| Abstract: | Lunar topography and landform, resulting from endogenous and exogenous geophysical processes of various spatial and temporal scales, carry information of these processes and target properties. Geoscientists use morphometric analysis at different scales to study lunar topography, which is one of the four scientific objectives of China's lunar exploration project. This article first reviewed the lunar topographic types from different researchers, analyzed classifying method and progress, discussed geological mapping method of 1∶ 5 000 000 complied by United States Geological Survey in the 1970s. In consideration of the present situation of the lunar surface morphological characteristics, the pattern of macroscopic forcing, morphologic variation and combination characteristics and function way, etc., a matrix combining multi-stage classification method was put forward based on the characteristics of the topography and geologic age, which included 7 geologic ages and 14 morphologic classes. Geological ages can be divided into Copernican System (C), Copernican-Eartosthenian System (CE), Eartosthenian System (E), Eartosthenian-Imbrian System (EI), Imbrian System (I), Imbrian-PreImbrian System (IpI) and Pre-Imbrian System (pI). As to topographic types, the first class can be divided into lunar mare, lunar basin, lunar terra and lunar crater. As to their second class according to morphological differences, the lunar basin can be divided into basin plain and circum-basin, and lunar mare can be divided into mare plain and mare dome; lunar terra can be divided into terra plain, plateau and hill, and craters can be divided into main sequence crater, crater plain, secondary crater, crater chains and clusters, rayed craters, irregular crater and undivided crater. Thus, 46 subclasses including geologic and morphologic features were obtained in this classification system. The test mapping method was addressed in Sheet H010, which shows the combination classification method is reasonable. |
