Lectures 5,6,8 Flashcards
Why the Moon always shows the same side to the Earth
The period of rotation and period of revolution are exactly the same
Two surfaces on the Moon that can be easily seen from Earth
Maria (smooth surfaces) and Terrae (cratered highland)
Main types of volcanic features found on the Moon
flood basalts, lava flows, sinuous rilles, low domes, pyroclastic deposits
KREEP
(Potassium (K), Rare Earth Elements, and Phosphorus) Mainly pyroxene and plagioclase, mostly found in KREEP Terrance
Anorthosite
Composed of plagioclase; most abundant and oldest rock types
Breccia
A rock made up of angular fragments of other rocks; formed during impact process
Regolith
A rock made of loose, unconsolidated fragments; formed during micrometeorite impacts; agglutinates
Agglutinates
Are debris of rocks and minerals consolidated by glasses from micrometeorite impacts
Fire fountaining
Volcanic activity on the Moon, it creates Lunar Glass Beads
Countries that have planned missions to the Moon
India, United Arab Emirates, China, Russia, USA
List the main observations that any model for the formation of the Moon must explain
- The large size of the Moon relative to the Earth
- The low bulk density/size of its iron core and its composition
- Its orbit, not in Earth’s orbital plane
- Similarity in oxygen isotopes composition of rocks fro the Moon and the Earth
The two geologic processes that are known from the study of lunar rocks
Fire fountaining and cratering
The major discoveries made by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission
evidence of water on the Moon, Moon caves, map of the lunar south poles, more topography, temperature map
Describe how the crystallization of a magma ocean explains the anorthosite composition of the Moon’s crust
Heavier minerals (olivine and pyroxene) in the magma sink and the lighter minerals (anorthosite) float.
Moon’s core and how we know
Fluid outer core, solid inner core, and a mantle. We know from seismic activity (data from Apollo missions)
