The Age and Evolution of Lunar Micro Cold Traps at the Scale of Surface Exploration

Abstract

AbstractCold traps are locations on the Moon that are shielded from sunlight where volatiles such as water could accumulate and persist against sublimation for geologic timescales. We model how long it takes accumulating craters to produce and then obliterate sub‐kilometer scale cold traps. Sub‐meter cold traps are extremely ephemeral, evolving in and out of existence over less than a few thousand years; however, larger 100 m to 1 km‐scale cold traps may persevere for geologic timescales and preserve a record of the volatile history of the Moon.