hit it again, \u2026There, you\u2019ve still got some contact [left] there.\u201d He did not understand the importance of being able to collect any evidence of reaction across this contact.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, there\u2019s some good contact,\u201d Cernan said as he worked the hammer more gently.<\/span> \u201cMan, that\u2019ll do it\u201d and he put the hammer in his calf pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cDike and intruded rock [are] in [Bag] 544 (77075<\/strong>),\u201d I repeated. \u201cNow, these dikes are a dark bluish-gray. And it looks like they\u2019re very finely crystalline \u2013 maybe with some\u2026very fine phenocrysts.\u201d<\/p>\n

[The dikelet, 77075<\/strong>, largely consists of a very fine-grained crystalline (sub-ophitic) matrix of plagioclase and pyroxene with minor olivine and ilmenite. The dikelet\u2019s original melt probably cooled quickly due to its fine-grained texture and less than 3 cm thickness. The matrix of the dikelet includes mineral clasts of Ca-plagioclase, olivine, and orthopyroxene, rather than being phenocrysts as I had first surmised. (Phenocrysts would have crystallized from the melt whereas zenocrysts would have been mineral clasts broken from pre-existing rock.) The relatively high iridium content of the dike indicates that some meteoritic material was mixed with the noritic melt, raising the possibility that the dikelet\u2019s impact-generated melt was externally derived from a different, but similar noritic parent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rb-Sr isochron age for 77075<\/strong> is 4.09 \u00b1 0.08 billion years. At 4.00 \u00b1 0.04 billion years, and recognizing possible contamination by older clasts, the dikelet\u2019s 40-39<\/sup>Ar age lies within the error limits for those determined for the blue-gray impact melt-breccia in the boulder at Station 6, interpreted as related to the Crisium<\/em> basin impact[4<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong>. Blue-gray melt-breccia at Station 6 has been reheated by relatively younger light-gray melt-breccia that has roughly the same radiometric age within the error limits. The reported 40-39<\/sup>Ar age for the main norite clast at Station 7 is the same as the dikelet. It will take more precise dating in the future to determine if there is a significant radiometric age difference between these two, blue-gray melt-breccias.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike most Mg-suite rocks, the Rare Earth Element profile of the noritic material next to the dikelet is lower relative to chondrites than the main norite clast (77215<\/strong>). This profile in the dikelet\u2019s wall rock also does not show significant europium depletion in contrast to depletion apparent in the main norite clast. On the other hand, the dikelet itself shows europium depletion similar to the norite clast whose overall composition it matches. These contrasting profiles might be explained if Rare Earth Elements, and particularly europium, migrated from the original melt of the dikelet into the norite clast with europium being assimilated by plagioclase in the norite. At this time, final conclusion on the origin of the dikelet melt is difficult to make with the data at hand, some of which appear conflicting.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet [the samples in] my bag,\u201d Cernan said. \u201cI\u2019ll take some close-up\u2019s.<\/p>\n

I put the dikelet samples away in his SCB and then moved along the boulder face to try to understand the rest of what it could tell us. \u201cWe ought to get, \u2026well, \u2026we ought to get a piece of the normal blue-gray that the dikes are coming from, \u2026You got your hammer handy still?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep,\u201d he answered and handed me the hammer. \u201cI want to get this finish documenting (photographing in stereo) this thing (boulder).\u201d He used the tongs set the focus. The after sampling images are AS17-146-22329-30 (Fig. 12.118<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191).<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh-hah!,\u201d I exclaimed as I moved around the boulder toward the south. \u201cHey, over here on this [south] side, it looks like the vesicular anorthositic gabbro.\u201d Using the field terminology I had started using at Station 6, I referred here to a close similarity to the light-gray impact melt-breccia that lies against and is relatively younger than the blue-gray breccia in Station 6\u2019s Block 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI got to get some regular pictures around this [north] side. Okay. Here\u2019s the [dikelet].\u201d Cernan said to himself and then looked over to what I was doing to his left. \u201c[If] that one won\u2019t come off; this one will,\u201d Cernan said, watching me trying to get a sample of the blue-gray breccia with about 10 light taps on the edge of a fracture. \u201cGot it?\u201d he asked as a piece came off.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[Bag] 561 (77115<\/strong>),\u201d reported Cernan.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.123.<\/strong> (Upper left<\/em>): The freshly broken surface of the impact melt blue-gray breccia 77115<\/strong> which I took from the Station 7 boulder with 10 light hammer taps. It shows a couple of largish, white lithic clasts with smaller dark, mineral clasts in between. (NASA photo S73-24129) (Upper right<\/em>): Sample 77115<\/strong> rotated to show more of the exterior patina with zap pits. (NASA photo S73-24115) (Lower left<\/em>): Anaglyph made from convergent stereo photos of 77115<\/strong>. A higher resolution version can be downloaded from here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA photos S73-24129, \u2011129B). (Lower right<\/em>): Anaglyph of the rotated view made from convergent stereo photos. of 77115. A higher resolution version can be downloaded from here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA photos S73-24115, -115B).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a sample of the [blue] gray \u2013 looks like re-crystallized breccia \u2013 that the dikes are continuous with, \u2026and a,<\/span> \u2026Bob, it\u2019s my turn to say \u2018and a\u2019.\u201d Parker was trying to interrupt to hurry us along. \u201cAnd the vesicular rock\u2026\u201d I moved about a meter farther south, tapped the slight shelf below a fracture five times and a nice piece of the light-gray vesicular impact-melt-breccia came loose in my left hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me finish the stereo around the corner here,\u201d Cernan said, suggesting that I get out of his way.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.124.<\/strong> Composites of Cernan\u2019s last documentation of the Station 7 boulder are shown in these next three illustrations. This view is looking down sun. Part of the large norite clast can be seen around the right edge. The very white part marks the site of sampling the upper dikelet. The contact between the light gray vesicular melt-breccia and blue gray melt-breccia curves down the middle of the boulder (see Fig. 12.127<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2193<\/strong>). A large scale view in a separate window is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22335, -336).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.125.<\/strong> In this view, I am stepping up to take a sample from the boulder which is at the level of my helmet. I had already removed sample 77115 with 10 taps of the hammer (white area left of center, see Fig. 12.127<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2193<\/strong>). The larger scale view is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0(Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22333, -334).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.126.<\/strong> Cernan has moved to his left while I am still trying to get up closer to the sample area which is the sharp, angular edge pointing to the right at the level of my visor. This will become sample 77135 (see Fig. 12.127, below). The larger scale view is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22337, -338).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.127.<\/strong> Having reached the area, I managed to break off the corner. The photo at right is the sample in the laboratory at the approximate in situ<\/em> orientation and illumination. The black dashed oval outlines the area where I had taken sample 77115 earlier (Fig. 12.123<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>). The dashed curve marks the contact between the vesicular, light gray (left) and fractured, blue gray melt breccias (right). Note the orientation and flattening of the vesicles parallel the line of contact (better seen by enlarging the larger scale view of Fig. 12.124<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>). (NASA photos AS17-146-22338 (left) and S73-19386 (right), based on Fig. 190 of Wolfe et al.[5<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong>).<\/span><\/p>\n

[This continued photo documentation of the boulder is contained in AS17-146-22331-38 (Fig. 12.124<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>–Fig. 12.126<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>). Image 22338 (Figs. 12.126<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, 12.127<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>) shows the sharp contact between vesicular light-gray melt-breccia and the blue-gray melt-breccia. The apparent flattening of vesicles parallel to the contact indicates flow of the light-gray melt-breccia along the contact and that it is the younger of the two melt-breccias. This relative age relationship was confirmed by isotopic dating (Chapter 13).]<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you guys have dropped the scoop there on the ground,\u201d Parker reminded me. \u201cAnd we\u2019re ready for you guys to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you are.\u201d I, again, was a little short with Parker because, had we left when he first asked us to, we would not have had the last two samples that eventually put the entire boulder in context with what we had done at Station 6 and with the large scale stratigraphy of the North Massif<\/em> (Chapter 13).<\/span>[6<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you might grab one FSR (Football-Sized Rock) on the way out,\u201d added Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. We\u2019ll do that,\u201d acknowledged Cernan.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. There\u2019s that one,\u201d I stated, completing my sampling of the boulder. \u201cThe vesicular anorthositic gabbro is in\u2026 What [bag] is it? \u2026[Bag] 562 (77135<\/strong>, Fig. 12.127<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get this [sample] in there (my SCB),\u201d Cernan said, \u201cand you take the\u2026scoop, and I\u2019ll get the hammer. Then (I\u2019ll) make sure your bag (SCB) is closed.\u201d<\/p>\n

As we finished bagging the last sample, I declared, \u201cI got to get the scoop. \u2026Yes, I\u2019ve got to check yours (SCB), too. Let me get uphill from you, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute.\u201d Cernan said as he worked on my SCB cover and then rotated around me so he stood downhill. \u201cGive me the hammer. How\u2019s that? Can you get it now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of the worst bags (SCB) we\u2019ve had,\u201d I commented as I worked on it. \u201cThe latching, it just doesn\u2019t stay down. \u2026If we get time somewhere, we ought to change that [SCB] out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s she doing?\u201d Cernan asked after a few moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay. It\u2019ll hold for a while. \u2026Okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

As I lean on the boulder to reach the scoop handle, Cernan went towards the Rover and then spied a large rock, too big to pick up with the tongs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Here\u2019s an FSR that\u2019s about\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Parker\u2019s knack for interrupting came through again as he said, \u201cAnd, Jack, you\u2019re untied. One side of your bag is undone again.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019ll get it for you,\u201d Cernan said. Who else was around? \u201cHere\u2019s a football-size rock that was 50 percent buried.\u201d He has gone to his knees to try to get a hand around the rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you grip it?\u201d I asked as he got hold of the small end of the rock and, using the hammer for support he rotated back and up on his feet, sample in hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get the gate open.\u201d We put this rock in the Big Bag (77035).<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.128.<\/strong> Four views on opposite sides of the FSR 77035<\/strong> picked up by Cernan not far from the LRV (see Fig. 12.102<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong> for location). The sample position and orientation is undocumented by photos. It is an impact melt-breccia with a number of clasts welded into the matrix making them difficult to remove. The very large cataclastic norite clast visible in the upper left and right photos is an exception. The sample has a fine-grained flow-banded matrix and has an obvious shell around it, possibly due to the melt-breccia being chilled or chemically reacting with the clast. More detailed views are available in the anaglyphs by clicking here<\/em><\/span><\/a> (upper left<\/em>); here<\/em><\/span><\/a>\u00a0 (upper right<\/em>); here<\/em><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(lower left<\/em>); and here<\/em><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(lower right<\/em>). (NASA photos S73-24851 (upper left<\/em>); S73-24852 (upper right<\/em>); S73-24862 (lower left<\/em>); S73-24863 (lower right<\/em>). Anaglyphs made from convergent counterparts).<\/span><\/p>\n

[Post-mission examination and analysis of 77035<\/strong> showed that it consists of layers of grayish, very finely crystalline (micro-poikilitic) impact melt-breccia that enclose several crushed, originally coarse-grained igneous rocks of the Mg-suite as clasts. Unlike the blue-gray melt-breccias in the Stations 6 and 7 boulders, however, 77035<\/strong> has numerous dark gray, extremely fine-grained clasts that appear welded into the dominant matrix. The clasts consist of norite (Ca-plagioclase, Mg-orthopyroxene, and shock glass), dunite (Mg-olivine), and gabbro-norite (Ca-plagioclase, Mg-orthopyroxene and Ca-clinopyroxene). Apparently, no radio-isotopic dating has been reported for this sample.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rare Earth Element patterns among the clasts vary considerably in absolute amounts, line slopes, and the presence of positive or negative europium anomalies. A large norite clast has no europium anomaly, suggesting that it may have crystallized from trapped magma ocean melt from which plagioclase had not been fractionally removed. A gabbro-norite clast also has no europium anomaly. A dunite clast has a strong negative europium anomaly, consistent with having crystallized from Mg-suite magma produced by partial melting of crystallized magma ocean from which plagioclase had been removed during crystallization.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRemind me to get (tie down) your bag (SCB),\u201d Cernan said as he tossed the hammer up to change his grip. \u201cHey! Did you see the way I handled that hammer!?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d I was not impressed, as I had been doing the same thing with tools most of the time we had been exploring.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell you what, I\u2019m getting accustomed to things. \u2026That gate\u2019s a little sluggish, too, Jack. \u2026Boy, I think everything is so full of dust (that) nothing wants to move any more\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking a quick glance at Cernan\u2019s big rock, I said, \u201cThat one (the FSR) looked like a piece of the [light] gray rock (melt-breccia in the boulder), I think.\u201d 77035<\/strong> would be the last sample of material that could be related directly to the North Massif.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

[Recent examination of LROC high resolution photographs and the accompanying topographic analysis of the North Massif<\/em> slope identified a boulder track leading to the boulder near Station 7 (labeled \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d in Fig. 12.132<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2193<\/strong>) from a source crop about 500 m vertically higher than the source of the boulder at Station 6, itself about 400 m above the valley floor. As discussed in the caption for Fig. 12.132<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2193<\/strong>, the Station 7 boulder broke off boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d near the end of its roll and left a subsidiary track of its own. \u00a0We did not notice this track during the stop at Station 7, nor did I think to look for it during the press of other activities. The relative stratigraphic positions of the North Massif<\/em> outcrops from which the boulders at Stations 6 and 7 originated establishes the relative ages of the rocks in those outcrops, that is, the source of the boulder at Station 7 is younger than the source of the boulder at Station 6. (See Chapter 13 for a full interpretation of these ejecta units.)<\/span><\/p>\n

As the blue-gray and light-gray impact melt-breccias in both boulders have very similar appearances, they suggest that the presumed Serenitatis<\/em> ejecta melt sheet exposed on the slopes of the North<\/em> Massif<\/em> has a thickness of at least 500 m. From the upper end of the Station 7 boulder track to the crest of the North Massif<\/em>, about 700 m remain to contain the upper portion of this melt sheet as well as ejecta from the relatively younger Imbrium<\/em> basin.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2017, based on an integration of field, remote sensing, and sample data, my colleagues and I summarized the geology of the North Massif<\/em> and Sculptured Hills<\/em> as follows: \u201cStructural considerations [that the valley was formed by the Serenitatis<\/em> event] and published and recalculated 40<\/sup>Ar\/39<\/sup>Ar analyses of samples from the North Massif<\/em> and the Sculptured Hills<\/em> indicate that the Crisium<\/em> basin formed about 3.93 GA; the Serenitatis<\/em> basin about 3.82 Ga; and the Imbrium<\/em> basin (ejecta from which formed the Sculptured Hills<\/em>) no earlier than 3.82 Ga and no later than the average of 3.72 Ga for 33 age dates from samples of the valley\u2019s mare basalts.\u201d [7<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong> Chapter 13 discusses these conclusions in more detail.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I\u2019ll bet I didn\u2019t push the gravimeter here. Did\u00a0I, Bob?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. We\u2019ll get it at Station 8,\u201d Parker replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. They didn\u2019t tell us to,\u201d I confirmed. This is a surprising decision on the part of the Science Back Room, as there had been plenty of time to get a reading at this station. The more gravity measurements across the valley, the better, and this would have been my advice; but I did not think to ask about it when we arrived at Station 7.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Jack, you\u2019re going to have to close the gate, and I\u2019ll have to hold the Big Bag over the top.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, Jack,\u201d Parker called, \u201cbefore you leave, we\u2019d like you to change mags before you leave this station.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir. I\u2019ll do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, oh.\u201d The gate latch acted up again. \u201c\u2026Wait a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got it.\u201d I told Cernan as I kept the gate from swinging open.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but don\u2019t push.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of those little [pins is stuck]. \u2026Okay, now you can push. Okay, that\u2019s locked. \u2026Well, it\u2019s in. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait a minute. [Let me] see what\u2019s going on in there. \u2026This thing [pin] isn\u2019t released all the way. \u2026Uh, Uh. Pull it out this [way]. \u2026That\u2019s it. [Now] Push. Okay, now\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere, you got it. It went in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, that\u2019s the dust again. Now, the Big Bag\u2019s in the way. Let me get the (Big) Bag out [of the way].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. And, Gene, you might get the\u2026\u201d Parker was ignored here as he called in the middle of us trying to get the gate latched.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Now shove it,\u201d Cernan told me. \u201c\u2026That\u2019s too much. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let me\u2026okay. \u2026Let me lift it up and [then you] do it. \u2026Well, wait a minute. I\u2019ve got to tweak this thing (latch pin). Okay, now shove it in. Right now\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat got it,\u201d I declared, prematurely. \u201cNo? \u2026Why don\u2019t you play with it, and I\u2019ll see if I can change a [film] mag.\u201d We both could not get our fingers into the latch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, dadgummit! That latch is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGone?\u201d I finished for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll lock it. I\u2019ll just push that latch. \u2026That latch is just sticking, that\u2019s all. It\u2019s just dust, again. I don\u2019t know what you do about those problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, what magazine did you want, Bob,\u201d I queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cMagazine Mike, as in Mary (AS17-142).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. It\u2019s latched.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGene,\u201d Parker continued, \u201cyou might spend your time taking a standard 74-foot [focus] pan while Jack is changing his mag, if you got a chance there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a splendid idea, sir. And that\u2019s exactly what I\u2019ll do. \u2026I don\u2019t mind going uphill [for the pan], because it\u2019s so much fun coming down. Down in my little hole (crater) here. Oh! That\u2019s stability. That\u2019s stability\u2026\u201d The downhill wall of the crater provides a fairly level place to stand. This excellent panorama consists of images AS17-146-22339-363.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.129.<\/strong> Cernan\u2019s Pan 24 is shown in quarters in these next figures. This view to the south shows me at the Rover; the Station 7 boulder at far right; the \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d boulder behind and just left of the upper part of it; Henry Crater<\/em> on the valley floor below the South Massif<\/em> at right; Bear Mountain<\/em> just left of the South Massif<\/em>; Shakespeare Crater<\/em> below and to the left of Bear Mountain<\/em>; the outcrops and layered structure of the East Massif<\/em>; massive boulders that have rolled down the northwest slope of the East Massif<\/em> (the massif peak is ~19 km distant); and Cochise Crater<\/em> on the valley floor below this part of the East Massif<\/em>. These features are easier to see in area enlargements of the higher resolution pan available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Composite of NASA photos AS17-146-22345, -348, -350, -351).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.130.<\/strong> The pan view to the east. The small boulder at the middle right edge of the frame is the same as the partially cut boulder at the middle left edge of Fig. 12.129. The boulders \u201ca<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cb<\/strong>\u201d are the same as those indicated in Cernan\u2019s Sta. 6 pan, Fig. 12.71<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong> (\u00a71) by the labeled arrows. The plateau at the skyline above these two boulders is the \u201chump\u201d we crossed as we landed. The dome shaped mountain to its left is part of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> with the Wessex<\/em> Cleft<\/em> beginning further left. The large boulder marked by the white arrow may be nearby and is discussed further in the next two figures. The two black arrows encompass a small crater with a darkish rim. The unlabeled higher resolution version is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Composite of NASA photos AS17-146-22340, -341, -342, -343).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.131.<\/strong> LROC QuickMap showing the locations of the Sta. 6, 7 and \u201ca<\/strong>,b<\/strong>,c<\/strong>\u201d boulders. The extra arrow pointing up to the left near the Sta. 7 boulder marks an unnamed boulder which may be the large boulder just left of center in Fig. 12.130. The crater to its right, almost in the exact center of Fig. 12.130 marked by the two black arrows with the dark rim may then be the crater next to the end of the up-pointing arrow. If so, the distance to this boulder measured from this photo is ~40 m. With the 10.3\u00b0 separation between the reseau marks in the original photo (AS17-146-22341), the boulder is ~4 m wide and ~2 m high. On the other hand, the distance to the \u201ca<\/strong>\u201d boulder is ~307 m and to \u201cb<\/strong>\u201d, 309 m. Thus, the former is ~8 m wide and 4 m high, while the latter, is a comparable size, ~7 m \u00d7 4 m, although it might be higher since it appears to lie in a depression. These numbers agree with those quoted in the ALSJ<\/em><\/span><\/a> where slightly different non-QuickMap distances were used. (LROC Quickmap photo available at https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mnk9OR<\/em><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.132.<\/strong> Enlargement of the area around the Station 7 boulder comparing further details. (Left<\/em>): unlabeled view. (Right<\/em>): For orientation, the boulder marked \u201cn<\/strong>\u201d is the one marked the same in the north pan of Fig. 12.134<\/span><\/a>\u2193<\/span><\/strong> below. The boulder \u201cne<\/strong>\u201d is the boulder to the northeast in the east pan of Fig. 12.130<\/strong>\u2191<\/span><\/a>. The crater to the SE marked by \u201cdr<\/strong>\u201d and the slanted white arrow is apparently the one with darkish rim in Fig. 12.130<\/strong>\u2191<\/span><\/a> encompassed by the two black arrows. Boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d at bottom left has a prominent track. The boulder appears to have broken when it hit the outside rim of an ~18 m diameter crater next to the track. The larger part continued on to its final resting place. The broken fragment skipped over the 18 m crater, impacted the southern inner wall, continued to roll over the rim, and made a smaller track curving to the southeast directly to what became the Station 7 boulder! This arcuate track, also seen in the left view without the arrows, appears to be composed of a dozen or so small craterlets marking the roll path. About three-quarters of the way along the arcuate track from the wall impact, another crater whose areal dimensions are about the same as the area around and including the Station 7 boulder, has been overridden by the track on its southern rim continuing on to the Station 7 boulder. This small crater may have played a significant role in stopping the motion of the Station 7 boulder. For an enlarged view in a separate window, click here<\/em><\/span><\/a>.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.133.<\/strong> The slope across the ~18 m diameter crater next to the Boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d track. The crater is shallow, ~2 m. The cross-section, or slope path across the crater, is from NW to SE passing over the crater wall impact point, which here is indicated by the green slightly sloping, straight line between the 0.017 km and 0.018 km points at right on the horizontal scale.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.134.<\/strong> The pan to the north showing the crest of the massif and several outcrop sources of boulders that have rolled further down the slope. The latter are better seen by enlarging areas of the higher resolution version available \u00a0here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. The boulder marked \u201cn<\/strong>\u201d is the one slightly west of north above the Sta. 7 boulder in Fig. 12.132<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22360, -361, -362, -363).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.135.<\/strong> The pan towards the west shows the Sta. 7 boulder at far left; the East Massif<\/em>; and the Sta. 6 boulders outlined by the dotted rectangle. These latter can be seen to better advantage in the enlarged view available \u00a0here<\/em><\/span><\/a>, or also in Fig. 12.136, below. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-146-22353, -355, -357, -359).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.136.<\/strong> An enlargement of the area outlined by the dotted rectangle of Fig. 12.135. The Station 6 boulder fragments are quite clearly seen. The numbers of the fragments correspond to the number scheme discussed in Section 1 (also see planimetric site map in Fig. 12.37<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>\u00a0in\u00a0\u00a71).<\/span><\/p>\n

[Cernan\u2019s north to northeast panorama frames 22340-43 (Fig. 12.130<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, Fig. 12.134<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191) show a variety of boulders on the slopes of the North Massif<\/em>. But neither of us noticed any tracks while working around the Station 7 boulder and the Rover. However, when the LROC images became available (Fig. 12.131<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, Fig. 12.132<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>), the origin of the Station 7 boulder became clearer. \u00a0It is probably a fragment broken from the larger boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d (see Fig. 12.103<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong> for a size estimate) as the latter tumbled downhill. The fact that we noticed neither the more prominent boulder \u201cc<\/strong>\u201d track nor the smaller, arcuate crater chain track of the Station 7 boulder can be attributed to greater degredation than the track at Station 6, slope undulations produced by upturned, small crater rims (e.g., see the slope measurement in Fig. 12.104<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>), lighting conditions (back scatter from the west and northwest), the limited time for the work at hand, and the interruptions from the CapCom pressing us to move on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exposure ages on samples of the boulder at Station 7 suggest that it rolled to its present position 25-32 Myr ago, that is, about 10 million years before the Station 6 boulder did so (see Chapter 13). This difference and exposure ages on non-track boulders at Station 2, provide a semi-quantitative measure of the rate of destruction of such tracks by background impacts, that is, tracks are totally gone after ~<50 million years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Frame 22348 of the panorama provides additional detail of the cliff and slope structure in the East Massif. (Fig. 12.130<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, enlargement).<\/span><\/p>\n

Frame 22345 (Fig. 12.129<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>) not only is a good view of the Rover with me working at Cernan\u2019s seat, but, in the distance on the valley floor, it also shows a line of boulders along the possible lava flow front or fault scarp to the left of Cochise Crater<\/em>, and identified above in the Station 6 panorama (AS17-141-21597; Fig. 12.40<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, \u00a71, enlargment).<\/span><\/p>\n

The absence of visible boulders on the rim and upper wall of Shakespeare Crater<\/em> is shown in frame 22349 (Fig. 12.129<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, enlargement), supporting the conclusion that this crater is the oldest of the ~5-600 m diameter craters in the general landing area.<\/span><\/p>\n

Frames 22350-53 (Fig. 12.135<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, enlargement) show the northeast side of the Station 7 boulder as well as the northeast-facing slope of the South Massif<\/em>. With the Sun directly on the slope of the massif, few textural details can be identified.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, Challenger looks a long way away,\u201d commented Cernan as he rotated in taking the panorama. \u201cThat\u2019s 3 kilometers, huh?…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup. \u2026Okay, mag\u2019s changed. \u2026Bob, those two [sample] bags with the goodies (selected samples) in them, will have enough soil to be representative of the area we sampled, too, I think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd did you guys get your bags fixed up there, Jack? We were concerned about your SCB for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. We have to do that,\u201d I replied to Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll do it,\u201d Cernan added.<\/p>\n

As Cernan arrives back at the Rover from taking the pan, I said, \u201cLook at my camera lens and see how dirty it is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, he went to work on my SCB harness. \u201cNow, it\u2019s the other hook that came [loose]. \u2026Turn a little more left. \u2026No, it didn\u2019t come off, I don\u2019t think, unless it\u2026 The bottom\u2019s off, but the bottom is not going to stay on. And it\u2019s not\u2026 You\u2019re not going to lose it. The tops are so tight you\u2019ll [be okay]. \u2026Your bottom\u2019s loose, but that\u2019s because your harness shrunk a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looked like, from time to time, guys,\u201d Parker observed, \u201cthat only one of Jack\u2019s hooks was hooked\u2013 on the top.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re both on, and they\u2019re both tight,\u201d Cernan told him. \u201cAnd\u2026I got the bottom hooked again, too. \u2026But the bottom is not going to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Check my lens,\u201d I requested,<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, your lens is beautiful! What\u2019s mine look like? Can you see it? \u2026Yeah, I know it\u2019s clean. Let\u2019s forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay; and, 17,\u201d Parker said, \u201cas you get around to the front there, Gene, would you dust the LCRU; we don\u2019t think you did that here, and the top of the TV camera. And, Jack, would you take a peek at the SEP temperature for us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Bob,\u201d replied Cernan. \u201cI already did that when we stopped at the station.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. If it\u2019s been done\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSEP temperature is about 115,\u201d I reported from the back of the Rover. Then I moved to the side of my seat and hopped back on.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack, this (SCB) is tied down everywhere [I can],\u201d Cernan told me. \u201cYou\u2019re just going to have to watch it [however].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d I replied, however, there was no way that I could see it. \u201c\u2026Okay, I\u2019m in [my seat]. \u2026Hey, we seem to do an awful lot of down-Sun driving \u2013 or up-Sun driving \u2013 for all the planning we did.\u201d This is a consequence of working in a valley that trends east-west.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Wait until we come home from Station 8,\u201d Parker added, \u201cthen we\u2019ll take care of it. \u2026And, Gene, as you get started there, we\u2019d like a couple of Rover battery temperatures; at least one, we know what the other one says. And, Jack, we might get a frame count from you. \u2026Oh, excuse me, we already got that. Thank you, because it\u2019s (the magazine) changed.\u201d Someone at the EVA Console probably had yelled, \u201cWe got it!\u201d at Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, okay, [battery temperature] 110; and CDR, by the way, is about 73 on the frames. \u2026Okay, Bob, I\u2019d like the range and bearing to the [next station]. \u2026We\u2019re roll\u2026 We\u2026\u201d Cernan stuttered as the Rover moved backward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you get in reverse?\u201d I asked. Going into reverse only required pulling back on the hand controller or \u201cPalm Pivot\u201d with the Reverse Inhibit Switch (below his hand on the back of the controller post) in the UP position, its normal position. He must have inadvertently pulled back on the hand controller instead of pushing forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Traverse to Station 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.<\/span> \u2026Okay. We\u2019re rolling, and I\u2019d like the range and bearing to the next\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d interrupted Parker. \u201cWe want a heading of around 125, and there\u2019s going to be a small turn, I think it\u2019s at SWP Crater<\/em> at 225 and 3.4 \u2013 there\u2019ll be a slight turn. That\u2019s a heading of 125 is what you should start out on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd 225 and 3.4\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we were bypassing\u2026I thought we were bypassing SWP<\/em>,\u201d I joked, alluding to the crew possibly ignoring the inputs of the Science Working Panel (SWP) in honor of which I had named SWP Crater<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we just do that during the mission planning stages,\u201d Parker said, continuing this sarcastic reference to SWP\u2019s traverse planning inputs being left out of pre-mission consideration. SWP consisted of good friends who, I hoped, would appreciate this kidding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s pretty close to nominal,\u201d I observed, referring to the bearing and range numbers Parker gave us.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I got my [directions]. \u2026Man, I tell you, this little navigation map I\u2019ve got on my Cuff Checklist is unquestionably the greatest thing that I\u2019ve ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Cernan had asked that the traverse lines and data on the EVA photomaps used by previous crews be condensed and put in the Cuff Checklist. His instinct to do this harkened back to low-level navigation charts we used as pilots. The small maps proved so useful that we rarely looked at the photomaps. The Cuff Checklist idea itself grew out of the checklist I prepared for Bill Anders’ use for observations from orbit on Apollo 8 that in turn evolved into a single page cloth checklist that Neil Armstrong had sewn on the sleeve of his suit. Ed Gibson, scientist astronaut on the support crew for Apollo 12, designed the bent, spring hinged, Mylar, multipage version, probably stimulated by the complaints of Pete Conrad and Alan Bean, and\u00a0subsequently used by other lunar missions.]<\/p>\n

\u201cSure hard to tell where north is on it, though,\u201d I observed, referring to how field geologists are always wanting to know the direction of north on a map.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrying my best to keep you out of [leaning down] those slopes,\u201d Cernan said as he drove east along the apron of the North Massif toward Station 8.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all right. I\u2019m learning to tolerate it. \u2026Bob. We\u2019re pretty close now to\u2026no, we\u2019re not. We\u2019re still about 100 meters [up hill], I think, from where the break in slope is with the plains. But we\u2019re away from the [base] block population except for scattered [small boulders]. \u2026[There are] two great big blocks out ahead of us, this side of the SWP Crater<\/em> (traverse photos AS17-142-21671-75). But the average population is down to the 1 percent or less, again.\u201d Again, I am trying to estimate the percentage of rocks more than one centimeter in size exposed at the surface. That average population really never changed up in here [on the North Massif apron] \u2013 just the big blocks were around [and made it different]. \u2026I saw some little, half-meter to one-third-meter, glass-lined, pit-bottom craters \u2026Look at the size of those things (the big blocks)!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.137.<\/strong> About 300 m into our traverse to Station 8, I took this photo as we passed by boulders \u201ca<\/strong>\u201d (left) and \u201cb<\/strong>\u201d (right), which Cernan had photographed earlier at Station 6 (Fig. 12.71<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, \u00a71) and at Station 7 (Fig. 12.130<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>). They were estimated to be about 7.6 m wide by 4.3 m high (a<\/strong>) and 7.1 m wide by 3.8 m high (b<\/strong>) from the Station 7 photos. (NASA photo AS17-142-21674).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, aren\u2019t they big mamas\u2026mamoos,\u201d Cernan agreed as we passed some large boulders like those we worked on at Stations 6 and 7.<\/p>\n

Laughing at his characterization of the boulders, I continued, \u201cAnd it looks like they\u2019re probably the same thing that we sampled. They have the inclusions (clasts) in them, white inclusions. They look like a mixture of the [blue] gray of the re-crystallized breccia, and the tan-gray of the anorthositic gabbro.<\/span> \u2026That must [be Van Serg<\/em>] Hey, look! There\u2019s Van Serg<\/em> \u2013 [a] blocky-rimmed crater. That\u2019s the other side of Cochise<\/em> [Crater<\/em>] there. See it?\u201d Van Serg<\/em> eventually would be the location of Station 9.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Way over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.138.<\/strong> Our approximate traverse route to Station 8 on the lower slope of the Sculptured Hills<\/em>. The boulders we photographed at Station 7 are marked a<\/strong>,b<\/strong>,c<\/strong>. Half of Cochise Crater<\/em> is at bottom center. Van Serg<\/em> is not observable in this view near the south rim of Cochise<\/em>. SWP Crater<\/em> which I named for the Science Working Panel is marked right of center. Readers may note the name “Bowen-Apollo<\/em>” below “SWP<\/em>” in the above photo. This double designation is incorrect. I named\u00a0Bowen Crater<\/em>, referenced elsewhere in text below, for the Geologist Norman L. Bowen. It is a shallow crater beyond (southeast of) SWP Crater<\/em>, approximately halfway between SWP<\/em> and Smith<\/em> Craters<\/em> and ~200 m in diameter. It was correctly marked on our cuff checklists, and the reader can see it marked here<\/em><\/span><\/a> in this enlarged view. (Derived from NASA Features Sites, Apollo 17 website<\/em><\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah! Cochise<\/em> is certainly a shallow crater, although we knew that. It doesn\u2019t have any\u2026\u201d correcting myself, \u201cit only has one place I can see that has any blocks on the inner wall of Cochise<\/em>. Otherwise, it has a surface much like what we\u2019re driving on \u2013 for walls and for the floor. One place on the south-southeast wall, there is a concentration of blocks much like we saw in Henry<\/em> or (and) in Horatio<\/em>. But the rest of the crater seems to be pretty well mantled (covered with regolith). Van Serg<\/em> is a very blocky rim crater, big blocks up on the rim.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

[Of the five older-appearing, 5-600 m diameter craters along our various traverse routes, namely, Horatio<\/em>, Camelot<\/em>, Henry<\/em>, Shakespeare<\/em> and Cochise<\/em> from west to east, the apparent relative ages are, younger to older, Camelot<\/em>–Henry<\/em>, Horatio<\/em>–Cochise<\/em> and Shakespeare<\/em>. This judgment is based on rim sharpness and boulder distribution as seen in LROC images augmented by our traverse descriptions and photos. In recent examination of data on the ALSEP deep drill core obtained during EVA-1, it appears that regolith ejecta units from all of these craters may be present in the core. Based on these data (see Chapter 13) the sequence in the core, from older to younger appears to be Shakespeare<\/em>, Cochise<\/em>, Horatio<\/em>, Henry<\/em> and Camelot<\/em>, with Shakespeare<\/em> possibly being as old as 3.3 billion years. The regolith ejecta from the Crater Cluster<\/em> (Fig. 12.17\u2191<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, \u00a71) in the vicinity of Station 1 appear to be the youngest regolith ejecta zone in the core.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have a lot of static, Jack, or is it just me?<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I think it\u2019s just you. People are always giving you static,\u201d I kidded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBob, if you are still reading me,\u201d Cernan said, \u201cI\u2019m looking at the Sculptured Hills<\/em>, and I still have that (impression of an) old man, wrinkled-face appearance, even up close at this Sun angle. And those wrinkles go from, generally, upslope at the west to down-slope at the east.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

[My traverse photos of the eastern slopes of the North Massif<\/em> (AS17-142-21671-81) show a very uniform, smooth surface at this resolution; however, it appears that my Hasselblad focus was set for the mid-field. Obviously, our eyes and brain combination picked up more subtle detail.]<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.139.<\/strong> Continuing east past boulder \u201cb<\/strong>\u201d (blocked by the HGA mast\/handle at left), the slope of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> lies to the right of the HGA, leading to the Wessex Cleft<\/em>. We are, of course, driving up-sun so that many of these traverse photos are overexposed. Consequently, the sky has been blackened and the contrast stretched to bring out details. (NASA photo AS17-142-21675).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey, are you [at SWP<\/em>]?\u201d I asked. \u201cNo, you\u2019re right at the edge of Cochise<\/em>. Aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere? Right here?\u201d I said, pointing at the traverse map.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we\u2019re not that close,\u201d disagreed Cernan.\u201d Uh-uh. Cochise<\/em> is up at\u2026 See that rim where those blocks are?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s a small crater,\u201d I observed. Again, judging the size of craters was still difficult, even after two and a half days of exploring.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019ll bet you that\u2019s Cochise<\/em> up there. We\u2019ve got to go quite a ways yet to get to [Cochise<\/em>]. \u2026This side-slope driving is really a tough [challenge]\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about a range and bearing there, guys?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 210\/3.4.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026you should be somewhat north of Cochise<\/em> there,\u201d Parker said, looking at his map in the MOCR, \u201cas per planning, although you may be cutting south to try (to avoid) going directly up-Sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that\u2019s some other [crater I am seeing],\u201d I concluded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just a depression,\u201d Cernan said. \u201cI think Cochise<\/em> is over that rim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just a depression,\u201d I agreed. \u201cYeah, yeah. \u2026Those [hands] are getting warm.\u201d This warmth really felt good, relieving, somewhat, the feeling of tiredness in my hands and forearms.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, I tell you that. Every bump you go over on a side-slope is just accentuated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026we don\u2019t think you\u2019re anywhere near Cochise<\/em>,\u201d interjected Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I agree,\u201d I said. The rim of Cochise<\/em> lay at least 300 m away to the southeast of our position.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I think it\u2019s over that rim up there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s (the crater we were going by) just a big, shallow depression,\u201d I confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I\u2019m doing is flying the 3.4-kilometer arc right now,\u201d reported Cernan. He meant that he was driving to a bearing of 214 degrees by staying on the 3.4 km arc around the initialization point at the SEP transmitter; an easier approach than trying to take a direct line to hit both numbers simultaneously.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s another one of those deep craters that doesn\u2019t have a blocky rim,\u201d I noted. I may have been looking down into a relatively small but deep crater over a particularly thick area of regolith.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. 214\/3.4,\u201d Cernan called out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the more striking characteristics of the [dark] mantle are these craters that look, as far as the diameter-to-depth ratio is concerned, like they ought to be fairly young. But there\u2019s no blocks on the rim, and they seem to have this mantled appearance, just like some of the large craters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

[In spite of my poor grammar, I tried to relate how the mapped dark mantle seemed to, indeed, \u201cmantle\u201d the craters. In fact, post-mission examination would disclose that this \u201cdark mantle\u201d map unit consists of a thick, intimate mixture of largely basaltic regolith and the original true mantle of orange and black ash.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs I look up Wessex Cleft<\/em> from just about abeam of it\u2026\u201d Cernan began to say but then turned to avoid a small crater. \u201cLet me get over here. \u2026It (Wessex Cleft<\/em>) still shows me an albedo change and a surface wrinkle-texture change.\u201d This apparent albedo change on the Sculptured Hills<\/em> relative to the North Massif<\/em> would have been, at least in part or entirely, the effect of having a low Sun-angle grazing the west-facing slope of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> versus a relatively high Sun-angle hitting the opposing, east-facing slope of the Massif<\/em>. A possible real difference in albedo, however, will be discussed, subsequently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think so,\u201d I said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got it (both slopes) at the same Sun-angle, more or less, on part of it (Wessex Cleft<\/em>) there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sort of a perfectly formed saddle in there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys may be getting just a little far north,\u201d noted Parker. \u201cYou may want to head just a little south to avoid running right into the middle of SWP Crater<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I think we see it now. Is that SWP<\/em>?\u201d I speculated.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t [see much of a rim].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSWP<\/em> will be at 225 and 3.4,\u201d updated Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. That\u2019s my\u2026 that\u2019s what I\u2019m shooting for, Bob. I\u2019m just flying a 3.4 mile\u2026or, kilometer arc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger. I was going to suggest that.\u201d Parker must not have been listening a few minutes earlier when Cernan had indicated his approach to local navigation on the Moon.<\/p>\n

\u201cBob, there\u2019s something I haven\u2019t mentioned,\u201d I broke in, \u201cbut if one had time on the next [lunar] program [after Apollo], you can sample secondary craters, and they tend to have blocks either in them or on one rim, suggesting that you could tell [flight] directions, if you put your mind to it; directions of where the secondary came from. These are small ones (secondary craters).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s SWP<\/em> right there, Jack. \u2026Did we ever get a piece of glass in place?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I did yesterday.\u201d This is sample 70019[8<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDocumented in place?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s (the sample) what I was trying to protect in the SRC yesterday,\u201d I explained, wondering how Cernan could have forgotten our discussion of this at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s SWP<\/em>, Jack. It\u2019s coming right up, and I\u2019ll go along the southern rim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I wouldn\u2019t lose [my concentration]. \u2026Start concentrating!\u201d I said, chastising myself. \u201cI\u2019m forgetting to take my pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger, Jack. Don\u2019t forget to take your pictures,\u201d Parker jibed. Here we are 230,000 miles from home, wandering around on the Moon in a seemingly fragile spacesuit, the Challenger<\/em> three and a half kilometers from us, and its repressurization, if needed, at least an hour away, and Parker and I act as if we are having a casual conversation in our office! The level of our confidence in what others have done and were doing to manage any risks, and everyone\u2019s mental adaptability to assume all would be well, never ceases to amaze me.[<\/a><\/sup>9<\/a><\/sup><\/strong><\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you, if we don\u2019t concentrate,\u201d Cernan said in response, \u201cwe end up\u2026\u201d He didn\u2019t finish, but he was thinking \u201cdead\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I\u2019ll quit thinking and just take pictures\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a crater\u2026that double pit-bottom crater. That\u2019s the first one of those I\u2019ve seen.\u201d The photographs show that I had noticed two, side-by-side, pit-bottom craters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight here, Jack, you\u2019re going to be able to peek right over the top of SWP<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight here. How\u2019s that grab you? That\u2019s SWP<\/em>, all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSWP\u2019s<\/em> a bigger hole than I thought it was. \u2026SWP<\/em> even has some blocks in the wall.\u201d The degradation of blocks, along with a reduction in slope, constitutes the last phase of the impact-driven, erosive transition of impact craters the size of SWP<\/em> and larger into a smooth rim and wall, bowl-shaped depression. Traverse photos AS17-142-21685-88 show a very blockly field that may be a portion of the flow front or fault scarp identified in the panorama at Station 6.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.140.<\/strong> As we approach SWP Crater<\/em>, the frequency of blocks increases. This blocky flow front may be that seen in Fig. 12.71<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>,\u00a0\u00a71\u00a0(right of center) at Station 6. (NASA photo AS17-142-21686).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but the eastern and southeastern rim of SWP<\/em> are just continuous\u2026Ooh!\u201d Cernan had lost his driving concentration and bounced through a small crater. \u201cThey\u2019re just continuous with the slopes of the Sculptured Hills<\/em>.\u201d He meant that the regolith apron at the base of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> merged continuously into the regolith on the ejecta blanket of SWP Crater<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow does 238\/4.2 sound for the beginning of [Station] 8?\u201d Cernan estimated as he looked ahead toward the nearly boulder free area of the base of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> that lay ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you\u2019re [putting me down hill, again],\u201d I noted as he turned across the slope.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay have to take these slopes just the most comfortable way we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c238 and 4.0 [is what] we\u2019re expecting for Station 8,\u201d Parker said, \u201c[at least for] the beginning of it. 238\/4.2\u2026[that is] 4.0. Excuse me \u2013 4.0.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd remember again, Station 8 is a very flexible area. You just get to a place where it looks like it\u2019s feasible to sample the Sculptured Hills.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d I acknowledged.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. \u2026Let me tell you, this Rover is a machine,\u201d Cernan commented. \u201cI don\u2019t know if it (the Rover) saw that hill we\u2019re climbing, but I did\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s your [speed? ]\u2026How\u2019re you doing?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing fine. I\u2019m trying to get around SWP<\/em> over here and start hitting the [slope]\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[The] East Massif<\/em> has outcrops on it [that] I can see now on the north side. And they also tend to have linear upper terminations, [like outcrops on the North Massif<\/em>]. And some of those [outcrops] line up as if there\u2019s roughly horizontal structure within the upper one-half of the East Massif<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Copy that, Jack. \u2026Stop thinking and take pictures.\u201d Parker couldn\u2019t help himself.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Gene,] Go by that little dark crater over there. \u2026There\u2019s a very blocky-rimmed small crater, that\u2019s a dark-rim crater instead of a bright-rim [crater] like we\u2019d seen some [craters] around that looked fresh. It partly may be the angle at which we\u2019re approaching it.\u201d As we neared this small crater, we looked into shadows casted by thousands regolith breccia fragments on its rim. This dark, regolith breccia crater is present on the rim of SWP<\/em> as seen in AS17-146-22364. This image also shows the smooth southeastern wall and rim of SWP<\/em>. AS17-142-21692-96) are close ups of the same crater.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.141.<\/strong> Cernan photographed SWP Crater<\/em> and the smaller dark-rim crater located on its southeast rim. Here, Cernan is driving around the south rim of SWP<\/em> to get closer to the dark-rim crater. (NASA photo AS17-146-22364).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.142.<\/span><\/strong> My closer photo of the dark-rim crater. See<\/span> Fig. 12.138<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong> for location of the indicated brief stop at LRV-11. (NASA photo AS17-142-21692).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob, we\u2019re on the southeastern rim of SWP<\/em> at 226 and 3.6,\u201d reported Cernan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t we get some samples of that material in there,\u201d I suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep driving toward the rim and then just [do] a shallow curve. Okay. Now, curve it,\u201d I directed as we came close to the crater ejecta blanket.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Got your spot?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Right [a tad]. \u2026Just keep going, and I\u2019ll stop you. \u2026Whoa, straight ahead. \u2026Good, good.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.143.<\/strong> The 30 m dark-rim crater is left of the TV camera. The samples I will try to pick up with the Rover Sampler when Cernan stops are very friable. Even though they look blocky and angular, the samples easily break apart forming clods. This is very close to Rover stop LRV-11. The dashed oval is the approximate area where I will lean out and retrieve what will be put in bag 50 Yankee as sample 78120-24<\/strong>. (NASA photo AS17-142-21694).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Bob. 226\/3.6,\u201d Cernan noted. \u201cThere\u2019s a highly fragmental, small crater about 30 or 40 meters across, right on the southeastern rim of SWP<\/em>; and most of the fragments are football size and smaller, and they\u2019re very angular; and probably the [crater] inside of that rim is [about 30 m in diameter]\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTurns out that they\u2019ll (the fragments) break,\u201d I said as one fragment broke apart as I tried to get it in the Rover Sampler. \u201cThey\u2019re clods.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre they clods?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that\u2019s going to be about 70 percent covered on the inside of the rim with these things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all instant rock (regolith breccia), but the crater rim looks dark compared to other fresh craters like this that we\u2019ve seen.\u201d In retrospect, this crater looks like a smaller version of Van Serg<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c50 Yankee (78120<\/strong>),\u201d read Cernan off the Rover sampler (Dixie) cup he removed from the Rover Sampler I held in front of him.<\/p>\n

[Regolith breccia or clod sample 78121<\/strong> has an Is\/FeO maturity index of 68 and probably represents regolith a few meters beneath the area around this 30-40 m diameter impact crater. To the extent data is available, this sample resembles the regolith breccias we would find at Station 9 (Van Serg Crater<\/em>) and also may be from regolith developed on Sculptured Hills<\/em> material as postulated for that location. In this case on the rim of SWP Crater<\/em>, the material from which 78121<\/strong> was derived may have been first ejected by the ~200 m diameter SWP<\/em> and would lie ~40 m below the local area. As the parent material may have included significant orange and black pyroclastic ash originally deposited on the slope above, further petrographic, geochemical and isotopic study of this sample would be of interest for comparison with the unusual samples we would find at Van Serg<\/em>.]<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.144.<\/strong> The last of my traverse photos taken in the direction of Station 8. (NASA AS17-142-21697).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the frame count is 26. LMP frame is 26.\u201d My last traverse photo AS17-142-21697covers the area of Station 8. A systematic comparison of the boulders and craters imaged in my Station 8 panorama (AS17-142-21732-36; Fig. 12.178<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>) with those shown in 21697 might help identify a source crater for the norite boulder 78235 found lying directly on top of the regolith surface. (Fig. 12.148<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>;Fig. 12.150<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>; Fig. 12.153<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are\u2026we\u2019re rolling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. Your wheels are just chewing those things (clods) up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, 17, we\u2019re hoping to go to Station 8A \u2013 the northernmost section of Station 8 \u2013 if we can, of course.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d I agreed. \u201cI think\u2026I think we ought to head just about\u2026I think we ought to get below the highest peak up there because that [high area] seems to have the rocks on it. I only see one rock\u2026straight ahead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSee that one (boulder)?\u201d Cernan asked. \u201cOf course, I don\u2019t know whether that came down [the slope]. Doesn\u2019t look like it may have come down from the top.\u201d No track showed behind this boulder and the slope is significantly less than at Station 6.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly aren\u2019t many rocks,\u201d I declared, obviously disappointed that no clearly representative Sculptured Hills<\/em> boulders met my eye. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly not like the old North<\/em> and South Massifs<\/em>. \u2026Yeah, there\u2019s one big rock over there. That doesn\u2019t look like [it rolled there]. \u2026It might be an exotic\u2026\u201d By \u201cexotic\u201d, I meant that the boulder might have been thrown in from some other location.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s head that way,\u201d Cernan decided. \u201cThat\u2019s about where the station is, anyway.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re starting to see [small] blocks,\u201d I noted. \u201cThat [larger] one is so\u2026so unusual\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s about the station,\u201d Cernan said, looking at his bearing and range readouts. \u201cThat\u2019s the northernmost [part of the] station [area] anyway. There\u2019s another one (boulder) there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, this probably is [as good as we can do],\u201d I concluded. \u201cWe can get the other smaller population around it (the larger boulder). I\u2019m worried about that one being exotic (foreign) to the Sculptured Hills<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it doesn\u2019t look like it rolled [here]\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t see any others, do you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s some small ones (rock fragments) up in there,\u201d I observed. \u201cOff to about the 2 o\u2019clock position, \u2026but I think that\u2019s all [there is]. We\u2019re going to have to be satisfied with small ones. Big ones don\u2019t get down [this far]. There\u2019s some big ones way up on the slope.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I see those.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWatch it \u2013 crater,\u201d I warned\u2026 \u201cYou\u2019re [low-gain] antenna [needs adjusting]\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, let me get it [pointed] for them. \u2026Okay. We\u2019re at 227\/3.9.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s worth [stopping here],\u201d Cernan said. \u201cThere\u2019s smaller ones around here, too, Jack.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. That [rock] looks like subfloor [basalt] from here.\u201d Either SWP<\/em> or Bowen Craters<\/em> might have excavated deeply enough to reach the subfloor unit and eject basaltic material up the slope we were on; however, the boulder could have come from anywhere in the valley region.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s it (the immediate area) look like?\u201d asked Cernan. \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t look worthwhile stopping, I\u2019ll move on up over there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it looks like subfloor,\u201d I repeated. \u201cI would recommend that we try to get up to some of those [rocks farther up].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026don\u2019t know whether we can or not. What\u2019s your pitch indicating?\u201d I asked, forgetting the indicator had ceased to work during EVA-1.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that [indicator] doesn\u2019t mean anything,\u201d Cernan reminded me.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee that [area]? \u2026Those two [boulders] up there would be reasonably well up the slope.\u201d I wanted to get away from as much subfloor basalt ejecta as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob, no parking constraints on the battery?\u201d asked Cernan.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026No parking constraints. We\u2019ll park at 045 (heading), Gene. Or wherever you like, really.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to park about 045,\u201d Cernan replied, \u201cbecause I\u2019ve got to be pointing uphill so we can get out. \u2026Jack, I\u2019m going to park\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about just the rim of that little crater there?\u201d I interrupted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, this is so level right here, Jack, I\u2019m going to just park it [here].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I was just thinking on top of that crater is closer to the [only real boulder]. \u2026That\u2019s level, too, on the [crater] rim. And it\u2019ll give them a good [TV] view of the sampling area\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we can. \u2026If we work on those blocks there, we\u2019re in pretty good shape\u2026,\u201d the Commander decided.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Station 8 \u2013 The Sculptured Hills<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.145.<\/strong> Planimetric map of Station 8 showing the sample, LRV, and Pan locations. The two x<\/strong>\u2019s above and below the Pan 25 location mark the beginning and end of rolling the norite boulder downhill, Fig. 12.148<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>. (Adapted from Wolfe et al.[10<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob, we\u2019re directly downhill,\u201d I reported, \u201cand that is [downhill] from the highest point that I could see up on this first Sculptured Hill<\/em> [east of Wessex Cleft<\/em>].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob, I\u2019m parked at 026 [heading]; bearing is 226; distance, 6.6; range, 4.0; amp-hours, 85 and 80; battery is 1\u2026I think it\u2019s 115; and the [rear] motors are all off-scale low\u2026\u201d Cernan then corrected his readings on the motors. \u201c\u20260 [and] 230 on the forward; and off-scale low [on the left rear]; 220 on the right rear.\u201d The Rover was showing signs of additional deterioration in its thermal sensors; but the motors themselves appeared to be operating properly.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026We\u2019d like to get the usual dusting here,\u201d Parker instructed. \u201cUp front.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d agreed Cernan. \u201cAnd I\u2019m fairly level.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really,\u201d I disagreed with a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just about rolled downhill again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, man!\u201d Cernan joined in my laugh. \u201cI am pointing uphill, aren\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, at least we don\u2019t have a side-slope [to the Rover]. \u2026Battery covers stay closed?\u201d Cernan asked Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cBattery covers stay closed. But we do want the LCRU, and the TV camera, and the TCU (Television Control Unit) dusted\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, Seventeen, we\u2019d like the SEP blankets opened and dusted one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re a dreamer, Bob, but I\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger. We keep hoping\u2026\u201d There remained little chance that the far too hot SEP receiver still recorded the signal from the transmitter near the Challenger.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/em>Start doing your thing, Jack. It\u2019s going to take me a little while to get this dusted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBob, the first block I looked at here looks like subfloor gabbro,\u201d I noted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShould have it (TV), Bob.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. We\u2019ve got a picture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou even sound better,\u201d kidded Cernan. \u201cBattery covers are awful dirty, but I will not dust them as long as you\u2019re happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I don\u2019t think dusting the battery covers gives us any cooler batteries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I know; but it keeps the batteries from getting dust in (on) them. I\u2019ve had pretty good luck with them. They\u2019ve been pretty clean.\u201d Half a minute later, Cernan said, \u201cYou are dusted; and you\u2019re shiny bright. All over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thank you. Ed (Fendell) thanks you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we all thank you. Listen, if Ed thanks me, that\u2019s enough. \u2026A man couldn\u2019t ask for any more than that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think your LMP just ran away,\u201d Parker told Cernan as I \u201cskied\u201d across the MOCR\u2019s TV screen, taking 3-4 feet-long strides.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019d he go? \u2026Jack?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, there you are. I thought maybe you fell in that crater I\u2019m looking at. \u2026Okay. I\u2019m going to give you a TGE reading. \u2026Our [replacement] fender\u2019s beginning to fade and, uh-oh, the clip (clamp) came off [the photomap] on the inside; that\u2019s what\u2019s wrong. We\u2019ll have to fix that before we start. The outside one\u2019s (clamp) holding, but the inside one\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

\u201cBob, all the blocks bigger than 20 centimeters that I\u2019ve looked at up here are subfloor gabbro in appearance. \u2026I\u2019ve looked at about five\u2026\u201d After grabbing the scoop off the Rover gate, I began to quickly look at the small rocks around where we had parked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid we get a mark there on the gravimeter, Gene?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty seconds ago, Bob.\u201d He had mentioned the TGE but neglected to say \u201cMark.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Jack. You find anything up there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGene, I\u2019m going to go up and look at this one [larger] rock. Why don\u2019t you set up and sample any one of these other big ones. They\u2019re all the same – like the one near the Rover. And I\u2019ll go up and try to get this big one down there. \u2026It\u2019s the only one left to look at, but right now we\u2019re dealing with subfloor material, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about some of these little fragments that seem to be sitting more on the surface?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we\u2019re supposed to rake here. We\u2019ll get those with the rake,\u201d I reminded him. Cernan has moved up slope north of the Rover while I am ahead of him, approaching the large boulder we had seen earlier. Both of us are hopping in order to move uphill.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one up there, by the way, is sitting on the surface, observed Cernan. \u201cThese others are [partially] submerged [in regolith].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. That\u2019s why I want to look at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have a hammer,\u201d he said, \u201cbut if you need me, I\u2019ll come up there because I think that may be worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll roll it down to you.\u201d I was thinking that as the boulder appeared to have been thrown into to the area, it would not make much difference if I move it before sampling. At the time, I did not think about the potential importance of a sample of the regolith beneath the boulder relative to less protected regolith around it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Thanks a lot\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

While I climbed the slope to the large boulder, Cernan moved over to a small, partially buried boulder, about half a meter in diameter, lying just north of the Rover. We ultimately would obtain sample 78135<\/strong> from near this rock, He took a stereo-pair, AS17-146-22365, -366, that would become the before images, and a locater to the Rover, AS17-146-22367. Cernan\u2019s locater is a great, front view portrait of the Rover that served us so well.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.146.<\/strong> Sample 78135<\/strong> shown in situ<\/em> and in the Lunar Sample Laboratory in Houston arranged with the orientation and lighting as in the lunar setting. The dashed curve around the rock delineates the portion below the surface and that above. An anaglyph from the stereo pair is available here<\/em><\/a><\/span>. A separate anaglyph of the rock in the laboratory is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. Note in the latter that the portions of the rock embedded in the regolith are lighter colored than the upper parts exposed to solar weathering and micrometeoritic pitting. (NASA photos AS17-146-22365 and S73-24527; anaglyph downloads: AS17-146-22365,-366; S73-24527,-527b).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.147.<\/strong> Cernan\u2019s locator photo to the Rover showing in addition to our seats, the positions of the TV camera; the LCRU and battery compartment; the High and Low Gain Antennas pointing back to Earth; and the remaining seismic charges, rake and SEP antenna that are mounted behind the seats. Draped in front of the LCRU and batteries are the two orange, protective and insulating covers of the battery radiator. The sample site for 78135<\/strong> is behind Cernan. (NASA photo AS17-146-22367).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA reminder, Seventeen, we\u2019d like to have you leaving here in three-zero minutes to make up some of the (extra) time we spent at Stations 6 and 7.\u201d By this time, I had reached the boulder and leaned over it for a close look. My heart rate reached 122 beats\/minute at the end of the climb to a point about 50 m higher than the Rover.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019d also remind you that we\u2019d like a rake soil sample here, too. That may be the only way we try and pick up some stuff other than subfloor, if that, indeed, has come down from the top of the Sculptured Hills<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Bob,\u201d I acknowledged. \u201cThis rock is a big chunk of shattered, but still visible, bluish-gray anorthosite. It\u2019s glass-coated, and it (the glass) actually looks like it\u2019s vesicular. I\u2019m going to roll it downhill so we can work on it. Well, I\u2019ll document it first.\u201d<\/span> I took two cross-sun stereo shots (AS17-142-21698-700) and one down-Sun (AS17-142-21701). My locator photo back to the Rover (AS17-142-21702) would have been a great picture in classic black and white, showing the remoteness of the valley and our isolation within it\u2026if I had remembered to adjust the focus away from the near field. In addition, I took another down-Sun image of the boulder that is very much like the first, i.e., out of focus.<\/p>\n

[Although, I, regrettably, did not adjust the camera\u2019s focus so as to give a sharp image of this ~60 \u00d7 30 cm boulder in its undisturbed position, the generally knobby surface texture is clearly shown, along with a small impact crater on its top. The down sun image also catches bright reflections off the glass coating and large plagioclase crystals. The photos also document how the boulder is sitting on the surface rather than being partially buried in the underlying regolith. Any original disturbance of the regolith surface due to the boulder\u2019s arrival at its current position has been destroyed by small impacts. Based on the comparison of the Station 6 and Station 7 boulder tracks (see above and Chapter 13), destruction of evidence of disturbance indicates that this boulder may have lain there for at least 40 Myr. Fortunately, when Cernan joined me, he took a stereo-pair, AS17-146-22365, -366, that would become the before sampling images, and a locater to the Rover, AS17-146-22367. The illuminated face of the boulder showed many white spots that may be clasts or impact pits into plagioclase-rich material. Cernan\u2019s color stereo-pair, AS17-146-22369-70, of the norite boulder provides much better detail (Fig. 12.150<\/strong><\/span>\u2193<\/a><\/span>) than my black and white shots.]<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.148.<\/strong> My out-of-focus, cross-sun shot of the boulder on the slope ~50 m above and northeast of the rover (see Fig. 12.149 below). The small crater referred to on its top is to the left of its center. (NASA photo AS17-142-21698).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.149.<\/strong> My locator photo to the LRV from my position near the norite boulder ~50 m uphill from the Rover; unfortunately, also out-of-focus. Cernan is at right taking pictures of sample 78135<\/strong> located ~10 m northwest of the LRV between a small boulder and the gnomon (see Fig. 12.146<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, and<\/span> Fig. 12.147<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>). (NASA Photo AS17-142-21702).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you copy that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger. I copy that. We\u2019ll be watching it coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. But the point is, as Gene said, it\u2019s the only rock \u2013 [only] big one anyway \u2013 in the area that I see that\u2019s perched on the surface as if it might have rolled here, \u2026but I don\u2019t see a track.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

[This boulder, shaped roughly like a rugby ball, is about one-third by two-thirds of a meter in its short and long dimensions. It is highly likely that boulder came from relatively close-by at low velocity and did so relatively recently. Evidence for this nearby, recent, low velocity origin includes the boulder\u2019s perch on top of the local regolith, absence of a filet of eroded rock around its base, the lack of a track from up hill, and an extensive impact glass coating remaining on all sides. ]<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Cernan tried his luck at solo sampling, but found that his first choice is buried too deeply. \u201cMan, this one here is tough as a\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we can get some small ones,\u201d I suggested from afar.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that I\u2019m going to do. I tell you, this one is so [buried]\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you might be able to break it up,\u201d I told him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s no\u2026there\u2019s no corners on it\u2026\u201d Cernan has learned how to use a geology hammer on a boulder!<\/p>\n

Moving to the uphill side of the boulder in order to use my foot to start it to roll, I asked, \u201cReady for this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re ready,\u201d Parker responded, although I really was talking to Cernan who was busy bagging a sample.<\/p>\n

\u201cBob, [Bag] 563 (78135<\/strong>) is the sample,\u201d <\/strong>reported Cernan before answering me. AS17-146-22368 is the after sampling image.<\/p>\n

[Post-mission examination showed that, as I had suspected, that 78135<\/strong> consists of fine to medium-grained ilmenite basalt that probably had been thrown on to the Sculptured Hills<\/em> from the valley floor (Fig. 12.146<\/strong><\/span>\u2191<\/a> anaglyph). The sample closely resembles 75075<\/strong> from the rim of Camelot Crater<\/em> except that 78135<\/strong> has no vugs or vesicles.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you ready?\u201d I again asked Cernan. \u201cAre you ready for this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure I am, but go ahead\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

For better or worse, field geologists often feel that they have to roll a boulder or two when they have a chance. I used my right foot to lift the edge of the boulder and start it to roll. As it rolled and turned to the right, I followed and gave it another kick. \u201cGo! Roll! Look, I would roll on this slope, why don\u2019t you?\u201d The rock didn\u2019t hear me and settled into a small depression about ten meters down the slope.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Five-sixths gravity that\u2019s missing\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I\u2019ll bet you they would like, if I didn\u2019t step on it, a [soil] sample out of the bottom of that thing. \u2026Yup\u2026\u201d I climbed back up to the spot where I started the boulder rolling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese others all look\u2026 You\u2019re right, Jack, they look like what we\u2019ve been sampling [in the valley]. \u2026And they\u2019re all pretty well mantled except the ones you got up there. There\u2019s one more piece I see on the side of that crater that may not be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBag 545 (78220-24<\/strong>) will be soil from under that anorthosite boulder.\u201d I sampled this regolith by facing uphill and, holding the scoop in the middle of the handle, poured the sample in a bag held at arms length in my left hand. \u201cBob, the only (primary) thing that bothers me about that boulder being\u2026Sculptured Hills<\/em> [material], is that it\u2019s glass-coated. It may have been thrown in here by an impact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I turned around and saw that Cernan had reached the boulder below me.<\/span> \u201cOh, you\u2019re here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s sample it,\u201d Cernan said, \u201cand then roll it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, okay. I never would have moved it if I thought you were coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I wasn\u2019t coming up; but I looked at some of those others, and there\u2019s only one more [good rock down there]\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Well, I got it documented up in place,\u201d I told him. \u201cLet\u2019s [sample the top]\u2026 That\u2019s not the [top], I added, as Cernan moved to hit the boulder with the hammer. \u201c\u2026I think that\u2019s the side that was down. Let me roll it over\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let me get a piece of that side since it was underneath,\u201d Cernan said, as he set the gnomon down. \u201cThen we\u2019ll roll it over and get a piece of the other side.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood thinking. \u2026Ah\u2026okay, yeah. Let\u2019s do it (take photos AS17-146-22369-70), again. Except I got dust all over it. \u2026The albedo\u2026 The down-Sun picture\u2019s not going to mean much. Let me get this (soil) sample in your bag. \u2026I think we ought to change your bag because the stuff\u2019s going to start flying out. \u2026It won\u2019t stay closed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Jack, after this one, there\u2019s only…there\u2019s one more in that crater [near the Rover]. It may be from that crater, but I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s your hand for hammering?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOhhhh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be easy,\u201d I assured him, sympathetically. \u201cThis will be easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe old hammering hand\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be an easy one, Gene\u2026\u201d He began to take big swings with the hammer so I moved out of the way upslope in case he lost his grip. He never did, but I was never sure I could keep my grip on the hammer \u2013 one of the reasons I did not use it except at Stations 5 and 6 where I could just hit rocks lightly to get a sample.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo pieces for you. \u2026Oh, that\u2019s a pretty one inside!\u201d Cernan\u2019s chipping had uncovered more of the fresh rock under the coating of glass than I had seen, disclosing that the plagioclase is intergrown with a yellowish-brown mineral.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s stained by the glass coating,\u201d I speculated.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s stained by that glass coating,\u201d I repeated without looking more closely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a pretty one inside! Can you get that [piece]? Here, take my hand.\u201d Using Cernan\u2019s hand for support, I knelt down and picked up the chip.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I\u2019m at it, I\u2019m going to chop another piece off right here.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, get more than that,\u201d I agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cPiece right there,\u201d Cernan pointed after three more strikes on the boulder. \u201cYou\u2019ve got three pieces laying around\u2026Let\u2019s get those before we lose them.\u201d I complied, using the scoop.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.150.<\/strong> Photo of the heavily shocked glassy norite boulder which I had kicked downhill (with a little effort). Note the striations in the glass coating. The insets are the samples 78235<\/strong>, 78236<\/strong> photographed in the Lunar Sample Laboratory with similar illumination as in situ<\/em>. Sample 78238<\/strong> was a small piece adjacent to the lower end of 78235<\/strong> in the shadow area and is not marked here. A 3D anaglyph of the boulder before sampling can be seen here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0(NASA photos AS17-146-22370; S73-17962 (78235), S73-17817 (78236); anaglyph derived from AS17-146-22369, -370).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBag 564 (78235, 78236, 78238<\/strong>) with accompanying regolith (78230-34<\/strong>)\u2026maybe,\u201d Cernan, joked as he dropped the bag. \u201cI got it. Oh; you already got them (the chips) in the bag?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Cernan had dropped the bag before I could pour the chips from the scoop.<\/p>\n

As I finally transferred the chips to the bag, Cernan asked, \u201cSure that\u2019s the bottom [of the boulder], huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d I answered. \u201cIt (the chips) got mixed with local soil. \u2026I\u2019m pretty sure [that\u2019s the bottom]. Let\u2019s turn it over. I think I\u2019d recognize the top, although it\u2019s got dust all over it now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll get one more swap off there. I don\u2019t want to seal this [bag]. Let me get another swap off there.\u201d Then he dropped the hammer. \u201cI can get it,\u201d he said and handed me the sample bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. \u2026Well, that [fragment] disappeared,\u201d I said as a chip went flying off the boulder.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I\u2019ll] hit it this way. One time. \u2026That disappear, too? That probably went into orbit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d I was getting a little impatient.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, is that pretty inside. Whoo! We haven\u2019t seen anything like this! I haven\u2019t \u2013 unless you\u2019ve been holding out on me.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, this is a nice crystalline rock,\u201d I confirmed, as I bent closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I see that one,\u201d Cernan said as another chip flew away to the right.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did that one go?\u201d Cernan\u2019s brute force approach to breaking samples off rocks sprayed chips in all directions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good one. I\u2019ll go get it with my tongs. That\u2019s a good one. That one I worked too hard to get\u2026\u201d Cernan had hit the boulder a good 16 times since he said he wanted \u201cone more swap\u201d. He had to go about 20 m, partially downhill, to retrieve the chip. \u201cHey, I see how it (a rolling boulder) makes boulder tracks! I just made one. It just skipped along [and] made those little pothole craters as it went.<\/p>\n

I took this interlude to get down on my knees for a close look at the boulder now that some fresh surfaces had been exposed. \u201cHey, Houston. This is about a 50-50 mixture of what looks like maskelynite (plagioclase turned to a bluish glass by shock) or at least blue-gray plagioclase, and a very, let\u2019s say, light yellow-tan mineral, probably orthopyroxene. It\u2019s fairly coarsely crystalline.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhich bag do you want?\u201d Cernan asked as he returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it (the chip)?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting up from my close-up view of the boulder, I did not push back hard enough a couple of times and then pushed too hard so that I had to hop backwards downhill to keep from going over on my back.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026That went in the same bag, Bob,\u201d Cernan reported, \u201cas the rest of the chips from the bottom. All the chips from the bottom are in 464 (564).\u201d<\/p>\n

[Post-mission examination and analysis of 78235<\/strong>, 78236<\/strong> and 78238<\/strong> confirmed that the boulder is a coarse-grained norite, consisting of about equal parts Ca-plagioclase and orthopyroxene, as I had surmised during my quick look after sampling. It also has minor clinopyroxene and portions of the plagioclase have been altered to maskelynite by impact shock. The tabular orthopyroxene crystals measure 3-7 mm in size while the plagioclase crystals are 3-10 mm. All minerals and the rock itself appear shattered by shock. The dark glass coating on the boulder as well as veins of glass in the samples themselves have the same composition as the norite except for the addition of some probable meteoritic nickel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Within all age determinations and within their error limits, reasonably close agreement exists between the most recently determined Rb\/Sr, Sm\/Nd and Pb\/Pb crystallization ages for 78238<\/strong> of 4.366 \u00b1 0.053, 4.334 \u00b1 0.037 and 4.333 \u00b1 0.059 billion years,[11<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong> respectively, suggesting that the crystallization age of this Mg-suite norite is about 4.34 billion years. I suggest in Chapter 13 that this age, similar to many other Mg-suite sample ages, also may be that of the huge Procellarum<\/em> impact which, in turn, may have triggered the creation of Mg-suite magmas through pressure release in a still hot upper mantle.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we left Station 8, I felt that no samples had been collected that would tell us anything specific about the bedrock of the Sculptured Hills<\/em>. The abundance of basaltic material in our rock and regolith samples indicate that overlapping ejecta from three nearby impact craters (SWP<\/em>, Bowen<\/em> and Cochise<\/em>) have covered most debris that might have been derived from the Sculptured Hills<\/em> slopes above us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stimulated, however, by the remarkably detailed photographs returned by the LROC almost 40 years later, I recently began to re-evaluate this early conclusion that we may not have sampled Sculptured Hills<\/em> rocks (see Chapter 13), an area in Taurus-Littrow<\/em> approximately 10 km by 15 km. First, it became clear, even in the photographs Evans took from orbit while we were in the valley, that the \u201csculpture\u201d of the Sculptured Hills<\/em>, consists of linear swales that comprise roughly orthogonal, northwest-southeast and northeast-southwest physiographic trends. LROC image detail further suggests that one of these trends might outline breaks along layers of differing composition in a single large rock mass and the other trend might correspond with major fractures across such primary compositional layering;[12<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong> however, which trend is which is not clear. As there does not appear to be any significant, younger basin ejecta covering these structures, the rocks underlying the surface of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> probably consist of ejecta from Imbrium<\/em>, the nearest large, post-Serenitatis<\/em> basin. The Taurus-Littrow<\/em> portion of Sculptured Hills<\/em> material also photo-geologically correlates with more extensive Imbrium<\/em> ejecta, and is comparable to the Fra Mauro Formation<\/em> identified elsewhere around the Imbrium<\/em> basin and investigated and sampled by Apollo 14.<\/span><\/p>\n

A false color orbital image from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3<\/sup>)[13<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong> provides spectroscopic data, with a resolution of about 100 m and helps to dig more deeply into the hypothesis that the Sculptured Hills<\/em> comprise Imbrium<\/em> Mg-Suite ejecta (see Chapter 13). M3 <\/sup>data also indicate that the East Massif<\/em> probably consists of anorthosite and norite. Our two panoramas from Station 5 documented the west side of the East Massif<\/em>. Layering exposed there appears to be reflected in five or six distinct and parallel cliffs shown in AS17-133-20355 and AS17-145-22165 (see Fig. 12.151 below). Layers in the ejected pluton, having varying resistance to meteor impact erosion, may have created these cliffs. M3<\/sup> data indicate that hills projecting above or lying just below the top of the basaltic valley fill (Family Mountain<\/em>, Bear Mountain<\/em>, and others), that have similar mineral compositions as the Sculptured Hills<\/em> (see Fig. 12.152 below), may have a highly irregular surface of Sculptured Hills<\/em> material underlying this fill.]<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.151.<\/strong>\u00a0Horizontal layering in the west-facing side of the East Massif<\/em> is quite evident in this contrast and brightness stretched image, visible just above my head in this image taken at Station 5 on EVA-2. (From NASA photo AS17-145-22165).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.152.<\/strong> Map of major mineral distributions in the Sculptured Hills<\/em> of northeastern and eastern Taurus-Littrow as indicated by data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper. Presence of these mineral concentrations support interpretation that the Sculpured Hills<\/em> consist of a Mg-Suite igneous pluton that was ejected from the Imbrium<\/em> impact. \u00a0(plg = plagioclase, opx = orthopyroxene, cpx = clinopyroxene, olv = olivine).\u00a0(M3 <\/sup>false color image courtesy of N. E. Petro, Goddard Space Flight Center).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCopy\u2026When you guys get done with that rock, we\u2019d like to get to the rake sample, please; and that\u2019s probably just as well done by the Rover as any place else. We don\u2019t seem to see anything worthwhile doing here besides that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, let me roll it (the boulder) over,\u201d I said. Then remembering that Cernan had a sample bag in his hand, I turned my SCB towards him and said, \u201cGo ahead. Want to put it (the bag) in [my SCB]?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

I then tried to clarify my description of the boulder, saying, \u201cBy \u2018coarsely crystalline\u2019, [I mean that] probably the average grain size will turn out to be about 3 or 4 millimeters, maybe\u2026maybe half a centimeter.<\/span> \u2026Hold this [scoop], and I\u2019ll [get some photos]\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Cernan interrupted, \u201cI got to go get a couple of pictures.\u201d Cernan\u2019s after sampling images, including stereo, are AS17-146-22371-74 and also AS17-146-22398.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gonna roll [this again, huh]?\u201d I asked him\u2026 \u201cYeah, we\u2019ve really gotten that one (boulder position) messed up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all right,\u201d I concluded, not able to think of any information lost because I rolled the boulder a little farther down the slope from where it originally had come to rest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019d hold your scoop where that one [sample] came off, it\u2019d help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah; I was just going over there [to get it].\u201d I had stuck the scoop in the regolith to the north of the boulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn that other side,\u201d Cernan directed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s (the scoop) going over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis side is clear. That last one [sample] I took off. Okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight there,\u201d I said, placing the scoop head where the last sample had come off.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.153.<\/strong> I have placed the scoop head where the last sample came off the boulder. Note the quantity of fine regolith now covering most of the boulder, making it difficult for me to determine which side was up. Also note the similar quantity, if not more, on my suit legs\u2014 a testament to one of the disadvantages of working in the lunar environment. (NASA photo AS17-146-22371).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, that\u2019s good. Let\u2019s move the gnomon, and we won\u2019t roll it over on the gnomon\u2026\u201d Cernan went to his hands and knees and easily flipped this large boulder with one hand. One-sixth gravity is the only way to go!<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch it. Watch it,\u201d I said as the boulder only rolled another two meters, stopping with the same side up. \u201cOh, yeah! That other side is the one that was up [originally]. \u2026Well, I\u2019m not sure now,\u201d I said as I turned the boulder over one more time. \u201cIt\u2019s got so much dust on it. But let\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Cernan also took a couple of tries to stand, grabbed the gnomon, and declared, \u201cThat\u2019s (boulder) not going to roll down that hill unless we get it on edge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018No\u2026,\u201d I agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet it from up here. Boy, look at that glass on it. That\u2019s what you said, huh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhich side was the glass on when you looked at it?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s on all sides,\u201d I reminded him. \u201cIt\u2019s on all sides.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSeventeen,\u201d Parker called, \u201cthere\u2019s probably not much point in spending a lot of time out here trying to decide which is the top. It\u2019s not big enough, anyway, really to worry about the top and bottom samples that are radiologically significant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not [worrying about it],\u201d I assured him. I wanted to be sure we had samples that might provide a solar wind exposure date when the boulder arrived at its original location using top and bottom samples of the glass. Parker was relaying the input from the Science Back Room where the interest may have been more about the several meter cosmic ray penetration of the boulder versus the few tens of \u00c5ngstroms of solar wind ion penetration. I just didn\u2019t take time to explain my thought process. \u201cWell, \u2026If you don\u2019t want another sample, then we can go ahead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let me get a piece of this glass,\u201d Cernan intervened.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Righto,\u201d I said and he began his usual indiscriminate banging on the boulder, hitting it some seventeen times before a glass fragment came off.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Let me try to get them [with the scoop],\u201d I told him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut them in here,\u201d Cernan said, having grabbed one of my sample bags. \u201cOkay; a piece of the glass from it, Bob, is 546 (78250, 78255<\/strong>). \u2026Along with a little of the local soil.\u201d As I emptied the scoop into the bag, he saw that I had some regolith in the scoop along with the glass fragment. AS17-142-21704-5 are photos of the original resting place of the boulder and after sampling images for the soil from under it.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.154.<\/strong> The original resting place of the norite boulder. The lower left boot print covers part of the indentation. (NASA photo AS17-142-21705).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.155.<\/strong> Sample 78255<\/strong> from the bottom of the boulder, two chips which fit together. Interestingly, there are a number of zap pits on the bottom of this sample, which indicates that the boulder has rolled at some point in its history. In the version in a separate window available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>,\u00a0also note the glass on the left side by clicking on the photo in that area. (NASA photo S73-15190).<\/span><\/p>\n

[Post-mission examination<\/span>[14<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong> of 78255<\/strong> showed it to be similar to 78235<\/strong>, although intended to be more of the glass coating the norite boulder. A thin dark glass selvage adheres to one face of the sample. Analysis of solar-induced isotopes indicates that 78255<\/strong>, indeed, came from the bottom of the boulder, as it had been protected from the intense August solar flare.]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now we\u2019re ready for you guys to rake, \u2026and I guess they (Science Back Room) suggest the crater rim if possible. Probably over there near the Rover.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. We\u2019ll go rake,\u201d I replied, still disappointed in the apparent lack of obvious Sculptured Hills<\/em> samples (but see Chapter 13, where I conclude that this norite boulder probably came from Scuptured Hills<\/em> bedrock).<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you got [it that I got] a sample of that big block down there, huh?\u201d I asked Cernan.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d answered Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d I acknowledged as I started back to the Rover. \u201cDon\u2019t forget your gnomon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoo! Oh, boy.\u201d Cernan almost headed downhill without the gnomon. \u201cBob, on my frame count 85.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo bad I don\u2019t have my skis!\u201d I exclaimed, taking long, downhill strides.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack, did you get a pan up here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Just as well I did not, as I probably had not adjusted my camera focus, yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get one.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.156.<\/strong> Alan Bean, my good friend and colleague and outstanding artistic chronicler of the events of Apollo lunar exploration, painted a representation of my skiing on the slopes of the Sculptured Hills<\/em>. He made it look easy! (Courtesy of Alan Bean and the Alan Bean Gallery<\/em><\/a><\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGood, I forgot. I got interested in skiing,\u201d I said as I switched to a side-to-side hopping motion, simulating skiing moguls, using the scoop like a ski pole, and adding swishing sound effects. \u201cShhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Whoo!,\u201d I exclaimed as I stumble a little. \u201cCan\u2019t keep my edges. \u2026Shhhoomp. Shhhoomp. Little hard to get a good hip rotation.\u201d (Click here<\/em><\/span><\/a> for a video clip of this skiing exercise[15<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong>).<\/p>\n

As Cernan took a panorama near the boulder (AS17-146-22375-97), he tried to spot a familiar crater. \u201cLet\u2019s see, I must be looking back at\u2026 Well, there\u2019s SWP<\/em>. \u2026Oh. \u2026Golly, I don\u2019t know. \u2026I\u2019m looking back at the [three crater] complex \u2013 Cochise<\/em> and Shakespeare<\/em> [and Henry<\/em>] \u2013 and I can see the LM\u2026\u201d Looking uphill, Cernan said, \u201cHey, Bob. One interesting thing up here, you can see the erosional pattern of the talus [of] the mantle \u2013 I call it a mantle, but [it is] the talus \u2013 that\u2019s on the Sculptured Hills<\/em>. There\u2019s little\u2026boulder tracks of all sizes from all these little clods (boulders). And they all, of course, point downhill or nearly downhill.\u201d<\/p>\n

[The northeast to east views of the panorama from the location of the norite boulder (AS17-146-22375-79) show that essentially no boulders comparable in size to that boulder lie on the slopes of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> (Fig. 12.157<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Photos AS17-146-22379-82, in aggregate (Fig. 12.158<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>), provide a full view of the East Massif<\/em> that terminates the valley in that direction. It includes the cliff and slope and outcrop features described above in connection with the Station 6 panorama, but here from about 2 km closer.<\/p>\n

The various rounded knobs (kipukas) of apparent Sculptured Hills<\/em> material (see Chapter 13) that project above the subfloor basalt that constitutes the valley floor are visible at the base of the East Massif<\/em> as well as in the form of Bear Mountain<\/em> (AS17-146-22380-84; Fig. 12.158<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>). AS17-146-22389 (Fig. 12.159<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>) also includes a view of Family Mountain<\/em>, an additional kipuka of probable Sculptured Hills<\/em> material.<\/p>\n

Most of the South Massif<\/em> is covered by photos AS17-146-22384-89 (Fig. 12.159<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>), with 22386-88 providing much sharper images of me at the Rover than my earlier black and white shots (also see the photo enlargements at the beginning of Section 1<\/em><\/a>). These frames also include the distant South Massif<\/em> in the background. Challenger,<\/em> standing on the valley floor, is marked by the black vertical arrows and is more visible in enlargements of Fig. 12.158<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>, Fig. 12.159<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>, and Fig. 12.160<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>. Frames 22385-86 of these latter two figures also provide images of the north-facing walls of Cochise<\/em>, Shakespeare<\/em> and Henry Craters<\/em>. The dark ejecta blanket of Van<\/em> Serg Crater<\/em> (Station 9) is visible just beyond the south rim of Shakespeare<\/em>. 22389-90 image the northeast rim and wall of SWP Crater<\/em>, with Family Mountain<\/em> on the horizon. The boulders sampled at Stations 6 and 7 also are visible in enlargements of these two photos.<\/p>\n

Photographs AS17-146-22391-98 (Fig. 12.161<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2193<\/strong>) show the contrasting surfaces of the North Massif <\/em>and Wessex Cleft<\/em>.]<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.157.<\/strong> A northeast and east view from Cernan’s Pan 25 near Station 8 shows that few boulders exist on the surface of the knob of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> at left. The plateau to the right of this knob is the \u201chump\u201d we flew over before landing. A toe of the East Massif<\/em> is visible at far right. An enlarged view is available in a separate window by clicking here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA Photos AS17-146-22375, -76, -77, -78).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.158.<\/strong> Pan 25 view to the south over the valley floor showing the East Massif<\/em>, Bear Mountain<\/em>, and part of the South Massif<\/em> as background. The Challenger<\/em> is marked by the black vertical arrow, and is visible in enlargements of this image given in a separate window by clicking here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. A part of SWP Crater<\/em> is indicated at the lower right; and Cochise<\/em> is marked in the distance towards the LM. The footprints at left show where Cernan skipped out to pick up a rock, and hopped back. (Derived from NASA Photos AS17-146-22379, -80, -82, -85).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.159.<\/strong> Pan 25 view towards the west. Here most of the South Massif<\/em> dominates the left background. (West<\/em>) Family Mountain<\/em> is in the middle; and the smaller, lower feature to its right is Family Mountain<\/em>. The long slope further right is part of the North Massif<\/em>. I am at the geopallet at the rear of the Rover. A larger view in a separate window is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. Features in the left part of this pan were labeled and discussed in the two photos at the beginning of Section 1<\/em><\/a>. \u00a0Fig. 12.160 below, the left half of this pan, also describes additional features. (Derived from NASA photos AS17-146-22386, -88, -93, -92).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.160.<\/strong> The left half of the previous figure with labeled features of interest. SWP Crater<\/em> dominates the lower right of the image with the dark-rimmed (DR) crater of Fig. 12.141<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong> and Fig. 12.142<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong> at its left; and on the left rim of the latter is LRV-11 (Fig. 12.143<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>) where I leaned out and picked up friable breccia samples with the LRV Sampler. Above SWP<\/em> is Cochise<\/em>. Above the Cochise<\/em> oval on its left, the two vertical white arrows mark the extent of Van Serg<\/em> (V.S.) crater and some of its ejecta; and on the right the two vertical arrows mark the extent of Shakespeare<\/em>. Henry<\/em> is located further to the right. Finally, the black arrow marks the location of the LM. All of these features can be observed much better by enlarging the image in the separate window here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA photos AS17-146-22386, -88).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.161.<\/strong> Pan 25 to the north. The North Massif<\/em> is directly ahead to the northwest and north. The side of the knob of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> noted in Fig. 12.157<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong> is at right; and Wessex Cleft<\/em> is on the other side of the slope separating the North Massif<\/em> from the Sculptured Hills<\/em>. Here also only a few small boulders are seen on the Sculptured Hills<\/em> as in Fig. 12.157<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>. The larger view is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA photos AS17-146-22394, -95, -96, -97).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Bob. In the interest of time, I\u2019ll document this [rake sample] without the gnomon.\u201d I used the upright rake and handle as a substitute in the cross Sun and down sun images. Before sample photos are AS17-142-21706-11. The photos make it clear that this rake sample was on the ejecta from an ~15 m diameter crater, 1-2 m from the crater rim. The rocks in the rake sample probably are largely from material 2-3 m below the local regolith and may be from the SWP<\/em> ejecta blanket.<\/span> Cernan also obtained a more distant before sample image in AS17-146-22399 as he documented a rock sample he planned to get from a small fresh crater in the wall of the larger crater.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.162.<\/strong> A combination of two of my \u201cbefore sample\u201d images of the rake site on the ejecta near the rim of the ~15 m diameter crater not far from the LRV (see Fig. 12.145<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong> for the location). The small wall crater from which Cernan will collect a sample is just to the right of and above the large reseau mark in the middle right of the photo. That small wall crater is also one of a linear chain of smaller craterlets that cross the wall of the 15 m crater. Six of them can be discerned in this photo combination starting with the one on the crater rim at lower right just before Cernan\u2019s wall craterlet. (Derived from NASA photos AS17-146-21707, -708).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I presume Gene\u2019s got the gnomon up there?\u201d Parker asked, referring to the fact that Cernan was just completing his panorama.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I should have brought it, but\u2026I didn\u2019t think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Don\u2019t forget the gnomon, Gene,\u201d Parker repeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t forget the Gene, gnomon!\u201d Cernan joked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we concur with documenting without the gnomon\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhee! Boy, when you do this,\u201d Cernan exclaimed, \u201cand you\u2019re going down-slope, that first step is a long one!\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking long, two-legged hops downhill, Cernan declares, \u201cThis is the best way for me to travel \u2013 uphill or downhill.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d I asked him as I began to drag the rake through the sample area.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike this. Two-legged hop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere seems [to be a difference in opinion about that.] Yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd on level ground,\u201d Cernan continued, \u201cI can skip. I don\u2019t like that loping thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the loping\u2019s (skiing) the only way to go,\u201d I insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026 See, when I\u2019m on level ground, I can skip. But this two-legged thing is great! Man, I can cover ground like a kangaroo!\u201d As Cernan arrived at the rake sample site, he said, \u201cOh, okay. You [photo] documented already; I was just going to put this [gnomon] in the field-of-view, anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. On the after [photographs] we can have it there,\u201d I told him and continued raking.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what do you think about that?\u201d Cernan wondered. \u201cThere\u2019s not much [rock] in here (the regolith) worth [sampling].\u201d He still did not understand that the absence of many fragments provided information in and of itself. \u201cMan, there\u2019s just nothing. \u2026This has been totally mantled with talus. Well, it is [mantled]; because that downhill [linear] pattern goes right down the slope of this [uphill] crater [wall], and\u2026 Actually, it goes upslope of the [downhill wall of the] crater! This may be on a ray [from] somewhere. Because it [the linear pattern] goes right downhill. \u2026This little, skinny boulder-trail pattern goes right up the slope.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Continuing to rake, I said, \u201cI think those [surface lineations] are later than the crater by a long ways.\u201d The crater is not a fresh one, so the lineations have been superposed on its subdued wall and rim. The photos documenting the rake sample showing the wall of the crater (AS17-142-21707, Fig. 12.162<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, for example) appear to show the lineations we are discussing. They may be the result of the spray of ejecta from a nearby, younger impact crater.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you sample anything over here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I haven\u2019t done anything [but rake].\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.163.<\/strong> Cernan\u2019s \u201cbefore sample\u201d photo of the small wall craterlet from which he will pick up a sample, which turned out to be a very friable white cataclasite, probably a part of the original secondary ejecta that impacted the wall. Note that the central part of the small crater is white as are some of the edges around the crater. I am standing near the edge of the ~15 m crater obtaining rake samples\u2014 one swipe still contains regolith to be sieved through the tynes. (NASA photo AS17-146-22399).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to pick up the piece (78155<\/strong>) out of that little crater [in the wall of the bigger crater}.\u201d Cernan took three before sampling photos (AS17-146-22399-401) and a locator to the Rover (AS17-146-22402). My photo AS17-142-21711 provides a near-zero phase, before sampling image of the small crater. This photo suggests that the ejecta fragments that formed the small crater are very light colored, with pieces of that ejecta remaining in and around the impact point.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.164.<\/strong> Cernan\u2019s locator photo to the Rover taken while standing in the 15 m crater. The East Massif is in the background, slightly blurred, as is the LRV, because the f\/no. was set for the foreground. I am standing at the rake site which is just to the right of the photo edge. (NASA photo AS17-146-22402).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.165.<\/strong> My down-sun photo of the wall craterlet showing the distribution of white fragments in and around the impact site. The photo has been contrast stretched to bring out the white pattern. (NASA photo AS17-142-21711).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWant your gnomon over there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I\u2019ll just take it to it,\u201d said Cernan, forgetting the purpose of the gnomon is to document the orientation of a sample. \u201cLet me know when you\u2019re ready for a bag.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m about ready,\u201d I replied, having made at least 15 short swaths with the rake.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou about ready?\u201d asked Cernan as he arrived with a sample bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI raked about a 2-meter square area \u2013 maybe,\u201d I reported, yeah, about 2 meters [square] and down to 4 or 5 centimeters for these [rocks]. Pretty good population [sample]. \u2026[Are] they all going to go in [the bag]?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re all in; [bag] 565 (78525-99<\/strong>).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds great. Sounds like a good rake sample for a change, Parker responded. Actually, as demonstrated at Station 2, even the relative absence of rocks in a rake sample can be useful information. In that case, the rake sample on the slope of the South Massif<\/em> had many more rocks than a similar sample on the nearby light mantle surface, indicating particle sorting during the light mantle avalanche.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this is a \u201ckilogram-of-soil\u201d location, fellas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d I acknowledged what was standard protocol, as Cernan put the sample in my SCB.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack, your bag (SCB) is full; we\u2019re going to have\u2026 No, it isn\u2019t [full], but we ought to change it when we get back there [at the Rover], anyway. And that one ought to go under your seat. \u2026Get your kilogram. I\u2019ll be ready to take it. \u2026The kilogram is in 566 (78500-09, 78515-18<\/strong>).\u201d<\/p>\n

[Consideration of the samples gathered with the rake, as well as the kilogram regolith sample and the trench samples, must recognize the proximity of three large, ~600 m diameter craters to the west-southwest (Shakespeare<\/em>, Cochise<\/em> and Henry<\/em>). The rims of these three craters are, respectively, ~3.5, ~2.5 and ~5 crater diameters distant. In the relative age sequence listed, each crater-forming event contributed their local regolith ejecta to the Station 8 area. Closer yet, at ~ 2 crater diameters distant, is the ~200 m diameter SWP Crater<\/em>. Although the three largest craters appear from LROC images to have impacted subfloor basalt, SWP Crater<\/em> may have contributed additional Sculptured Hills <\/em>regolith. On the other hand, non-regolith, underlying rock ejected from the four craters probably was confined to about a crater diameter from their rims. Regolith from the three large craters also has been identified in the deep drill core from the ALSEP site (see Chapter 13).<\/span><\/p>\n

Post-mission examination of the rake sample, including both the rake contents and the scoop of regolith, counted 39 individual rock fragments, all but two of which (78503 and 78527) are basaltic regolith breccia or coherent basalt rock varieties similar to that sampled on the valley floor, as suggested by the LROC images. This concentration of basaltic material strongly supports the conclusion that the four nearby large craters, including SWP<\/em>, impacted subfloor basalt and that the contact between subfloor basalt and the Sculptured Hills<\/em> lies approximately where the Rover was parked as the trench regolith I would sample is similar to the regolith samples at the norite boulder location.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.166.<\/strong> Three rock fragments from the 39 of the rake sample which differed from the other 36 samples of basalt. Sample 78503, a gabbro anorthosite brecca, is shown at left; and 78527, a norite breccia, is at right. (NASA photos S80-36935 (left<\/em>); S73-21206 (right<\/em>)).<\/span><\/p>\n

Sample 78503 is a gabbroic anorthosite breccia with 40-39<\/sup>Ar age determinations between 4.13 and 4.28 billion years on various fragments, indicating a complex early history. These dates might relate to melting and recrystallization associated with the Procellarum<\/em> and South Pole-Aitken<\/em> very large basin-forming events. On the other hand, Pb-Pb age determinations consist of 3.98 \u00b1 0.02, 3.96 \u00b1 0.03, and 3.91 \u00b1 0.05 billion years, more consistent with what appears to be the age of Crisium<\/em> melt-breccia sampled at Station 6 (See Chapter 13).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.167.<\/strong> Sample 78526 from the rake sample turned out to be a green, very low titanium (VLT) basaltic glass\u2013 a relatively large piece with fragments. The sample may have originated from nearby pyroclastic fissures (see Chapter 13). This photo shows fragments of it in the Lunar Sample Laboratory. It is further described below; but an examination of the larger photo available here<\/em><\/span><\/a> shows the structural nature of the fragments, including the light green glass shards. Especially noteworthy are the crushed translucent green glass shards and small fragments adjacent to the mm ruler below the sample number at the top of the photo. (NASA photo S76-21922).<\/span><\/p>\n

Sample 78526, ~4×4 cm and 8.8 gm, is a very titanium-poor green basaltic glass with partial devitrification to feathery olivine and pyroxene and euhedral chromite. In addition to its TiO2<\/sub> content being less the 1.1%, Al2<\/sub>O3<\/sub> is ~11% as compared with 8-10% for subfloor basalts and about 6% for the orange ash beads from Station 4. This sample, and corresponding beads and shards in the regolith sample, are probably pyroclastic in origin and are similar in its low Ti\/Fe ratio and low REE content found in the pyroclastic green glass (15426<\/strong>) sampled by Apollo 15 at Spur Crater<\/em> near the Apennine Front<\/em>, although their overall dissimilarities are significant. Sample 78526<\/strong> represents a strikingly different source area and parent magma than that which produced the orange and black pyroclastic ash investigated and sampled and Shorty Crater<\/em> (see Chapters 11 and 13). Pyroclastic fissures identified as penetrating the Sculptured Hills<\/em> may be the source of these low titanium glasses<\/span>.[16<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong> Similar glassy ash is present in regolith samples as well as in regolith ejecta zones in the deep drill core the may have originated from this portion of the valley (see Chapter 13).<\/span><\/p>\n

Samples 78505, 6, 7, 9, 75, 78, 85, 87, 95, 97, 98, and 99 have been classified as ilmenite basalts. Sample 78585 from this group of twelve consists of glassy, partially devitrified basalt that chemically resembles the other basalts and may be a rare relic of an original flow surface.<\/span><\/p>\n

Samples 78535-39, 78545-47, 78555-66, 78568 look like the dark breccias with scattered white plagioclase fragments similar to those we would encounter at Van Serg Crater<\/em> (see Station 9, below).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.168.<\/strong> Samples 78585 (left<\/em>) and 78568 (right<\/em>) from the rake samples described above (NASA photos S73-21395; S73-21007, respectively).<\/span><\/p>\n

Samples 78548-49 appear to be slightly indurated clods of the local regolith.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 90-150 \u00b5m portion of the rake\u2019s regolith sample (78501) consists of about 35.5% agglutinates, 16.6% basaltic fragments and orange and black ash, 6.9% glass other than agglutinate (ash?), and about 3.7% ilmenite. When compared with other regolith samples, the low-intermediate Is\/FeO maturity index of 36, coupled with an intermediate TiO2<\/sub>\/TiO2<\/sub>+FeO ratio of 0.29, may indicate that the effect of ilmenite in lowering apparent maturity takes place rather abruptly between 1 and 2% ilmenite content. (See Chapter 13).]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, remaining here,\u201d Parker reminded us, \u201cwe\u2019d have primarily a trench, if you fellas think it\u2019s feasible. We\u2019d like to be moving in one-one minutes \u2013 eleven minutes. \u2026And we could use a pan from this lower location also, probably.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you go back and dig a trench at the Rover?\u201d suggested Cernan.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger. That sounds good to us. \u2026And we also remind you of getting\u2026a pan at the lower section there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJack, once you get a trench at the Rover [let me have the] scoop [for a minute]. \u2026I\u2019ll get the sample here [in the crater] that I got documented now and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you…,\u201d I began and then asked him, \u201cIs that [regolith] all going to go in there (the sample bag)?\u201d This was the third scoop of regolith I had picked up with the solid side of the rake.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you twist it?\u201d I asked referring to twisting the Aluminum band that allowed us to seal a sample bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat rock may have been too much. Take that rock out,\u201d I suggested, \u201cand\u2026\u201d I turned to let him put the full bag in my SCB.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019ll stay. \u2026We\u2019re going to have to put it in mine (SCB), though. \u2026Well, let me try. Since we\u2019re going to unload your bag, this may be the last one. That\u2019s the last one for your bag.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you get anything (a sample) out of that little crater?\u201d I asked, referring to a meter-deep crater north of the rake sample crater.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. But I\u2019m going to right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you get your after picture [of the rake site] over there and go down and get that trench. I\u2019ll come down [to your trench site once I have that sample].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want a bag?\u201d I asked him. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can bag it. I can do it myself here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay\u2026,\u201d I replied and proceeded to take a flight-line set of photographs facing down-sun (west northwest) to document the site of the rake sample (AS17-142-21712-16). This series illustrates the area covered by my raking. My photos 21714 and 21716 also show Cernan in the process of collecting sample 78155<\/strong> from the small crater on the wall of the ~15 m diameter crater in which he is standing.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.169.<\/strong> Part of the rake site at left near the crater edge after I had finished raking. Cernan, standing in the 15 m crater is picking up the sample from the small wall craterlet with his tongs. (NASA photo AS17-142-21713).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.170.<\/strong> I immediately turned slightly to the right and took this photo that shows Cernan examining the rock from the wall craterlet as he gets ready to bag it. The sample did not survive the trip to Houston in one piece (Fig. 12.171). This photo also shows that the larger 15 m crater is shallow\u2014 only about 1 m deep. (NASA photo AS17-142-21714).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.171.<\/strong> Sample 78155<\/strong> in the Lunar Sample Laboratory which came from the wall cratelet of the ~15 m diameter crater located ~20 m north-northwest of the LRV (Fig. 12.145<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>). (NASA photo S73-15407).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.172.<\/strong> Cernan\u2019s after photo of the wall craterlet showing the white fragments left behind near the center of the depression outlined by the dashed oval. For a larger version without the oval, click here<\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0(Adapted from NASA photo AS17-146-22403).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoy,\u201d Cernan exclaimed, \u201c[this sample is] almost pure white and very friable.\u201d \u201cOh, boy, is it. Pure white! Right out of a small little pit crater on the side of this crater I just walked in, Houston. And it\u2019s pure white, very friable. I got about, well, one big piece and several small (pieces) in 567 (78155<\/strong>)\u2026\u201d Cernan\u2019s after sampling photo is AS17-146-22403 (Fig. 12.172).<\/span><\/p>\n

[Post-mission examination of 78155<\/strong> (Fig. 12.171<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>) found that it consists of an anorthositic (75% plagioclase and 25% clinopyroxene), partial-melt-breccia with a texturally highly varied clast assemblage and has been referred to as a \u201cmetagabbro cataclasite.\u201d[17<\/strong><\/span>]<\/a><\/sup> 40<\/sup>Ar-39<\/sup>Ar ages for this obviously disturbed sample, and cited in the Lunar Sample Compendium, are around 4.1-4.2 billion years, although derived from strong plateau release diagrams, seem unlikely to represent the age of 78155<\/strong>\u2019s parent rock. These argon ages, however, are possibly minimum ages for a pre-disturbance parent rock. Complexities and implications of this and other samples of probable Sculptured Hills<\/em> origin are discussed in Chapter 13.]<\/span><\/p>\n

On my way back to the Rover, I told Parker, \u201cBob, the walls of the big craters around here \u2013 that is, the ones that are, say, 15 meters in diameter \u2013 tend to be a little bit lighter albedo than ones down in the [subfloor] mantled area.<\/span> \u2026I\u2019m afraid those pictures on that rake (sample area) may be through a dust-colored lens,\u201d I added. There is, however, little or no sign of dust on the images.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they (the rake sample scenes) were also in my documented sample [photos] here, too,\u201d Cernan assured us, as he hopped out of his crater, grabbed the gnomon, and hopped toward the Rover, tripping once in the process. \u201cOkay. Where do you want this trench?\u201d he asked. \u201cOn the side of this crater? …I\u2019ll drop my gnomon [there]\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026, I don\u2019t know,\u201d I said, hesitating. \u201cI was just thinking about that. I think we ought to get out in the inter crater area to see if there\u2019s any stratigraphy to whatever the talus is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Jack. I\u2019m going to leave the gnomon [for you] right here\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, while you\u2019re digging that trench,\u201d he added, \u201cwe\u2019ve got the pan to get, but I want to fix this fender.\u201d In contrast to the initial intensity of our work at this station, we have become more business-like, probably due partly to needing to catch our breath after working up and down the slope.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess the pan\u2019s mine, isn\u2019t it, this one?\u201d I queried.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it is. And I want to fix the fender before we leave, \u2026and I\u2019ll tighten [those clamps].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. We agree with that,\u201d interjected Parker, \u201cand you might get us\u2026the gravimeter reading there, Gene, while you\u2019re at it. And if you have time, you might drop the gravimeter on the ground, and we\u2019ll get a reading with it on the ground as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly Smoley!\u201d, Cernan exclaimed, reacting to all the instructions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gravimeter [reading] is coming up,\u201d I told Parker as Cernan bent over the TGE.<\/p>\n

\u201c670, 096, 001. 670, 096, 001. \u2026You want it dropped on the ground, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGently,\u201d Parker joked, reacting to the word \u201cdropped\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cGently,\u201d repeated Cernan. \u201cI can\u2019t find a general level spot, but I\u2019ll level it. If it takes pictures\u2026,\u201d Cernan may be tired, \u201cor, if it does it\u2019s thing (gravity measurement) on the [tilted] Rover, it\u2019ll do its thing here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, this is just to get a check [on any difference between the two].<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. MARK\u2026It\u2019s fender-fixing time; it\u2019s camera-taking-off time. \u2026And I think I\u2019ll zap myself with a little cool water.\u201d Cernan needs his camera off to get as close as he can to the replacement fender for his adjustments.<\/p>\n

While this TGE exchange was taking place, I took before sampling photos of my trench site (AS17-142-21717-19) that is ~30 m from the 15 m diameter crater near where I obtained the rake sample. The locator back to the Rover, 21719, also shows Cernan working with the TGE on the surface.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.173.<\/strong> The \u2018before sample\u2019 down-sun photo showing where I will dig the trench on this side of the gnomon. Cernan is preparing the TGE for the surface reading near the Rover. The 15 m crater where we had been working is ~20 m beyond and slightly right of the LRV (Fig. 12.145<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>). (NASA photo AS17-142-21719).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how\u2019s the trench going, Jack?\u201d Parker inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, down,\u201d I replied by stating the obvious.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, man, I tell you. When you call for cold water, does it come in nicely. Whew! …I\u2019m really happy with this fender, really happy with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBob, I have gotten a [trench] wall now, in one place, that\u2019s standing about 25 centimeters high. And it shows no apparent change in the texture of the soil to that depth; except possibly at the lower 5 centimeters, there\u2019s some zones that might be slightly more granular. Particle size may be up a little bit [in those places].\u201d<\/span> My speech is slower than normal because of trying to think and talk at the same time and being increasingly tired.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I copy that. Probably just three samples will be sufficient, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so. Maybe four.\u201d My normal approach would be to take samples covering a few centimeters at the bottom, middle and top and then take a skim sample at the very top. This approach avoided contamination of one sample by the material sampled just above.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe there in a minute, Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s all right. I can probably get started [without you].\u201d As usual, my heart rate has recovered from earlier exertions to about 90, while Cernan\u2019s remains high at about 110 due to his continued arm activity with the fender.<\/p>\n

\u201cOhhhh, boy!\u201d Cernan\u2019s hands are tiring, again.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeed some help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope. \u2026Boy, we\u2019re sure giving this [Rover] suspension system a workout. Whew! I can even see it [work].\u201d He was moving the torsion bars up and down as he put pressure on the fender.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, after having the scoop head in a position parallel to the extension handle, I tried to reposition it to a 45 degree position for sampling and couldn\u2019t move it. Hitting on it with my hand did not help. \u201cWell, everything\u2019s getting awful dusty,\u201d I said as an understatement.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, everything is stiff,\u201d agreed Cernan. \u201cEverything is just full of dust. There\u2019s got to be a point where the dust just overtakes you, and everything mechanical quits moving.\u201d Years later I said, \u201cAnyone planning to work on the Moon or Mars ought to have Gene\u2019s statement engraved on their forehead and on the inside of their glasses.\u201d[18<\/span><\/strong>]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\u201cLike scoops,\u201d I added as emphasis\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure whether Detroit would like the fender, but it will sure buy the fix. Okay, it\u2019s fixed. \u2026And I\u2019m happy; I like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019d like to have you guys moving in about 3 minutes,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck!\u201d I responded, because I had not even started to get the trench samples.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need any help [to] bag those samples, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir. I think I do. I can\u2019t adjust my scoop to my self-bagging method.\u201d I had finally moved the scoop head to about 20 degrees from vertical, but that was as far as it would go. I finally had realized at Station 7 that with the scoop at 90 degrees, self-bagging went much more easily. Now, I had to revert to our normal two-man bagging procedure.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me get back on some lighter cooling here, too, to save some water,\u201d Cernan commented. \u201cOkay, now [let\u2019s bag].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay; the bottom 10 centimeters…,\u201d I said as I scraped the scoop up the lower portion of the trench wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me get your bags. \u2026I left my camera [and bags] off when I [went to work on the fender.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, shoot! I didn\u2019t take a picture of the trench after I dug it. Let me take one shot\u2026\u201d We always wanted a pre-sampling photograph.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this [first sample]?\u201d Cernan asked. \u201cThe bottom?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the bottom,\u201d I repeated, moving back to take several shots of the trench. AS17-142-21720-23 show where my first sample came from at the bottom of the trench. AS17-142-21724-25 are the full after sampling stereo photos. I should have taken photos after the middle, top and skim samples, and I have no excuse for not doing that instead of taking four photos after the first sample.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.174.<\/strong> A cross-sun photo of the half-trench that I made into the regolith. It shows straight, nearly vertical facets that are very cohesive and smooth. At bottom left is the scoop I used with the head now positioned ~20\u00b0 away from the vertical. (NASA photo AS17-142-21721).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.175.<\/strong> One of the stereo photos showing the view after all sampling had been completed. For a 3D anaglyph view with this stereo pair, click here<\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0(NASA photo AS17-21724; the anaglyph includes -21725).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. The bottom is in 548 (78420<\/strong>),\u201d reported Cernan. \u201cIt\u2019s very cloddy. Looks very much like the surface we\u2019re standing on except it clods up quite a bit more. Can you tell anything from the trench itself?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI told them. \u2026I talked to them a little bit about it,\u201d I replied, not wanting to waste time repeating what Cernan had missed while he concentrated on fixing the TGE and the replacement fender.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looked a little coarser-grained, but that\u2019s all\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sure holds a nice wall, though.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the kind of wall I expect those core tubes held,\u201d Cernan said, remembering the drill core tube wall that he made at the ALSEP site on EVA-1.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou got another one (bag)? Okay. Skim off the upper \u2013 we\u2019ll see how well I do \u2013 skim sample of the upper half centimeter \u2013 maybe a centimeter deep.<\/span> \u2026Okay. Can you hold that [bag]?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to put it in your bag (SCB).\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned sideways and asked, \u201cIs it going to fit in there?\u201d I remembered that Cernan previously had said my SCB was full.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s no choice, right now. Let me\u2026yeah, these little ones (samples) will fit in there. \u2026Stand by. I want to put this one in there, too. That\u2019s in bag 549 (78480<\/strong>) \u2026 Okay. Try again [for the next sample].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, the upper\u2026below that skim \u2013 the next 5 centimeters.<\/span> \u2026Put it (the bag) down [lower], Geno.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, just put it (the scoop) over it (the bag).\u201d After most of three EVAs, Cernan still did not want to accommodate my problem of pouring from the scoop with the bag held at his chest. The shoulders of the suit provided a detent at that level that enabled us to rest our arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I can\u2019t turn it (the scoop).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[Bag] 550 (78460<\/strong>),\u201d reported Cernan after lowering the bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the next [sample is from 5 to] 10 centimeters down. \u201cCan you get this one (bag) too?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep\u2026\u201d He still held the bag too high so I took a chance and just rotated the scoop above the bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I got to get [in] your bag (SCB).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. That was the next 10 centimeters; and, then, the first sample, of course, was the 10 centimeters below that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that last bag was 551 (78440<\/strong>).\u201d<\/p>\n

[The regolith samples obtained at Station 8 have complex petrographic variations between them. The various questions of the meaning of these variations, as well as those in other Taurus-Littrow<\/em> regolith samples, are discussed in Chapter 13.]<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. \u2026We\u2019re ready for you guys to move out,\u201d interjected Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t get a pan here,\u201d Cernan suggested, not recalling that this was the plan discussed previously. \u201cWhile I clean up the Rover, you can get your after of the trench in (and) the pan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get the TGE and clean up the Rover.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s affirm. We agree with that,\u201d Parker said without needing to.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the [microphone] key that keeps\u2026getting keyed?\u201d I asked, rhetorically.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sounds like Bob\u2019s stepping on his foot mike.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he\u2019s so excited, \u2026he can\u2019t stand it,\u201d I agreed, pulling Parkers leg a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou done with the gnomon?\u201d Cernan asked. We had set it up for documentation of the trench and its samples.<\/p>\n

\u2018Yup, \u2026I\u2019ll get the pan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get your pan,\u201d he said, as he picked up the gnomon and headed back to the Rover, \u201cand I\u2019ll get the TGE [reading] and clean up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou took a pan up the hill there?\u201d I asked to be sure that had happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah; I took it way up there, somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Okay. I\u2019ll take it right here, then. \u2026Uh, oh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSamples came out [of my SCB].\u201d I noticed bags on the surface when I stepped back to take the panorama.<\/p>\n

\u201cA sample came out?\u201d he asked from the Rover.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll pick it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Yeah, your top came open. It\u2019s awful full, Jack. If you can\u2019t get it, I\u2019ll get it with the tongs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead and go to work,\u201d I said, \u201cand I\u2019ll get the pan first. I lost two of them, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, those are the last two I put in there. Your bag is so full they won\u2019t stay. Let me give them a reading here. Hey, Bob, can I move it on the Rover and then give you a reading?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. As long as you\u2019re careful not to hit the button while you\u2019re doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I can. I\u2019ll do it. \u2026I won\u2019t hit the button. Just easier to do it that way. I don\u2019t know why I asked you; I know I can. \u2026Even this thing (TGE) doesn\u2019t want to go on [the gate]; it\u2019s so dusty. \u2026Okay. It\u2019s on and it\u2019s locked, and here\u2019s your reading. 670, 117, 301; that\u2019s 670, 117, 301.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to dust that thing (the TGE) the next time around. Jack, we\u2019ve got to do some bag (SCB) changing here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get those things (loose sample bags) with my tongs. You can\u2019t get them. You\u2019d have to bend over. Every time you jump around, you come close to losing something\u2026\u201d Cernan came with the tongs to where I was finishing the panorama. \u201cI\u2019ll just take them back there. Put them under the seat.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.176.<\/strong> The western portion of Pan 26 that I took just after I dug and sampled the trench at Station 8. The trench, actually half-trench, is located just right of the tip of the scoop shadow, here serving the gnomon\u2019s purpose. Cernan is preparing to pick up the TGE and put it on the Geopallet before reading off its numbers. The crater in which Cernan was standing when he took the locator photo to the LRV is just beyond the boulder right of the LRV (Fig. 12.164<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>, left boulder in photo). SWP Crater<\/em> is outlined by the oval at left; and the arrow marks the approximate site of the LRV-11 pick-up. From left-to-right in the background are the South<\/em> Massif<\/em>, (West<\/em>) Family<\/em> Mountain<\/em>, Family<\/em> Mountain<\/em>, and two lobes of the North<\/em> Massif<\/em>. An unlabeled version of this partial pan is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA photos AS17-142-21727-28, -30-31).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.177.<\/strong> The left half of the previous figure allowing a better view of the SWP Crater<\/em>. The dark-rimmed crater that we passed on the traverse around SWP<\/em> is marked \u201cDR\u201d (Fig. 12.141<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong> and Fig. 12.142<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>). And the LRV-11 pick-up is to the left of that (Fig. 12.143<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>). Our Rover tracks can also be followed curving up the slope. The Lunar Module Challenger<\/em> is also indicated in the far distance ~3.8 km away. (cf.<\/em> Fig. 12.160<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u2191<\/strong>). The unlabeled version, available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>, can be enlarged to explore the area. (Derived from NASA photos AS17-142-21727-28).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.178.<\/strong> Turning to my right, I obtained the photos in this northern view. At far left is part of the North Massif<\/em>, but most of the pan shows the lobe of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> on which we had been working. A mix of our tracks can be seen leading up to the norite boulder ~50 m away (between the 2 reseau crosses at upper middle right) that we rolled and sampled. Its original position lies ~10 m further up and to the right. The boulder is easier to see by enlarging the version available in a separate window here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Combination of NASA photos AS17-142-21732, -33, -34, \u201135).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.179.<\/strong> Further to my right, this part of the pan is directed towards the east. The plateau to the right of the Sculptured Hills<\/em> slope is the \u201chump\u201d over which we flew to the landing site (Figs. 12.2<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, 12.3<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2191<\/strong>, \u00a71). At far right is the easternmost part of the East Massif<\/em>. The enlarged version in the separate window is available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>. (Derived from NASA photos AS17-142-21736, -37, -38).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Fig. 12.180.<\/strong> The final portion of my Pan 26 is the view towards the south with the East Massif<\/em> and its outcrops and layered structure in the left background. Of special interest here are the features marked by the vertical arrows. The leftmost one points to a very shallow angle secondary impact crater, the impacting projectile which made it (2nd arrow), and a forward spray of ejecta from it). These features can be seen more easily in the unlabeled version available here<\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0(Combination of NASA photos AS17-142-21739, -40, -41, 42).<\/span><\/p>\n

[This Station 8 black and white panorama (AS17-142-21726-45) is complementary to the color panorama described above that Cernan took from up near the norite boulder. \u00a0In addition to providing a slightly different perspective to the color series, the black and white panorama should give both vertical and horizontal stereo of the valley as well as a means to compare the photometric properties of various valley features with their color signatures. Fig. 12.180 (Frames 21739-41) is of additional interest in that it shows a crater, the impacting projectile, large amounts of regolith breccia fragments, and a narrow, directional spray of ejecta.]<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, \u2026You want me to take that one?\u201d I asked, referring to the first bag he picked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As we head back to the Rover, another sample bag flies out of my SCB, this time going ahead of me so I could see it land.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn,\u201d I swear.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got another one dropped there, Gene,\u201d Parker observes on the MOCR TV screen. \u201cJack got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother one?\u201d Cernan asks, puzzled.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack\u2019s getting it.\u201d I picked the bag up with the scoop and brought it to the Rover that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack, we\u2019ve got to make a place in here for that full bag (SCB). Let me put the small can over there, and core tube over there [under my seat].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a sample,\u201d I say to Mission Control, holding the scoop and its bag up to the TV camera.<\/p>\n

Thinking I was talking to him, Cernan said, \u201cLet me take your bag off first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Well, you might as well fill it as full as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I am. \u2026Holy Smoley!\u201d Cernan exclaimed as he felt the weight of my SCB. \u201cTurn to the left. \u2026Okay. It\u2019s off. Let me fill it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour bag isn\u2019t in much better shape,\u201d I tell him.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger,\u201d agreed Parker. \u201cWe\u2019d like to have you check the Commander\u2019s bag. You might put them both under the seat there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019re running out of bags, aren\u2019t we?\u201d I wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got one bag left,\u201d Parker stated. \u201cWe should have [another] there. It was on the gate, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Cernan replied. \u201cWe had put it (the gate SCB) under the seat. Okay, [Jack\u2019s] bag number 4 is absolutely full, \u2026and it\u2019s under Jack\u2019s seat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I suggest that you take the other bag that\u2019s on the gate there,\u201d Parker said, still not remembering (or asking the EVA consol guys where it was) that we had moved that SCB to my seat, and put that on either you or Jack. And also, the Commander\u2019s bag is pretty full also, we suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you put it on me?\u201d I suggested to Cernan as he removed the last SCB from my seat. \u201cMine gets full faster, somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might check Gene\u2019s bag anyway,\u201d repeated Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay there, stay there,\u201d Cernan instructed, as I started to move. \u201cI\u2019m trying to get the bottom hook.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry. \u2026[Bob,] I checked it (Cernan\u2019s SCB). He\u2019s got about six samples to go. \u2026And I just want to be sure that it\u2019s locked down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Cernan said as he continued to attach my new SCB. \u201cWell, turn to the left so I can get this other hook. \u2026Okay. It\u2019s not coming out; I guarantee you that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still confused, Parker responded, \u201cAnd SCB-5 is one for the LMP, if you want to take it off the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[Let me] check yours one more time,\u201d Cernan told me as we continued to ignore Parker\u2019s bad information. \u201cAnd that\u2019s locked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got it,\u201d I finally told Parker.<\/p>\n

Cernan turned so that I could check his SCB and reported, \u201cSCB-5 is on the LMP. \u2026There is nothing on the gate\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I think that\u2019ll stay down,\u201d I told him, referring to the top lid of the SCB, \u201cbut it\u2019s not very good\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I\u2019ve got one more loose sample I\u2019m going to throw in the big bag back there. You happy [with my SCB]?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA local one (rock), you mean?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d I worried about post-mission identification.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let me leave it under your seat,\u201d Cernan suggested.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, let\u2019s\u2026 Can I put a bag around it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s got a bag around it. It\u2019s all bagged. It\u2019s right there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Jack,\u201d Parker called, \u201cwhile Gene\u2019s doing that, why don\u2019t you read the SEP temperature, or somebody read the SEP temperature anyway, and close the blankets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I\u2019ll do that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Bob. Let\u2019s see, you got your [TGE] readings\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c120, Bob, 120,\u201d I read off the SEP. \u2026Those blankets just aren\u2019t staying closed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I guess we\u2019re ready to head on out,\u201d Cernan said. \u201cDo you agree?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. And, Gene,\u201d Parker responded, \u201cwhen you go to change the LCRU, we\u2019d like you to turn it to OFF. O-F-F, on the Power switch, the Internal Power, External switch. And we\u2019ll be reading you through the LM. It will give you a chance to cool down the LCRU on the way home to Station 9.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, Houston, what\u2019s the temperature limit on the DSEA (SEP Data Storage and Electronics Assembly)?\u201d I was getting more and more certain that the Science Back Room was wasting our time with the SEP recorder as it supposedly turned itself off at 108 degrees. They must have been hoping for a miracle to reduce the temperature.<\/p>\n

\u201cStand by, Jack\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you read us, Bob, through the LM?\u201d Cernan asked after he turned the LCRU OFF.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger. We read you through the LM. Do you read us through the LM?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Not as well, but we\u2019re reading you. Okay. And the temperature limit, Jack, is 160. We\u2019ll just leave it as is until we get back to the LM.\u201d This was the first time I had heard this number. It may have been the temperature that would cause deterioration of the recording tape.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I was going to say, we could take it out and put it under the seat or something, but that sounds all right.\u201d As we would find out later, this number meant nothing relative to the collection of data. That had stopped because of a thermal cutoff at 108 degrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn EMU status check,\u201d Cernan began. \u201cI\u2019m at 3.88, and I got 48 percent [oxygen], no [warning] flags, and I\u2019m INTERMEDIATE [cooling].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the LMP is at 47 percent, no flags, 3.86. Hey, Gene?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026[I mean,] Bob, I guess. \u2026Remind us to change the LRV Sampler at the next station. It\u2019s almost out of bags.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s do it next time around [at Station 9].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. When you get on, Jack, you can give me a frame count as you start moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. \u2026Hang on.\u201d Cernan had fallen on his back, head downhill, between the slope and the left front wheel of the Rover, as he missed getting on his seat. \u201cNeed some help?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u201d This was the Navy fighter pilot talking as he clearly was wedged in and could not get leverage to get up by himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGo downhill. Get your feet downhill.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYep. \u2026Okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me help you,\u201d I offered, as Cernan gave out an embarrassed laugh. \u201cWatch it, there\u2019s a crater right behind you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI got it. I got it.\u201d Clearly, he did not have it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere. Here. Grab my hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, now, just push up on my head,\u201d he directed as he tried to rotate over on his knees.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I\u2019m not going to do it (push) too hard. [You are] Going backwards.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right; just push up. Okay. Okay.\u201d Cernan finally was able to get to his knees and use the Rover to assist him in getting upright.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoy, are you [a mess],\u201d I said with a chuckle. \u201cYou[\u2018ve] got your pockets completely filled with dirt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, extra sample,\u201d he joked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo we throw those pockets away this time around?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExtra sample,\u201d Cernan insisted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you a mess!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that one [fall] was coming for a long time!\u201d, he explained with a laugh. Had I not been able to help Cernan get over on to his front, I could have lifted the front end of the Rover and moved it away from him so he could roll over by himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

[Repeating comments made a Station 2A in Chapter 11, it is possible, I guess, that the side-slope activity at Station 2 [and 6] had aggravated the pre-mission, crew vs. support team baseball injury that hyper-extended a tendon in his right leg. He had kept the seriousness of this problem hidden from almost everyone else including me. As Cernan\u2019s bad leg was his right leg, and he would need to kick that leg up and to the right to land on his seat, it may be that his damaged tendon was indeed causing him some pain. At Station 2A, he fell mounting the Rover, at Station 6 he tripped while crossing a slope with his right leg uphill, and now fell again next to his side of the Rover at Station 8. As Cernan never called attention during the mission to his tendon issue, this is speculation on my part some 50 years later. I knew that he hurt himself at the baseball game, and used a crutch for a few days afterward, but I only became aware of the seriousness of the tendon injury in 1999 with the publication of his book.[19<\/span>]<\/a><\/sup><\/strong>]<\/p>\n

Anticipating getting back into Challenger,<\/em> I said, \u201cMy hands are already tired from dusting you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one was coming!\u201d Cernan exclaimed, but then changed the subject. \u201c\u2026I keep trying to blow the dust off my camera, which is very frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery ineffective, too,\u201d I added, having already done this a number of times, myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Do we try that trick again?\u201d Cernan asked himself. \u201cYou know that happened on an upslope getting on the Rover.\u201d Without noticeable further difficulty, Cernan made it on to his seat. \u201cOkay. I\u2019m all locked in. Let me know when you are. How come we haven\u2019t deployed any charges? I guess the last one\u2026I remember when that one is. Okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll deploy one at Station 10,\u201d Parker stated as being the original plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. I\u2019m in [my seat],\u201d I told Cernan.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. We\u2019re heading to Station 9 pointed about 267,\u2019 he said after consulting the figure in the Cuff Checklist. \u201cOkay, and they\u2019re reading us through the LM, so I won\u2019t worry about the low-gain. We\u2019re powering up. The switch is ON. Okay, I\u2019m going to make a turn to the right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. And the updated headings,\u201d Parker reported, \u201csince you\u2019re at the north end of Station 8, will be something like about 240.<\/p>\n

As the lunar surface exploration phase of Apollo 17 and, indeed, the entire Apollo Program gradually drew to a close, we left the eastern most reach of our travels in the valley of Taurus-Littrow.<\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(Continue to Section 3\u21d2<\/strong><\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n

<\/a>ENDNOTES<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
      \n
    1. \n

      Wolfe, E. W., et al.<\/em>, 1981, The Geologic Investigation of the Taurus-Littrow Valley: Apollo 17 Landing Site, USGS Prof. Paper 1080, Fig. 178, p. 146. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    2. \n

      Wolfe, E. W., et al<\/em>., 1981, The Geologic Investigation of the Taurus-Littrow Valley: Apollo 17 Landing Site, USGS Prof. Paper 1080, Fig. 180, p. 148. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    3. \n

      Korotev, R. L., and D. Kremser, 1992, Compositional variations in Apollo 17 soils and their relationships to the geology of the Taurus-Littrow site, Lunar Planetetary Science Conference 22<\/em>, p.275-301 \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    4. \n

      Schmitt H. H., Petro N. E., Wells R. A, Robinson M. S., Weiss B. P. and Mercer C. M. (2017) Revisiting the field geology of Taurus-Littrow. Icarus,<\/em> 298, 2-33. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    5. \n

      Wolfe, E. W., et al<\/em>., 1981, The Geologic Investigation of the Taurus-Littrow Valley: Apollo 17 Landing Site, USGS Prof. Paper 1080, Fig. 190, p. 156. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    6. \n

      Schmitt H. H., Petro N. E., Wells R. A, Robinson M. S., Weiss B. P. and Mercer C. M. (2017) Revisiting the field geology of Taurus-Littrow. Icarus,<\/em> 298, 2-33. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    7. \n

      Schmitt, H. H., N. E. Petro, R. A. Wells, M. S. Robinson, B. P. Weiss, and C. M. Mercer (2017), Revisiting the field geology of Taurus-Littrow, Icarus<\/em>, 298, p. 2-33. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    8. \n

      Schmitt H. H., Petro N. E., Wells R. A, Robinson M. S., Weiss B. P. and Mercer C. M. (2017) Revisiting the field geology of Taurus-Littrow. Icarus,<\/em> 298, \u00a77, 24-30. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    9. \n

      See discussion in Jones, E., Apollo 17, EVA-3, Station 8, Apollo Lunar Surface Journal<\/em><\/span><\/a>, between GET 166:39:10 and 166:39:11. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    10. \n

      Wolfe, E. W., et al<\/em>., 1981, The Geologic Investigation of the Taurus-Littrow Valley: Apollo 17 Landing Site, USGS Prof. Paper 1080, Fig. 205, p.165. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    11. \n

      Edmunson, J., et al, 2009, A combined Sm\u2013Nd, Rb\u2013Sr, and U\u2013Pb isotopic study of Mg-suite norite 78238: Further evidence for early differentiation of the Moon, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta<\/em>, 73, p. 514-527. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    12. \n

      Schmitt, H. H., N. E. Petro, R. A. Wells, M. S. Robinson, B. P. Weiss, and C. M. Mercer (2017), Revisiting the field geology of Taurus-Littrow, Icarus, 298, p. 2-33. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    13. \n

      See Boardman, J. W. et al., 2010, A new lunar globe as seen by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, Lunar and Planetary Conference 41, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Abstract 1716<\/em><\/span><\/a>.; Green, R. O., C. Pieters, P. Mouroulis, et al.<\/em>, 2011. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) imaging spectrometer for lunar science: Instrument description, calibration, on-orbit measurements, science data calibration and on-orbit validation. J. Geophys. Res<\/em>., 116,<\/strong> DOI:10.1029\/2011JE00G19.Specfic data on the Sculptured Hills provided courtesy of Noah E. Petro, Goddard Space Flight Center. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    14. \n

      Also includes: Korotev, R. L., and D. Kremser, 1992, Compositional variations in Apollo 17 soils and their relationships to the geology of the Taurus-Littrow site, Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf. 22, p.275-301. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    15. \n

      I am grateful to my website co-editor, Colin Mackellar, for reformatting this skiing video clip (~14 Mb) to make it more presentable for inclusion here. He also reformatted the \u201cT\u2019aint easy McGee\u201d clip (~5 Mb) that also includes Cernan\u2019s fall at the Station 6 boulder in Section 1. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    16. \n

      Schmitt, H. H., N. E. Petro, R. A. Wells, M. S. Robinson, B. P. Weiss, and C. M. Mercer (2017), Revisiting the field geology of Taurus-Littrow, Icarus<\/em>, 298<\/strong>, pp. 2-33. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    17. \n

      Bickel, C. E. (1977) Petrology of 78155: An early thermally metamorphosed polymict breccia. LPSC 8, Geochem. Cosmo. Acta, Supplement 8, pp. 2007-2027. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    18. \n

      Jones, E, Apollo 17, EVA 3, Station 8,\u00a0Apollo Lunar Surface Journal<\/em><\/span><\/a>, between, GET 167:21:05 and 167:21:14. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    19. \n

      Cernan, E. A., and D. Davis (1999), Last Man on the Moon, St. Martins Press, New York, p. 288. \u2191<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      (Continued from Chapter 12, Section 1): SECTION 2 Station 7 \u2013 The North Massif Fig. 12.99. Planimetric map of the Station 7 layout, showing the locations of Pans 23, 24; the locations of various rock samples; and the position of the LRV with respect to the location of the large boulder (black oval) that was … <\/p>\n

      Continue reading “b. Section 2”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":3982,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4051","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9bNBl-13l","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4051"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4433,"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4051\/revisions\/4433"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colinmackellar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}