Chinese scientists have found strange volcanoes on the Moon's far side, where the next Chinese mission will land.
This discovery is likely to change how we think about lunar volcanoes and help us understand why one side of the Moon looks different from the other.
The Chang’e-6 mission, launched on May 3, aims to collect soil samples from the Apollo basin, situated within the South Pole-Aitken basin, known as the largest impact crater in the solar system.
Detailed analysis conducted by scientists reveals that volcanic activity in the Apollo basin occurred from the Nectarian to the Eratosthenian period, roughly between 4.05 and 1.79 billion years ago.
This finding implies that the variation in crust thickness between the near and far sides of the Moon likely caused the uneven distribution of volcanic activity.
Chinese scientists have found strange volcanoes on the Moon's far side, where the next Chinese mission will land. This discovery is likely to change how we think about lunar volcanoes and help us understand why one side of the Moon looks different from the other.
The Chang’e-6 mission, launched on May 3, aims to collect soil samples from the Apollo basin, situated within the South Pole-Aitken basin, known as the largest impact crater in the solar system.
Recent research published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters by Dr Yuqi Qian and colleagues from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has uncovered a varied and mysterious history of volcanic activity spanning millions of years.
What does the analysis suggest?
Detailed analysis conducted by scientists reveals that volcanic activity in the Apollo basin occurred from the Nectarian to the Eratosthenian period, roughly between 4.05 and 1.79 billion years ago.
This activity was significantly influenced by the thickness of the basin's crust. Dikes beneath the thin crust of the basin reached the surface, forming lava flows, while dikes within the thick crust became trapped, creating basaltic dike intrusions.
This finding implies that the variation in crust thickness between the near and far sides of the Moon likely caused the uneven distribution of volcanic activity. Moreover, researchers have identified at least two distinct instances of volcanic eruptions with different chemical compositions in the southern maria plain of the Apollo basin, occurring in the ancient past.
The study's authors stress the importance of the samples collected by Chang’e-6 in gaining a deeper understanding of this diverse volcanic history and its significance for lunar asymmetry.
(With inputs from agencies)
