Research reveals the Moon experienced volcanic activity during the dinosaur era

Surprisingly Recent Volcanic Eruptions on the Moon Reveal Activity Even During the Time of Earth’s Dinosaurs

Research done recently show that the Moon was geologically active upto 120 million years back the same timeframe as the dinosaurs on earth. Confirmation that these eruptions occurred was found in those beads in three volcanic glass beads on the moon collected by the Chang’e-5 mission of 2020, contrary to the prior assumption that the eruptions ceased 2 billion years ago. This findings imply that the spheroid planetary bodies such as the Moon, can harbor heat inside to fuel eruptions for a longer period compared to what is believed earlier. The discoveries give rise to new questions regarding the heat sources of the Moon and brighten up the possibility of the further missions to investigate the volcanic past.

Rates of eruption obtained from larger exposures of lunar volcanic rocks indicate that the lunar volcanic activity occurred much more recently than once speculated, and active within the broad time framework of the age of the dinosaurs on Earth.

The study that was published on Thursday in the journal Science explains how three small glass beads brought from the Moon in 2020 by a Chinese probe contain trace of volcanic practices that may have occurred as recent as 120 million years ago.

Previous sample analysis from the Chang’e-5 mission had indicated that lunar volcanism stopped approximately about 2 billion years ago which was in contrast to the previous estimates that placed the end of volcanism 4 billion years ago.

Scholars conducted various examinations on approximately 3,000 lunar glass beads, that can be made by a volcanic eruption or an impact of a meteorite. Of the three it was found out that it is formed from volcanic associations due to its texture and chemical nature.

The research team showed much enthusiasm and even disbelief as they came across this realisation.

As per a new study conducted by Professor Li Qiu-Li from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-authored by his associate He Yuyang the discovery means small bodies such as the Moon can remain geologically active – in other words, still have volcanic activity deep within them – much later than previously thought.

But the study also highlighted the fact that researchers could not determine how the Moon sustained it for such an extended period.

Qian Yuqi, a planetary volcanism expert at the University of Hong Kong said, ‘It is important to note that these relatively young activity found can have profound implications on the evolution of the Moon.

“Where are their sources?” said Qian, who had no contribution to those studies. ”This discovery could lead to futher missions in an attempt to search for these volcanic source. ”,

The Chang’e-5 mission was the first of the lunar sample missions since the U. S Apollo program and the Soviet Luna 24 in 1970s. In June the first mission to retrieve rocks from the far side of the Moon was accomplished by China with its Chang’e-6.

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