Definition
Optical Maturity or OMAT is an important geological indicator of the space weathering process and chemical evolution of lunar features. Changes in reflectance spectra and optical properties as well as changes in the abundances of key elements help to determine the maturity of lunar features.
Introduction
Space weather agents and geologic processes have altered the lunar surface over its 4.5 billion year history in terms of its optical properties, physical properties, and geochemical makeup. These agents and processes include solar radiation, solar wind, cosmic rays, micrometeoroids, and surface volcanic activity. The results of these processes include smaller soil particle sizes (the production of the lunar regolith), an increase in submicroscopic metallic Fe, and production of agglutinates. As a result of space weathering, rays and ejecta blankets around craters fade over time and become indistinguishable for craters that are more than 1 billion years old (Grier et al. 2001...
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Cudnik, B. (2023). Optical Maturity (OMAT). In: Cudnik, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Lunar Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_146
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_146
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