LUC‐GRAS200: A Global Lunar Crater Catalog at Sub‐Kilometer Scale–Construction, Validation and Spatial Characteristics

Abstract

High‐resolution global catalogs of lunar impact craters are fundamental to understanding surface evolution, impact flux, and planetary chronology. This study presents the LUC‐GRAS200 catalog, a new global data set containing approximately 10.7 million craters with diameters ranging from 0.2 to 2,050 km. The catalog integrates multi‐source imagery and topographic data with deep learning‐based detection, followed by systematic morphometric extraction and auxiliary secondary crater likelihood assessment. All results are interpreted within a quantified framework of detection completeness and systematic uncertainties. Observable spatial and scale‐dependent variations in crater density, saturation equilibrium, and morphometric parameters (depth‐to‐diameter ratios, slopes, and rim height‐to‐diameter ratios) are documented. These patterns include hemispheric asymmetry (more stable at diameters ≥5 km), mare–highland contrasts that decrease toward smaller diameters, and latitudinal gradients most evident at sub‐kilometer scales. Saturation coverage ( R  > 0.3) increases with crater diameter and shows regional differences, with higher values tending to occur in polar and highland regions. Morphometric parameters exhibit systematic variations across geological settings, with higher mean values generally observed in highland terrains compared to mare regions. The catalog extends systematic crater characterization to sub‐kilometer diameters while explicitly documenting residual uncertainties, particularly for small‐diameter craters and high‐latitude regions influenced by illumination conditions, DEM‐resolution transitions, and secondary crater contributions. These observational constraints provide a framework for crater chronology, impact flux studies, surface evolution analyses, and future lunar mission planning.