Scientists have long studied the moon’s surface to understand its geological history. They believed that large ridges on the moon’s near side were formed by contractions billions of years ago and that the moon has been inactive since then.
However, a new study by two Smithsonian Institution scientists and a University of Maryland geologist found that small ridges on the moon’s far side are younger than those on the near side, suggesting that the moon may be more active than previously thought.
Many scientists thought most of the moon’s geological movements occurred 2.5 to 3 billion years ago. However, Jaclyn Clark from the University of Maryland’s Department of Geology says that recent findings show these tectonic features have been active in the past billion years and may still be active today.
The small mare ridges on the moon have formed within the last 200 million years, which is relatively recent for the moon.
Researchers discovered 266 new small ridges on the moon’s far side using advanced mapping and modeling techniques. These ridges, found in groups of 10 to 40, are in volcanic regions that likely formed 3.2 to 3.6 billion years ago.
Moon’s subsurface is more metal-rich than previously thought
Researchers used crater counting to estimate the age of these ridges and found they were younger than other features nearby.
Jaclyn Clark explained that a surface with more craters is older since it has had more time to accumulate craters. By counting craters around these small ridges and noticing some ridges cut through existing craters, researchers concluded that these landforms were active in the last 160 million years.
Clark noted that ridges on the moon’s far side were similar to those on the near side, suggesting they were created by the same forces, likely from the moon’s gradual shrinking and changes in its orbit.
The Apollo missions detected shallow moonquakes, and new findings suggest that these small ridges might be related to similar seismic activity. Learning about the moon’s surface evolution is essential for future moon missions.
Clark hopes that future moon missions will use tools like ground-penetrating radar to understand the structures beneath the lunar surface better.
Knowing that the moon is still geologically active has significant implications for where astronauts, equipment, and infrastructure will be placed on the moon.
Journal Reference:
- C. A. Nypaver, T. R. Watters, and J. D. Clark. Recent Tectonic Deformation of the Lunar Farside Mare and the South Pole–Aitken Basin. The Planetary Science Journal. DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/ad9eaa
Source: Tech Explorist
