A tectonic map of the Orientale Basin on the Moon

All mapping was done in ArcGIS Pro 3.4 on a scale of 1:100,000 while increasing or decreasing the scale to make observations. The mapping was carried out on Moon LRO LROC WAC Global Morphology Mosaic 100m*, complimented with the Moon LRO LOLA - SELENE Kaguya TC DEM Merge 60N60S 59m**. Using these data sets, we mapped geologic structures including normal faults, thrust faults, the rims of the basin, cliffs within the basin, rilles, and a few ridges interpreted to be anticlines. All structures were mapped with polylines by manually placing vertices at locations where the structure has a change in orientation. These line features were exported as a shapefile. The mapping criteria are as follows:

1 Normal Faults: Linear borders of troughs (elongated negative relief structures), often straight map pattern.
2 Thrust Faults: Scarp bordering positive relief symmetric or asymmetric ridges, often sinuous map pattern.
3 Rim/Cliff: These are cliffs representing the rings of the basin, as indicated by a sharp decrease in elevation along a steep scarp.
4 Inferred Rim: Same as 3, lower mapping confidence.
5 Rilles: These are sinuous troughs that were mapped along their center.
6 Anticline: Positive relief ridges without clear surface breaks of scarps. They were mapped along the crest of the ridge.
7 Lineament: Unspecified lineament that were large enough to be recognized in the image data sets but no origin could be assigned.

*https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/moon_lro_lroc_wac_global_morphology_mosaic_100m
**https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/moon_lro_lola_selene_kaguya_tc_dem_merge_60n60s_59m

This map was presented as part of the 2025 Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) symposium at the University of Georgia on April 7th 2025: A tectonic map of the Orientale Basin on the Moon.