Imbrium Basin

Imbrium Basin

(im -bree-ŭm) The second youngest lunar basin, of which much of the second and third rings survive as mountain arcs (see table at mountains, lunar). The ejecta blanket of the basin covers much of the nearside and provides the major reference horizon for lunar stratigraphy. The basin was formed 3850 million years ago and was flooded with basalt lavas during at least the following 600 million years. This produced Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains), which was visited by Lunokhod 1, and also Palus Putredinis, which was sampled by Apollo 15. See also Fra Mauro formation; Imbrian System.