Scientists find water on Moon’s oldest rocks
19 Feb 2013 6:07 AM IST
Researchers have detected traces of water within the crystalline structure of one of the oldest rocks obtained from the Apollo missions on Moon.
The new findings indicate that the early Moon was wet and that water there was not substantially lost during the Moon's formation.
The lunar highlands are thought to represent the original crust, crystallised from a magma ocean on a mostly molten early Moon, according to a University of Michigan study.
Researchers used Infrared spectroscopy to analyse the water content in grains of plagioclase feldspar from lunar anorthosites - highland rocks composed of more than 90 per cent plagioclase.
The bright-coloured highlands rocks are thought to have formed early in the Moon's history when plagioclase crystallised from a magma ocean and floated to the surface.
The new findings indicate that the early Moon was wet and that water there was not substantially lost during the Moon's formation.
The lunar highlands are thought to represent the original crust, crystallised from a magma ocean on a mostly molten early Moon, according to a University of Michigan study.
Researchers used Infrared spectroscopy to analyse the water content in grains of plagioclase feldspar from lunar anorthosites - highland rocks composed of more than 90 per cent plagioclase.
The bright-coloured highlands rocks are thought to have formed early in the Moon's history when plagioclase crystallised from a magma ocean and floated to the surface.
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