NASA LRO: Gravity anomalies bordering the Moon's Procellarum region

The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), collected data to produce this image showing the topography of Earth’s moon. 

Gravity anomalies bordering the Procellarum region appear superimposed in blue. 

The image depicts border structures using gravity gradients calculated with information obtained by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. 

Researchers interpret these gravity anomalies as ancient lava-flooded rift zones buried beneath the volcanic plains (or maria) on the nearside of the moon.

Credit: NASA

More Information
"Structure and evolution of the lunar Procellarum region as revealed by GRAIL gravity data"
Jeffrey C. Andrews-Hanna, Jonathan Besserer James W. Head III, Carly J. A. Howett, Walter S. Kiefer, Paul J. Lucey, Patrick J. McGovern, H. Jay Melosh, Gregory A. Neumann, Roger J. Phillips, Paul M. Schenk, David E. Smith, Sean C. Solomon & Maria T. Zuber - Nature 514, 68–71 (02 October 2014) doi:10.1038/nature13697 - Published online 01 October 2014