Hundreds of thousands of square miles of the orb was covered in hot lava when a series of volcanic eruptions broke out on the moon. The face of the moon is made of dark maria that were created by lava.
New research from the University of Boulder suggests that volcanic activity may have left a lasting impact on the lunar surface, by creating sheets of ice that measure hundreds of feet thick.
The lead author of the new study is a graduate student in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
He and his colleagues published their findings in a journal.
The researchers tried to recreate conditions on the moon before complex life arose on Earth. They discovered that ancient moon volcanoes created huge amounts of water Vapor, which settled onto the surface of the moon and formed stores of Ice. If any humans were alive at the time, they may have seen a small amount of that frost on the moon.
It is a potential bounty for future moon explorers who will need water to drink and process into rocket fuel, according to study co-author Paul Hayne.
Hayne said that it was possible that 5 or 10 meters below the surface there were big sheets of ice.
There are temporary atmospheres.
A growing body of evidence suggests that the moon may have more water than previously thought. Hayne and his colleagues estimated that nearly 6,000 square miles of the lunar surface could be capable of trapping and hanging onto ice. It's not clear where all that water came from.
There are a lot of potential sources at the moment.
It could be a big one. The moon was a chaotic place from 2 to 4 billion years ago according to the planetary scientist. During this time, thousands of volcanoes erupted across its surface, generating huge rivers and lakes of lava, just like the features you might see in Hawaii today.
Hayne said that they dwarf almost all of the eruptions on Earth.
Scientists at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston have found that volcanic eruptions ejected clouds made up of mostly carbon monoxide and water vapor. The clouds swirled around the moon, creating thin and short-lived atmospheres.
Hayne and Wilcoski wondered if the same atmosphere left ice on the lunar surface, like a frost forming on the ground after a chilly fall night.
The ice is forever.
To find out, the duo along with Margaret Landis, a research associate at LASP, set out to try to put themselves onto the surface of the moon billions of years ago.
At its peak, the moon experienced one eruption every 22,000 years. Volcanic gases may have swirled around the moon, escaping into space over time. The group estimates that roughly 41% of the water from volcanoes may have ended up on the moon.
There was plenty of time for ice to form because the atmospheres escaped over 1000 years.
It's possible that there was so much ice on the moon that you could see the frost and ice caps on Earth. 18 quadrillion pounds of volcanic water could have been ice during that time. That is more water than is currently in Lake Michigan. The research shows that some of the lunar water may still be present today.
It will be difficult to find those space ice cubes. Most of the ice may be buried under several feet of lunar dust or regolith.
Hayne said that people or machines should head back and start digging.
He said that they need to drill down and look for it.
More information: Andrew X. Wilcoski et al, Polar Ice Accumulation from Volcanically Induced Transient Atmospheres on the Moon, The Planetary Science Journal (2022). DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/ac649c Journal information: The Planetary Science Journal Citation: Astronauts may one day drink water from ancient moon volcanoes (2022, May 18) retrieved 18 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-astronauts-day-ancient-moon-volcanoes.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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