Lunar nearside magnetic anomalies

Contour maps of the vector components of the lunar crustal magnetic field measured with the Apollo 16 subsatellite magnetometer at low altitudes across the central near side are presented. A solution was obtained for a minimum mean magnetization level of about 700 times the stable magnetization component of the most magnetic returned lunar crustal samples. Attention is given to the Reiner Gamma anomaly that is found to represent macroscopic evidence for a surficial darkening process that is dominantly solar wind-dependent.