Simulated Lunar Surface Hydration Measurements Using Multispectral Lidar at 3 µm

Accurately measuring the variability of spectroscopic signatures of hydration (H(2)O + OH) on the illuminated lunar surface at 3 μm as a function of latitude, lunar time of day, and composition is crucial to determining the generation and destruction mechanisms of OH species and understanding the global water cycle. A prime complication in analysis of the spectroscopic feature is the accurate removal of thermal emission, which can modify or even eliminate the hydration feature depending on the data processing methods used and assumptions made. An orbital multispectral lidar, with laser illumination at key diagnostic wavelengths, would provide uniform, zero‐phase geometry, complete latitude and time of day coverage from a circular polar orbit, and is agnostic to the thermal state of the surface. We have performed measurement simulations of a four‐wavelength multispectral lidar using spectral mixtures of hydrated mid‐ocean‐ridge basalt (MORB) glasses and lunar regolith endmembers to assess the lidar performance in measuring hydration signatures on the lunar surface. Our results show a feasible system with wavelengths at 1.5 μm, 2.65 μm, 2.8 μm, and 3.1 μm can measure lunar hydration with a precision of 52 ppm (1σ) or better. These results, combined with the uniform measurement capabilities of multispectral lidar make it a valuable spectroscopic technique for elucidating mechanisms of OH/H(2)O generation, migration, and destruction.