Implications of a Caldera Origin of the Lunar Crater Copernicus

The forthcoming renaissance in lunar exploration will focus on many objectives such as Copernicus. Copernicus appears to be a caldera for at least 8 reasons. If a caldera we see (1) transient activity (2) no overturned impact flap at the crater margins (3) internal sinuous leveed lava flow channels (4) a lava covered floor (5) terraces of different ages (6) multiple central volcanoes, one showing a directed volcanic blast (7) olivine-rich komatiitic lavas on central volcanoes and (8) magmatic inflation/deflation on caldera flanks localizing craterlets and extinct fumaroles in "loop" patterns. Regarding (6), directed volcanic blasts can remove a segment of the volcano wall as evidenced in terrestrial analogs at Mt. St. Helens and Bezymianny. Impact mechanisms to produce this feature in Copernicus are contrived. For (7) Clementine spectral data show a high olivine content of the central mountains on Copernicus which I interpret as forsteritic spinifex mineralization in komatiitic lavas and not as impact rebound of olivine-rich deep seated rocks. (8) MacDonald (1956) documented loop patterns on the flank of Halemaumau in Hawaii defining arcuate fractures localizing fumaroles and craterlets. Inflation/deflation of subjacent magma bodies are interpreted as the cause for these loops. Inflation/deflation mechanisms on caldera flanks are common around terrestrial calderas. "Loop" patterns on the flank of Copernicus localizing "gouge" craterlets have been interpreted as ballistic features resulting from the meteorite impact of this crater. Questioned is the logic of a linear N26E trending array of fragments within Copernicus to serve as a source of ballistic projectiles to form the loops localizing conjugate craterlets. The fused craterlet axes on the lunar loops do not point back to a presumed impact center in Copernicus. The axes are oriented parallel to a regional northwest (N35-60W) fracture zone. Implications for an endogenic origin of Copernicus would involve revisions of lunar stratigraphy. The origin of major rayed craters would also require review. The breached central volcano would offer a unique exploration objective. Hydrothermal alteration on the interior walls of the volcano should be accessible. Permanently shadowed zones at 40 K and near surface layers within the volcano could retain pockets of Precambrian fumarolic ices such as carbon and sulfur-bearing fluids, chlorine, methane, formaldehyde, nitrogen, ammonia, ammonium cyanide and water. A major implication would be possibility of biomarkers of Precambrian protolife. Energies for the creation of protolife would be electrical potentials created by flow charging or, on freezing, by charge separation. Well documented progressions from racemic amino acids formed "in the spark" (and stabilized by volcanic ammonium borate) reacting with adenine (formed in part by cooling ammonium cyanide) yield adenosine. The latter in turn can react with water-soluble volcanic polyphosphates to form adenosine triphosphate. Trace amounts of fumarolic tungsten could create tungstoenzymes as catalysts. Fischer-Tropsch catalysis could also generate lipid micelles and polycyclic amino acids. A critical prebiotic compound, formic acid, can be formed from troilite (a relatively common lunar iron sulfide) in an aqueous solution with hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. The reaction is thermodynamically viable with a free energy of -11.9 kj/mole. Special physical attributes of fumaroles, such as spatter, involve wet/dry cycles and a version of a polymerase chain reaction creating an exponential replication of nucleotides. Copernicus as a caldera offers a significant role in both robotic and human exploration.