Researchers found that the deep interior of the Moon remains dynamic and geologically active.

Researchers found that the deep interior of the, Moon remains dynamic and geologically active.

An examination of the far side of the Moon from the Chang’e-6 mission revealed an unexpected strengthening of the Moon’s magnetic field 2.8 billion years ago.

This finding could challenge the assumption that the Moon’s magnetic dynamo was dormant.

A DYNAMICALLY AND GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE MOON

The data suggests that the Moon’s interior was dynamically and geologically active, which may have been triggered by magma oceans or core processes.

EVOLUTION OF THE MOON’S MAGNETIC DYNAMO

The evolution of the Moon’s magnetic dynamo is critical to understanding the Moon’s deep interior, thermal history, and surface environment.

A recent study by Chinese scientists analyzed basalts returned by the Chang’e-6 mission and revealed a major re-strengthening of the Moon’s magnetic dynamo around 2.8 billion years ago.

This important work was published in the journal Nature.

Previously, paleomagnetic studies using samples from the near side of the Moon provided a general timeline for the evolution of the Moon’s magnetic field.

However, due to the lack of comprehensive spatial and temporal data, the exact history of the Moon’s magnetic dynamo remained unclear.

CHANG’E-6 MISSION: A NEW DISCOVERY ON THE FAR SIDE

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shuhui Cai and his team, led by Prof. Rixiang Zhu from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), measured the strength of the ancient magnetic field from the Chang’e-6 basalts, obtaining values ​​between approximately 5 and 21 microteslas.

REASSESSMENT OF HYPOTHESES ABOUT THE MOON’S MAGNETIC DYNAMO

These findings suggest that the Moon’s magnetic field strength unexpectedly increased after 2.8 billion years, following a sharp decrease around 3.1 billion years, and may refute the hypothesis that the Moon’s magnetic dynamo entered a low-energy state after 3 billion years and continued in this manner.

The researchers suggested that the Moon’s magnetic field during this period may have been driven by a basal magma ocean or precessional forces.

It has been suggested that additional mechanisms, such as core crystallization, may have also been at play.

These findings suggest that the deep interior of the Moon remained hot and geologically active until the middle to early part of its history.

FIRST FAR-SIDE PALEOMAGNETIC DATA

This study is significant because it is the first paleomagnetic data obtained from the far side of the Moon and provides important information about the intermediate stages of the evolution of the Moon’s magnetic dynamo.

These data, synthesized with existing findings, revealed that there were significant fluctuations in the Moon's magnetic field between 3.5 and 2.8 billion years ago, and that a highly unstable dynamo existed during this period.