2023-07-16 03:13:00
A spot on the moon’s far side is warmer than its surroundings – a research team makes a startling discovery.
Tucson – A research team led by Dr. Matt Siegler (Planetary Science Institute) has made a remarkable discovery on the far side of the moon. Testing a new method of using microwaves to remotely measure geothermal heat gradients, the research group detected a spot temperature regarding 10 degrees Celsius warmer than the surrounding area. “To tell you the truth, we were a bit confused when we found them: Fortunately, my wife, Dr. Rita Economos, the geochemist in the family, and so with her help we were able to figure out the likely geological cause of the thermal anomaly,” Siegler explains in one communication.
Siegler and his team have determined that this discovery is an underground occurrence of granite on the lunar surface. “Granite is almost non-existent in the solar system outside of Earth,” the researchers write in the abstract of their article regarding the find, which appears in the magazine Nature has been published. The research team used data from the Chinese satellites “Chang’e 1” and “Chang’e 2” as well as the NASA space probes “Lunar Prospector” and “Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter”.
Surprising find on the far side of the moon: granite
The granite found is even more amazing when you consider how the rock type is formed. “This find is a 50 km wide batholith. A batholith is a type of volcanic rock that forms when lava rises into the earth’s crust but does not erupt at the surface,” explains Economos.
The formation of granite on Earth is favored by the influence of water and plate tectonics. It is therefore extremely fascinating for the researchers that this type of rock also formed on the moon without these factors. Siegler points out that this is an amazingly Earth-like feature that they didn’t expect to see on the moon. The remarkable find was presented on July 12 at the prestigious Goldschmidt conference in Lyon. (sp)
The exploration of the moon continues – the Indian moon mission “Chandrayaan-3” has just left for the moon.
Machine assistance was used for this editorial-written article. The article was carefully checked by editor Tanja Banner before publication.
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