Ancient Volcanism: Large Granite Mass Discovered Beneath Moon’s Surface
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found evidence of ancient volcanism on the Moon. A team of astronomers has detected a massive granite mass buried beneath the Compton and Belkovich craters on the far side of the Moon. This finding challenges previous beliefs that the Moon only had lava fields and eruptions.
The presence of granite on the Moon is particularly intriguing, as it is not very common outside of Earth. On our planet, granite forms deep beneath the surface, usually under a volcano where magma can cool down and crystalize. It requires the presence of water and plate tectonics to form. The team used data from Chinese and American lunar orbiters to identify this heat-emitting mass below the lunar surface.
Using an instrument that examines microwave wavelengths, researchers found that the suspected volcano known as Compton-Belkovich was emitting heat from below the surface. This suggests the presence of a large heat source beneath the volcano. The temperature at the caldera, a 20-kilometer wide surface feature, was found to be 10°C warmer than its surroundings. However, this heat is not from recent volcanic activity; it is attributed to radioactive elements trapped in the rocks during the last eruption approximately 3.5 billion years ago.
Dr. Matt Siegler, co-lead researcher at the Planetary Science Institute, described the discovery as “puzzling” but fascinating. He added, “To tell the truth, we were a bit puzzled when we found it: fortunately, my wife, Dr. Rita Economos, is the geochemist in the family, so with her guidance, we were able to piece together the probable geologic cause of the heat anomaly.” Dr. Economos explained that the find is a 50-kilometer wide batholith, similar to the granite rocks found on Earth’s surface in places like Yosemite in California.
The presence of such a significant granite deposit on the Moon suggests the possibility of finding granite in other areas of the Moon or even elsewhere in the Solar System. This discovery opens up new avenues for exploring the geological history of celestial bodies beyond Earth.
The findings, reported in the journal Nature, provide insights into the Moon’s volcanic past and underline the potential for future discoveries regarding extraterrestrial geology. As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of the Moon, it becomes increasingly evident that our celestial neighbor has a more complex geological history than previously thought.