scholarly journals Understanding the origin and evolution of water in the Moon through lunar sample studies

2014 ◽  
Vol 372 (2024) ◽  
pp. 20130254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahesh Anand ◽  
Romain Tartèse ◽  
Jessica J. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Lunar Soil ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Water Abundance ◽  
Water Ice ◽  
Lunar Interior ◽  
Lunar Samples ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Unambiguous Detection ◽  
Ocean Ridge

A paradigm shift has recently occurred in our knowledge and understanding of water in the lunar interior. This has transpired principally through continued analysis of returned lunar samples using modern analytical instrumentation. While these recent studies have undoubtedly measured indigenous water in lunar samples they have also highlighted our current limitations and some future challenges that need to be overcome in order to fully understand the origin, distribution and evolution of water in the lunar interior. Another exciting recent development in the field of lunar science has been the unambiguous detection of water or water ice on the surface of the Moon through instruments flown on a number of orbiting spacecraft missions. Considered together, sample-based studies and those from orbit strongly suggest that the Moon is not an anhydrous planetary body, as previously believed. New observations and measurements support the possibility of a wet lunar interior and the presence of distinct reservoirs of water on the lunar surface. Furthermore, an approach combining measurements of water abundance in lunar samples and its hydrogen isotopic composition has proved to be of vital importance to fingerprint and elucidate processes and source(s) involved in giving rise to the lunar water inventory. A number of sources are likely to have contributed to the water inventory of the Moon ranging from primordial water to meteorite-derived water ice through to the water formed during the reaction of solar wind hydrogen with the lunar soil. Perhaps two of the most striking findings from these recent studies are the revelation that at least some portions of the lunar interior are as water-rich as some Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt source regions on Earth and that the water in the Earth and the Moon probably share a common origin.

scholarly journals Remotely distinguishing and mapping endogenic water on the Moon

2017 ◽  
Vol 375 (2094) ◽  
pp. 20150391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Klima ◽  
Noah E. Petro
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Solar System ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Testing Hypotheses ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Lunar Interior ◽  
Geological Features ◽  
Insight Into

Water and/or hydroxyl detected remotely on the lunar surface originates from several sources: (i) comets and other exogenous debris; (ii) solar-wind implantation; (iii) the lunar interior. While each of these sources is interesting in its own right, distinguishing among them is critical for testing hypotheses for the origin and evolution of the Moon and our Solar System. Existing spacecraft observations are not of high enough spectral resolution to uniquely characterize the bonding energies of the hydroxyl molecules that have been detected. Nevertheless, the spatial distribution and associations of H, OH − or H 2 O with specific lunar lithologies provide some insight into the origin of lunar hydrous materials. The global distribution of OH − /H 2 O as detected using infrared spectroscopic measurements from orbit is here examined, with particular focus on regional geological features that exhibit OH − /H 2 O absorption band strengths that differ from their immediate surroundings. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The origin, history and role of water in the evolution of the inner Solar System’.

scholarly journals The New Moon: Major Advances in Lunar Science Enabled by Compositional Remote Sensing from Recent Missions

Geosciences ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 498
Author(s):  
Deepak Dhingra
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
The Moon ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Lunar Science ◽  
Lunar Interior ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Lunar Samples ◽  
Resource Exploration ◽  
Globally Distributed

Volatile-bearing lunar surface and interior, giant magmatic-intrusion-laden near and far side, globally distributed layer of purest anorthosite (PAN) and discovery of Mg-Spinel anorthosite, a new rock type, represent just a sample of the brand new perspectives gained in lunar science in the last decade. An armada of missions sent by multiple nations and sophisticated analyses of the precious lunar samples have led to rapid evolution in the understanding of the Moon, leading to major new findings, including evidence for water in the lunar interior. Fundamental insights have been obtained about impact cratering, the crystallization of the lunar magma ocean and conditions during the origin of the Moon. The implications of this understanding go beyond the Moon and are therefore of key importance in solar system science. These new views of the Moon have challenged the previous understanding in multiple ways and are setting a new paradigm for lunar exploration in the coming decade both for science and resource exploration. Missions from India, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and several private ventures promise continued exploration of the Moon in the coming years, which will further enrich the understanding of our closest neighbor. The Moon remains a key scientific destination, an active testbed for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) activities, an outpost to study the universe and a future spaceport for supporting planetary missions.

scholarly journals Isotopic evidence for volatile replenishment of the Moon during the Late Accretion

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 1247-1254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhao Lin ◽  
Wim van Westrenen
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Temporal Evolution ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrite ◽  
Isotopic Ratios ◽  
Delivery Time ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Lunar Interior ◽  
Delivery Times ◽  
Lunar Samples ◽  
Water Contents

AbstractThe traditional view of a dry, volatile-poor Moon has been challenged by the identification of water and other volatiles in lunar samples, but the volatile budget delivery time(s), source(s) and temporal evolution remain poorly constrained. Here we show that hydrogen and chlorine isotopic ratios in lunar apatite changed significantly during the Late Accretion (LA, 4.1–3.8 billion years ago). During this period, deuterium/hydrogen ratios in the Moon changed from initial carbonaceous-chondrite-like values to values consistent with an influx of ordinary-chondrite-like material and pre-LA elevated δ37Cl values drop towards lower chondrite-like values. Inferred pre-LA lunar interior water contents are significantly lower than pristine values suggesting degassing, followed by an increase during the LA. These trends are consistent with dynamic models of solar-system evolution, suggesting that the Moon's (and Earth's) initial volatiles were replenished ∼0.5 Ga after their formation, with their final budgets reflecting a mixture of sources and delivery times.

Charged-particle track analysis, thermoluminescence and microcratering studies of lunar samples

1977 ◽  
Vol 285 (1327) ◽  
pp. 309-317 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Storage Temperature ◽  
Lunar Regolith ◽  
Lunar Soil ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
Abundance Ratio ◽  
Temperature Cycle ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Lunar Samples ◽  
History Of ◽  
Track Analysis

Studies of lunar samples (from both Apollo and Luna missions) have been carried out, using the track analysis and thermoluminescence (t.l.) techniques, with a view to shedding light on the radiation and temperature histories of the Moon. In addition, microcraters in lunar glasses have been studied in order to elucidate the cosmic-dust impact history of the lunar regolith. In track studies, the topics discussed include the stabilizing effect of the thermal annealing of fossil tracks due to the lunar temperature cycle; the ‘radiation annealing’ of fresh heavy-ion tracks by large doses of protons (to simulate the effect of lunar radiation-damage on track registration); and correction factors for the anisotropic etching of crystals which are required in reconstructing the exposure history of lunar grains. An abundance ratio of ca. (1.1 + 0.3) x 10-3 has been obtained, by the differential annealing technique, for the nuclei beyond the iron group to those within that group in the cosmic rays incident on the Moon. The natural t.l. of lunar samples has been used to estimate their effective storage temperature and mean depth below the surface. A suite of samples from known depths in an artificial trench at the Apollo 17 site has been used to calculate the effective thermal conductivity and thermal wavelength of overlying lunar soil at various depths. The temperatures in the shadow of some Apollo 17 boulders, and the duration of the boulders’ presence in situ, have also been estimated from samples which have been kept refrigerated since their retrieval from the Moon. Natural and artificially produced microcraters have been studied with the following two main results : The dust-particle flux appears to have fallen off over a certain period of ca. 104-105 years (if the solar activity is assumed to be constant over that interval). Stones predominate in the large { ca . 2-10 um) diameter intervals, while irons outnumber stones at low diameters (ca . 1.0 um), in the micrometeorite flux incident on the Moon.

scholarly journals Evolution of the Moon: Recent Modification of Previous Ideas

1972 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 441-449
Author(s):  
B. J. Levin
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Lunar Samples ◽  
Recent Modification

New data on the Moon obtained from its study by space probes and analyses of returned lunar samples give new ‘boundary conditions’ for a study of its origin and evolution.

Thematic maps in the scientific studies of the moon

2019 ◽  
Vol 943 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
S.G. Pugacheva ◽  
E.A. Feoktistova ◽  
V.V. Shevchenko
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Thermal Inertia ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Lunar Soil ◽  
Nature Management ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Surface Cooling ◽  
Laser Altimeters ◽  
Space Infrastructure ◽  
The Impact

The article presents the results of astrophysical studies of the Moon’s reflected and intrinsic radiation. We studied the intensity of the Moon’s infrared radiation and, thus, carried out a detailed research of the brightness temperature of the Moon’s visible disc, estimated the thermal inertia of the coating substance by the rate of its surface cooling, and the degree of the lunar soil fragmentation. Polarimetric, colorimetric and spectrophotometric measurements of the reflected radiation intensity were carried out at different wavelengths. In the article, we present maps prepared based on our measurement results. We conducted theresearch of the unique South Pole – Aitken basin (SPA). The altitude profiles of the Apollo-11 and Zond-8 spacecrafts and the data of laser altimeters of the Apollo-16 and Apollo-15 spacecrafts were used as the main material. Basing upon this data we prepared a hypsometric map of SPA-basing global relief structure. A surface topography map of the Moon’s Southern Hemisphere is given in the article. The topography model of the SPA topography surface shows displacement centers of the altitude topographic rims from the central rim. Basing upon the detailed study of the basin’s topography as well as its “depth-diameter” ratio we suggest that the basin originated from the impact of a giant cometary body from the Orta Cloud. In our works, we consider the Moon as a part of the Earth’s space infrastructure. High growth rates of the Earth’s population, irrational nature management will cause deterioration of scarce natural resources in the near future. In our article, we present maps of the natural resources on the Moon pointing out the most promising regions of thorium, iron, and titanium. Probably in 20 or 40 years a critical mining level of gold, diamonds, zinc, platinum and other vital rocks and metals will be missing on the Earth.

scholarly journals Coordinated analysis of space weathering characteristics in lunar samples to understand water distribution on the Moon

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (S1) ◽  
pp. 2260-2262
Author(s):  
Alexander Kling ◽  
Michelle Thompson ◽  
Jennika Greer ◽  
Philipp Heck
Keyword(s):  
Water Distribution ◽  
Space Weathering ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Lunar Samples

scholarly journals 6. The Nature of Asteroid Surfaces, from Optical Polarimetry

1977 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 243-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Dollfus ◽  
J. E. Geake ◽  
J. C. Mandeville ◽  
B. Zellner
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
Space Weathering ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrites ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Laboratory Measurements ◽  
Surface Textures ◽  
Lunar Samples ◽  
Dark Material ◽  
Polarization Of Light ◽  
Scanning Electron

Telescopic observations of the polarization of light by asteroids are interpreted on the basis of a systematic polarimetric analysis of terrestrial, meteoritic and lunar samples. Laboratory measurements were made using samples with different surface textures, and scanning electron microscope pictures were used to investigate the influence of microtexture and crystalline structure.It is demonstrated that asteioid surfaces do not accumulate thick regolithic layers of micro-fragments, as do the Moon and Mercury. This is because the majority of debris ejected by impacts are lost, due to the low gravitational escape velocity from these bodies. However, asteroids are not bare rocks, but are coated with a thin layer of adhesive debris. This coating apparently has the composition of the body itself. The fact that there is no indication of significant maturation by space weathering suggests that the dust which coats the surface of asteroids is frequently replaced by further impacts.Asteroids may be classified polarimetrically in several groups: those in group C are made of very dark material and behave like carbonaceous chondrites, or very dark Fe-rich basalts; Those in group S correspond to silicates and stony meteorites. A third group represented by Asteroid 21 Lutetia and 16 Psyche may be metallic.

scholarly journals Solid state convection models of the lunar internal temperature

1977 ◽  
Vol 285 (1327) ◽  
pp. 523-536 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Solid State ◽  
Creep Behaviour ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Internal Temperature ◽  
Thermal Models ◽  
Lunar Interior

Thermal models of the Moon, which include cooling by subsolidus creep and consideration of the creep behaviour of geologic material, provide estimates of 1500- 1600 K for the temperature, and 10 21-1022 cm2/s for the viscosity of the deep lunar interior.

scholarly journals 2.2.4 Lunar Soil Movement Registered by the Apollo 17 Cosmic Dust Experiment

1976 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 233-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otto E. Berg ◽  
Henry Wolf ◽  
John Rhee
Keyword(s):  
Lunar Surface ◽  
Lunar Soil ◽  
Cosmic Dust ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Normal Impact ◽  
Soil Movement ◽  
Impact Parameters

In December, 1973, a Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites (LEAM) experiment was placed in the Taurus-Littrow area of the moon by the Apollo 17 Astronauts. Objectives of the experiment were centered around measurements of impact parameters of cosmic dust on the lunar surface. During preliminary attempts to analyze the data it became evident that the events registered by the sensors could not be attributed to cosmic dust but could only be identified with the lunar surface and the local sun angle. The nature of these data coupled with post-flight studies of instrument characteristics, have led to a conclusion that the LEAM experiment is responding primarily to a flux of highly charged, slowly moving lunar surface fines. Undoubtedly concealed in these data is the normal impact activity from cosmic dust and probably lunar ejecta, as well. This paper is based on the recognition that the bulk of events registered by the LEAM experiment are not signatures of hypervelocity cosmic dust particles, as expected, but are induced signatures of electrostatically charged and transported lunar fines.

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