The Lunar Regolith

Abstract

Regolith is a terrestrial term, also used for the Moon. It has been defined as “a general term for the layer or mantle of fragmental and unconsolidated rock material, whether residual or transported and of highly varied character, that nearly everywhere forms the surface of the land and overlies or covers bedrock. It includes rock debris of all kinds, [including] volcanic ash... ” (Bates and Jackson, 1980). All the lunar landings and all photographic investigations show, that the entire lunar surface consists of a regolith layer that completely covers the underlying bedrock, except perhaps on some very steep-sided crater walls and lava channels, where there may be exposed bedrock. The regoliths developed on the Earth are produced