mascon

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mascon Abbreviation for mass concentration. There are about ten large-scale positive gravity anomalies on the Moon, associated with the large circular maria (see MARE). The basalt filling the multi-ringed impact basins only partly accounts for the excess mascons per unit area, and central subsurface uplift of denser mantle material into the feldspathic lunar highland crust during the impact is required to provide the observed values of up to +2.2 × 10−3 m/s2 (+220 mgal) observed in the Mare Imbrium.

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY

mascon

views updated May 29 2018

mascon (ˈmæskɒn) Astronomy mass concentration

The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH

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