Unveiling Lunar Secrets: China’s Moon Samples Disclose 1.4 Billion Years of Volcanic Activity
Chinese scientists have unlocked groundbreaking secrets from the first-ever samples collected from the Moon’s far side, revealing prolonged volcanic activity lasting at least 1.4 billion years. The Chang’e-6 mission, which returned 1,935.3 grams of material from the lunar far side’s South Pole-Aitken Basin in June 2024, has provided unprecedented insights into the Moon’s evolution.
Four landmark studies published in Nature reveal that the far side mantle has significantly lower water content than the near side, indicating asymmetric water distribution within the lunar interior. The research teams from the Chinese Academy of Sciences found evidence of volcanic activity occurring approximately 4.2 billion and 2.8 billion years ago, with episodic fluctuations in the Moon’s magnetic field.
The South Pole-Aitken Basin, measuring 2,500 kilometers in diameter, was formed by a colossal impact approximately 4.25 billion years ago with energy greater than a trillion atomic bombs. These findings not only illuminate the Moon’s far side evolution but also provide crucial insights into planetary formation and the giant impact hypothesis of lunar origin.
- Key Findings:
- Prolonged volcanic activity lasting at least 1.4 billion years
- Significantly lower water content on the far side mantle
- Evidence of volcanic activity occurring approximately 4.2 billion and 2.8 billion years ago
- Episodic fluctuations in the Moon’s magnetic field