Scientists of Madhya Pradesh Council for Science and Technology (MPCST) have made major contribution in an important research project that is likely to throw new light on the origin of the Earth and Moon.
Informing about the project titled ‘Understanding lunar Volcanism and Tectonics of Moon Using Chandrayaan-1’, the Council’s Public Relation in-charge Dheerendra Pandey informed on Wednesday that this is the first time that MPCST was involved in a major project that concluded on Wednesday.
Director and Scientific Advisor to the State Government Pramod K Verma and senior scientist Anil Khare were earlier selected by the Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmadabad to participate in the study of Marius Hills region of moon to analyse the impact of volcanic activities in the region. The SAC is a major centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The objective of the project was to study the domes in Marius Hill region of the Moon to get information about volcanic activities tectonic movement.
The studies were conducted through 3D Digital Elevation Model created by using photographs from Terrain Mapping Camera of the Chandrayaan-1 and the Kaguya (SElENE) orbiter of Japan.
The scientific team did a study of morphological properties of the domes. A lunar Dome Catalogue has also been prepared which can be used in study of lunar surface. The study has helped in explaining the influence of volcanic activities in formation of the bodies found on moon’s surface.
Anil Khare, who is a senior scientist at MPCST’s Remote Sensing Application Centre, said that the study has helped in analysis of lava flow on lunar surface and also a volumetric study of the domes in Marius Hills region. It is likely to lead to new facts on moon’s origin very soon, he added.
SAC Project Investigator AS Arya and scientist Fani Rajshekhar were also a part of the scientific team that has done the studies.