Moon Not All That Dry
posted in Latest News |Water has been found on the Moon, which counters the belief that the Earth’s satellite is absolutely dry. Geologists made use of latest technology to coax molecules of water, which was brought from the moon by two Apollo missions decades back.
The researchers claim that water was released containing magma through the eruptions of “fire mountains” about three million years ago from the moon’s surface.
The findings question the accepted “giant impact theory”, which is of the view that the moon was formed over billion years before a body of Mars size slammed into Earth. This sent debris into the orbit.
Researchers are of the view that the impact proved to be hot to vaporize the volatile elements. This includes the building of blocks of water.
The new study limits the scope of how hot this planet was and how quickly the volatile elements got condensed into the solid, according to lead author of the study, Alberto Saal, geologist, Brown University. The study appears in the July 10 issue of the journal Nature.
Astronomers claim that collision took place between a rogue planet and Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. This impact made molten debris enter the orbit surrounding the Earth. Under such circumstances, the heat caused due to the impact should contain light vaporized elements, including hydrogen necessary for the formation of water.
Previous studies indicated the presence of light elements below the surface of the moon such as sulfur, fluorine, chlorine and carbon. Evidence of water has been very elusive. On account of this the co-authors were denied funding of research for three years.
The study authors claim that during the eruptive phase only 95 per cent of the water vapor was lost into space . Evidence of the remaining 5 per cent was from the lunar volcanic glasses, which are pebble type of beads. These were collected and brought to Earth by two of NASA’s Apollo Mission.
By using a technique that was highly sensitive to ascertain the chemical composition of the samples. By measuring the charged particles, the team authors were in a position to ascertain minute quantity of water in the matter from the Moon.
The researchers noticed that the moon magna may have contained water up to 750 parts per million prior to the “fire fountain eruptions.”
The study will also provide us with further insight into the duration of the presence of water on Earth.