The moon’s chemical makeup is dramatically different on its two faces. The moon’s two faces are caused by different volcanic processes. The near side was formed from a large plume of heat from an impact zone, while the far side formed from uneven volcanism. In addition, the moon’s near and far sides have different compositions due to different maria.
Impact Zone Created Huge Plume of Heat
According to scientists, the Moon’s impact zone caused a massive plume of heat that spread across its interior. This plume carried rare-earth elements and other heat-producing elements, and it likely contributed to the formation of the nearside volcanic plains. This plume is known as KREEP, and its composition is rich in potassium, phosphorus, and rare earth elements.
Different Chemical Composition of Lunar Surfaces
The chemical composition of the lunar surface is vastly different on the far and near sides. This is because the near side of the Moon contains a compositional anomaly called the Procellarum KREEP terrane. This area contains a large amount of potassium and other heat-producing elements.
Unevenly Distributed Volcanism
Recent studies have suggested that the Moon’s near and far sides have different patterns of volcanism. This is based on measurements of heat-flow and seismicity. They also point to spectroscopic evidence of volcanic activity. The presence of potassium and sodium atoms in clouds around the Moon during the late 1980s suggest that the lunar surface may have experienced a volcanic event.
Impact Zone
Scientists have developed computer simulations to understand the impact zone on the Moon. They say the impactor’s size greatly influences the basin’s formation. A large impactor has more than four times the mass of a smaller impactor and therefore creates more energy. The more energetic impacts distort the shape of the moon. The SPA basin is the largest impact basin on the Moon. It is 2400 kilometers across, almost the entire radius of the Moon.
Sample return missions to the Moon are the next logical step after the successful return of the samples from Mars. Several missions are already in progress. Let’s see what comes out!