Analysis of lunar samples reveals that the Moon experienced volcanic activity until 120 million years ago, much later than previously thought.
This insight comes from examining glass beads in the samples, indicating localized volcanic activity fueled by radioactive elements.
Recent Lunar Volcanic Activity
There were volcanic eruptions on the Moon as recently as 120 million years ago, according to a new analysis of a lunar sample collected by the Chang’e‑5 mission. Samples collected by the Apollo, Luna, and Chang’e‑5 missions have previously shown there was widespread basaltic volcanism on the Moon extending from about 4.4 to 2.0 billion years ago.
The new findings demonstrate that volcanism persisted much longer than was previously suspected, at least on smaller, more localized scale.
Investigating Lunar Samples
Bi-Wen Wang, Qian W.L. Zhang, and colleagues sorted through more than 3000 tiny glass beads they recovered from a lunar sample collected by Chang’e‑5, examining the bead’s chemical compositions, physical textures, and sulfur isotopes to distinguish potential volcanic glasses from glasses produced by meteorite impacts.
Analyzing Volcanic Origins
They identified three beads as being of volcanic origin, then used radiometric dating to determine the volcanic beads formed 123 ± 15 million years ago. The volcanic beads contain high abundances of potassium, phosphorus, and rare-earth elements, known as KREEP elements, which can produce radioactive heating. Localized heating due to KREEP elements might melt rocks in the Moon’s mantle, leading to small amounts of magma erupting to the surface, the researchers suggest.
In a related Perspective, Yuri Amelin and Qing-zhu Yin discuss the difficulties in distinguishing volcanic glasses from impact glasses.
Reference: “Returned samples indicate volcanism on the Moon 120 million years ago” by Bi-Wen Wang, Qian W. L. Zhang, Yi Chen, Wenhao Zhao, Yu Liu, Guo-Qiang Tang, Hong-Xia Ma, Bin Su, Hejiu Hui, John W. Delano, Fu-Yuan Wu, Xian-Hua Li, Yuyang He and Qiu-Li Li, 5 September 2024, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adk6635
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