^1,2Anna-Irene Landi,³Cristian Carli,⁴Alessandro Maturilli,⁴Giulia Alemanno,⁴Océane Barraud,Fabrizio Capaccioni,²Giovanni Pratesi
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009382]
¹Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Trento, Trento, Italy,
²Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universitàdegli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy,
³INAF‐IAPS, Area della Ricerca Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy,
⁴Institute for SpaceResearch, German Aerospace Center DLR, Berlin, Germany
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Boninites are high‐magnesium volcanic rocks proposed as terrestrial analogs for Mercury’ssurface, based on elemental data from NASA’s MErcury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry andRanging (MESSENGER) mission. In this study, we investigated boninite samples from the Troodos Massif(Cyprus) using a multi‐methodological approach to characterize their mineralogical, chemical, andspectroscopic properties, including reflectance and emissivity spectra. Geochemical analyses confirm that thebulk composition of the samples closely matches Mercury’s geochemical terrains in terms of SiO2, MgO, andAl2O3 content, though FeO concentrations are higher (∼8 wt% vs. 1–2 wt%). Samples from different localitiesshow some mineralogical differences but generally contain less orthopyroxene and albitic plagioclase thanexpected on Mercury, along with hydrated minerals from aqueous alteration, which are not expected on theplanet’s surface. Reflectance spectra in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and near‐infrared (NIR) range showmajor absorption features around 1 μm, associated with mafic minerals, and minor bands at ∼1.4 μm, ∼1.9 μm,and 2.2–2.3 μm, linked to hydrated phases, with spectral variations reflecting mineralogical differences. In themid‐infrared (MIR) range and emissivity spectra, we observe Christiansen Features (CF) and ReststrahlenBands (RB) at different positions, mainly influenced by plagioclase content, and shifts in emissivity minimawith increasing temperature. Spectral differences between the boninites and Mercury mainly result from theintrinsic mineralogy of the samples. Nonetheless, Troodos boninites represent one of the best Mercury analogscurrently available on Earth, and understanding their spectral behavior in relation to their mineralogy couldsupport future investigations with the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission.

^1,2Kecheng Du,^1,2Sicong Liu,¹Xiaohua Tong,³Ming Jin,^1,2Huan Xie,^1,2Yongjiu Feng,^1,2Yanmin Jin,^1,2Jie Zhang
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008842]
¹College of Surveying and Geo‐Informatics, Tongji University, Shanghai, China,
²Shanghai Key Laboratory for Planetary Mapping and Remote Sensing for Deep Space Exploration, Tongji University, Shanghai, China,
³Institute of Geology,Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The lunar south polar region has been a focus of human exploration due to its potential rich water-ice and mineral resources. However, scientific exploration of this area based on spectral data is limited due to challenging lighting conditions and complex topography. In this work, we used the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) reflectance data to construct a hyperspectral cube in the lunar 83°–90°S region. Mineralogical abundance maps of the four major lunar minerals were derived from M3 data at a spatial resolution of ∼193 m/pixel. Quantitative mineral maps of four common lunar minerals, including high-calcium pyroxene (HCP), low-calcium pyroxene (LCP), olivine, and plagioclase, were derived from the M3 data, with abundance ranges consistent with those from the Kaguya Spectral Profiler (SP) data. The high-resolution mineral maps enhance the identification of mineral distribution details, such as purest anorthosite enrichment in the crater wall and floor of the Shackleton Crater. Comprehensive analysis of the mineral abundance maps reveals geological characteristics and potential effects of impact events, with particular emphasis on Artemis III mission landing site candidates. Pyroxene enrichment detected in the De Gerlache-Kocher Massif region may present an opportunity to collect South Pole-Aitken ejecta materials.