Volcanoes are very active around the world. America has 170 active volcanoes that are a real threat, while recently, thousands of flights were canceled due to Mount Lewotobi Lake-Laki's volcanic eruption.
Volcanoes are still causing havoc on earth, but what about on the moon? Since Apollo 15 during the '70s, this has been a point of interest for so many researchers.
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Finally, in 2024, groundbreaking advancements were made thanks to rock and soil samples from China's Chang'e 6. Let's take a closer look at what the data revealed, and when the volcanic activity took place on the moon's far side.
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China's Chang'e-6 Mission Released First Analyses Of Rock Samples From The Moon's Far Side: Results Indicate Volcanic Activity
Back in June, China's Chang'e 6 landed on the far side of the moon. The landing itself was a major achievement in China's lunar exploration program. Launched on May 3, the goal of the mission was to collect precious rock and soil - something that had never been done before.
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As expected, the results were extremely impressive, telling us about volcanic activity that spans back to billions of years ago. From the collection of rocks from the Moon's far side, not only was volcanic activity established, but researchers also discovered a different mantle source on the lunar far side.
Qiu-Li Li, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing revealed, "We can tell the story for a long history of volcanism and different mantle sources on the lunar far side."
According to Nature's Davide Castelvecchi, the findings of dust grains were from lava that erupted around 2.83 billion years ago. Other lava grains were also found that date back 4.2 billion years ago.
Slowly but surely, researchers are piecing together what the far side of the moon looked like billions of years ago.
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What Is On The Moon's Far Side?
The moon's far side has fewer flat and dark plains carved by lava flows, compared to the moon's near side. The area is also disfigured due to craters on the surface.
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Questions About A Volcanic Eruption On The Moon Emerged In 1971 During Apollo 15
Picture of the moon
According to NASA, thoughts about volcanic activity on the moon started to surface during Apollo 15 back in 1971. While orbiting the moon, a photograph indicated that a volcanic eruption had taken place on the surface.
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In 2014, Sarah Braden of Arizona State University along with her team found 70 landscapes similar to "Ina," which was the code word for volcanic eruption on the moon.
Braden told NASA a decade ago, "Discovering new features on the lunar surface was thrilling!" says Braden. "We looked at hundreds of high-resolution images, and when I found a new IMP it was always the highlight of my day."
"The irregular mare patches look so different than more common lunar features like impact craters, impact melt, and highlands material," she says. "They really jump out at you."
It took a decade but all these years later, major advancements have been made with crucial rock and soil data.