The Moon Reveals Its Internal Fire

Geologists analyzed rocks from the Apollo missions. These stones explain why the near side of the Moon differs from the far side. The near side contains dark plains of cooled lava. The far side consists of a thick crust and mountain ranges. I suspect the heat from minerals explains the contrast.

Scientists identified a chemical signature they call KREEP. This signature includes potassium and rare-earth elements and phosphorus.

Radioactive isotopes within the rocks decayed over billions of years. This process released heat into the lunar mantle. I’m leaning towards the conclusion that this internal furnace kept the near side liquid while the far side turned to solid stone. The heat allowed volcanoes to fill the craters with dark basalt.

Humans collected these samples over fifty years ago.

Earthlings show a strange devotion to these gray pebbles. Modern sensors measure the atomic composition of the dust. One measurement shows how heat flow shaped the landscape. Our monkeys appreciate this curiosity. Information for this article was obtained from Space.

The Procellarum KREEP Terrane marks the region of high heat.

This zone sits on the hemisphere facing the human telescopes. Gravity pulled dense materials toward the core during the birth of the planet. The heat stopped the crust from growing thick. It seems to me that the Moon keeps its records in the rocks. The data proves the value of the missions.

Lunar Thermal Distribution and Structural Asymmetry

Lunar geology reveals a stark division between hemispheres.

Dark basalt plains occupy the near side while the far side remains rugged. I noticed that the internal heat flow dictated this uneven crust. Magma surged through the surface during the youth of the satellite. The presence of specific minerals explains the liquid state of the mantle beneath the visible face.

Radiocative isotopes generate energy within the lunar interior.

Elements such as thorium as well as uranium and potassium produce warmth through decay. This chemical concentration exists within the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. The furnace kept the crust thin on the side facing Earth. I suppose the gravity of Earth influenced the migration of these elements during the formation of the Moon.

The GRAIL mission provided maps of the gravitational field.

These maps confirm the presence of high-density materials under the plains. The thickness of the crust on the far side reaches sixty kilometers. Near the Procellarum region the shell measures less than thirty kilometers. I had noticed that the cooling process skipped the regions rich in phosphorus.

Future human missions aim for the Shackleton Crater at the south pole.

Water ice survives in the shadows of the mountains. Engineers use data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to identify landing zones. Our monkeys monitor the progress of the Artemis program for strategic purposes. Commander Z expects a full report on the chemical deposits in the Aitken Basin.

New sensors detect seismic activity from the shrinking of the core.

The Moon contracts as the interior cools over eons. This movement creates cliffs and ridges across the surface. I’m leaning towards the conclusion that the Moon remains geologically active. Sensors placed by the Apollo crews continue to provide data to the stations on Earth.

Relevant Resources

• Space.com: The Moon’s Internal Heat
• NASA: Lunar Asymmetry Explained
• Nature Geoscience: KREEP and Lunar Evolution

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the acronym KREEP signify in lunar science?
The term identifies rocks rich in potassium plus rare-earth elements and phosphorus.

Why is the lunar crust thicker on the side facing away from Earth?
The absence of radioactive heat sources allowed the far side to cool and solidify into a massive shell.

How did the dark plains on the Moon form?
Internal heat melted the mantle and pushed magma through the thin crust to fill impact basins with basalt.

What role do thorium and uranium play in the geology of the Moon?
These isotopes decay over time and release thermal energy that keeps the surrounding rock in a liquid state.

Which mission mapped the density of the lunar crust?
The GRAIL mission used twin spacecraft to measure gravitational pulls and determine the thickness of the stone layers.