Moon Had Active Volcanoes When Dinosaurs Roamed, Study Finds

New research indicates that volcanoes were still erupting on the moon when dinosaurs roamed Earth. This conclusion comes from three tiny glass beads collected from the lunar surface by a Chinese spacecraft in 2020. Their chemical composition suggests active lunar volcanoes existed until about 120 million years ago, much later than previously believed.

Evidence of Recent Volcanic Activity

Earlier analysis of rock samples from the Chang'e 5 mission suggested volcanic activity ceased around 2 billion years ago. Previous estimates extended back to 4 billion years ago. The new findings were published Thursday in the journal Science.

Julie Stopar, a senior staff scientist with the Lunar and Planetary Institute, commented on the unexpected nature of these findings. "It was a little bit unexpected," she said. Although she was not involved in the research, she noted that images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2014 had also hinted at more recent volcanic activity.

Significance of Glass Beads

The glass beads are the first physical evidence of recent volcanic activity on the moon, according to Stopar. However, she emphasized that more research is needed to confirm their origin. These beads can form when molten droplets cool after a volcanic eruption or meteorite impact.

The Chang'e 5 samples were the first moon rocks brought to Earth since those collected by NASA's Apollo astronauts and Soviet Union spacecraft in the 1970s. In June, China returned samples from the far side of the moon.

Implications for Planetary Science

Study co-author He Yuyang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences explained that this research could help us understand how long small planets and moons, including our own, can remain volcanically active. Researchers examined around 3,000 lunar glass beads smaller than a pinhead and identified three with signs they originated from a volcano.

Existing timelines suggest that by the period indicated by this new research, the moon should have already cooled past the point of volcanic activity. Stopar noted this discrepancy and said, "It should inspire lots of other studies to try to understand how this could happen."

This discovery challenges previous assumptions about lunar volcanic activity and opens new avenues for scientific exploration. The findings may lead to a better understanding of volcanic processes on small celestial bodies.