365NEWSX
365NEWSX
Subscribe

Welcome

'Slushy' magma ocean led to formation of the Moon's crust - Science Daily

'Slushy' magma ocean led to formation of the Moon's crust - Science Daily

Jan 13, 2022 1 min, 12 secs

Scientists have shown how the freezing of a 'slushy' ocean of magma may be responsible for the composition of the Moon's crust.

Similar anorthosites, formed through the crystallisation of magma, can be found in fossilised magma chambers on Earth.

"Since the Apollo era, it has been thought that the lunar crust was formed by light anorthite crystals floating at the surface of the liquid magma ocean, with heavier crystals solidifying at the ocean floor," said co-author Chloé Michaut from Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon.

Lunar anorthosites appear more heterogenous in their composition than the original Apollo samples, which contradicts a flotation scenario where the liquid ocean is the common source of all anorthosites.

"Given the range of ages and compositions of the anorthosites on the Moon, and what we know about how crystals settle in solidifying magma, the lunar crust must have formed through some other mechanism," said co-author Professor Jerome Neufeld from Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.

This increase of crystal content occurs most dramatically near the surface, where the slushy magma ocean is cooled, resulting in a hot, well-mixed slushy interior and a slow-moving, crystal rich lunar 'lid'.

Enriched lunar surface rocks likely formed in magma chambers within the lid, which explains their diversity?

Serial magmatism was initially proposed as a possible mechanism for the formation of lunar anorthosites, but the slushy model ultimately reconciles this idea with that of a global lunar magma ocean..

Summarized by 365NEWSX ROBOTS

RECENT NEWS

SUBSCRIBE

Get monthly updates and free resources.

CONNECT WITH US

© Copyright 2024 365NEWSX - All RIGHTS RESERVED