Chang'e-6 Research Confirms Entire Moon Once Covered by Magma Ocean
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Synopsis
A recent study from China's Chang'e-6 mission has confirmed that the Moon was once entirely covered by a molten magma ocean, shedding light on its origin and evolution.
Key Takeaways
- Chang'e-6 samples confirm a past magma ocean on the Moon.
- The study enhances understanding of the Moon's formation.
- Basalt composition from both sides of the Moon shows similarities.
- The SPA Basin is the largest impact site in the inner solar system.
- KREEP layer found on both far and near sides of the Moon.
Beijing, Feb 28 (NationPress) A groundbreaking study of lunar samples obtained from China's Chang'e-6 mission has confirmed the theory that the Moon was completely enveloped by a molten “magma ocean” during its formative years, offering vital insights into the Moon's origin and evolution.
This research, spearheaded by a collaborative team organized by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), has been published in the most recent edition of the journal Science, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Chang'e-6 mission, which took place in 2024, marked humanity's inaugural attempt to retrieve samples from the Moon's far side, successfully collecting 1,935.3 grams of lunar materials from the Apollo Basin located within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin.
The research team from the Institute of Geology at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences was allocated two grams of these Chang'e-6 samples for their analysis. Their findings indicated that the basalt, a kind of volcanic rock, from both the far and near sides of the Moon exhibited striking similarities.
The basalt found in the Chang'e-6 samples is predominantly 2.823 billion years old, and its properties lend weight to the lunar magma ocean theory. Additionally, the research implies that the impact event responsible for forming the SPA Basin may have altered the Moon's early mantle, as noted by Liu Dunyi, a senior researcher at the institute.
The lunar magma ocean model was initially developed based on samples collected from the Moon's near side. This model posits that the young Moon underwent a planet-wide melting event, resulting in a vast magma ocean.
As this ocean cooled and crystallized, lighter minerals floated to the surface to create the lunar crust, while denser minerals sank to form the mantle.
The remaining melt, rich in incompatible elements, formed the KREEP layer, named for its key elements: potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE), and phosphorus (P), as explained by Dunyi.
For many years, all lunar samples were sourced from the Moon's near side, leaving the model lacking crucial information.
“Without samples from the far side, it was like attempting to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing,” Dunyi remarked, adding that the samples collected by Chang'e-6 have transformed this situation.
“Our analysis confirmed that the KREEP layer is also present on the Moon's far side. The compositional similarities in basalt between the far and near sides suggest that a global magma ocean may have encompassed the entire Moon,” stated Che Xiaochao, an associate researcher at the institute.
The SPA Basin, where Chang'e-6 landed, is not just any crater. Spanning 2,500 km—comparable to the distance from Beijing to Hainan—and plunging to a depth of 13 km, this immense scar was formed by a massive asteroid impact 4.3 billion years ago and is recognized as the oldest and largest impact basin in the inner solar system, according to scientists.
