The lava tube in the Gruithuisen region on the Moon is intriguing because it is characterized by a distinctive chain of collapsed pits and raised features, providing an opportunity to understand the potential morphologic deformation of lunar lava tubes under compressional stress. This study aimed to understand the morphological deformation in the Gruithuisen region’s lava tube when subjected to compressional stress. A combination of numerical simulations and morphometric analysis was employed to achieve this objective. The morphometric analysis of different collapsed and raised features associated with a lava tube in the study area revealed eight characteristic morphologies ranging from curvilinear channel-like to elliptical shape. Notably, average normal stress and strain values derived from a wrinkle ridge were found to be ~70 MPa and 2 × 10−3, respectively, and wrinkle ridges exhibited a northward orientation. These quantified parameters were utilized as the foundation for initializing three-dimensional models. Furthermore, the outcomes of the models closely replicated the deformation in the Gruithuisen region, emphasizing the significant role of compressional stress in the deformation of the lava tube. These models suggest that the observed eight unique features associated with the lava tube arise from disparities in displacement magnitude and direction along three axes (x, y, z). Our research sheds light on the structural transformations of lava tubes when subjected to varying compressional stress and enhances understanding of the ways in which the interplay between compressional tectonic activity and lava tube features has shaped the Moon’s surface.

中文翻译：

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月球压应力作用下格鲁特赫伊森地区熔岩管的变形


月球格鲁特赫伊森地区的熔岩管很有趣，因为它的特点是一系列独特的塌陷坑和凸起特征，为了解月球熔岩管在压缩应力下潜在的形态变形提供了机会。本研究旨在了解 Gruithuisen 地区熔岩管在受到压缩应力时的形态变形。采用数值模拟和形态分析相结合来实现这一目标。对研究区域熔岩管相关的不同塌陷和凸起特征的形态测量分析揭示了从曲线通道状到椭圆形的八种特征形态。值得注意的是，来自皱纹脊的平均法向应力和应变值分别为约 70 MPa 和 2 × 10−3，并且皱纹脊表现出向北的方向。这些量化参数被用作初始化三维模型的基础。此外，模型的结果密切复制了 Gruithuisen 地区的变形，强调了压应力在熔岩管变形中的重要作用。这些模型表明，观察到的与熔岩管相关的八个独特特征源于沿三个轴（x、y、z）的位移幅度和方向的差异。我们的研究揭示了熔岩管在受到不同压缩应力时的结构转变，并增强了对压缩构造活动和熔岩管特征之间相互作用塑造月球表面的方式的理解。