A new study suggests the moon's surface re-melted 4.35 billion years ago, potentially resetting the age of lunar rocks and making the moon older than previously thought.
The moon may have received a volcanic facelift, making it more than 100 million years older than rocks collected from its surface might suggest, a new study finds. Rocks collected from the moon's surface suggest the moon is about 4.35 billion years old, which is relatively young compared to the solar system's formation about 4.6 billion years ago. Some scientists believe the moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago based on rare lunar zircon minerals.
In addition, many scientists who have created simulations of planetary formation suggest that a collision huge enough to create the moon was unlikely to happen a quarter-billion years after the origin of the solar system. Although giant cosmic impacts were common in the solar system's earliest days, the orbital dynamics models suggest that most of the massive rocks behind such titanic clashes were swept up into larger bodies by about 4.4 billion years ago. Now, a new study suggests a possible explanation for this discrepancy — the lunar surface 're-melted' 4.35 billion years ago. This would have reset the age of lunar rocks, masking the moon's true age. Much about the origin of the moon remains shrouded in mystery. Previous research suggested it formed between a collision between the newborn Earth and a Mars-size rock dubbed Theia and other means. These rocks likely crystallized from the magma ocean that covered the moon after that final giant impact. 'You can't necessarily use the ages recorded by rocks to tell when the moon formed,' study lead author Francis Nimmo, a planetary scientist at the University of California Santa Cruz, told Space.com. The cause of this remelting is the same kind of tidal effects that cause our planet's seas to rise and fall. Just as the moon's gravity tugs on Earth, so too does Earth's gravity pull on the moon
MOON VOLCANISM AGE PLANETARY FORMATION TIDES
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lunar Volcanic Facelift: Rethinking the Moon's AgeA new study suggests the Moon's surface may have 'remelted' 4.35 billion years ago, potentially masking its true age.
Read more »
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander to study space weather, pesky moon dust using NASA scienceToday's Video Headlines: 12/17/24
Read more »
Teen Mom Needs a Facelift: Time to Spotlight the DadsMTV's Teen Mom franchise, while focused on young mothers, overlooks the significant role of fathers. This article suggests a potential spin-off titled 'Teen Dad' to highlight these often-underrepresented figures.
Read more »
Early Moon May Have Resembled Io With Volcanic ActivityScientists suggest Earth's early Moon experienced a period of intense volcanic activity, similar to Jupiter's moon Io.
Read more »
Volcanic Gold Resumes Exploration in Central America After Mining Ban ReversalVolcanic Gold Mines Inc. has resumed exploration activities on its Holly Property in Central America following recent developments, including the acquisition of Bluestone Resources by Aura Minerals and the proposal by El Salvadorian President Nayib Armando Bukele Ortiz to revoke the country's mining ban.
Read more »
Precise Dating of Ancient Ocean Anoxia Reveals Volcanic Link to Climate ChangeA new study provides the most detailed dating of an ocean anoxic event, revealing a link between massive volcanic eruptions and climate change 119.5 million years ago.
Read more »