Chang'e 4 uncovers layers of lava beneath the moon's surface

In January 2019, following its landing on the far side of the moon, the Chang'e 4 lander, operated by the China National Space Administration, began to provide valuable insights into the lunar surface. This landmark event marked the first successful mission to land on the moon's dark side, a region that remains less explored compared to the near side. Over the following years, the lander captured images of lunar landscapes and conducted analysis of samples to reveal secrets buried beneath the moon’s surface. The data collected was analyzed and reported in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets in May 2023. Researchers found that the top 130 feet of the lunar surface comprised various layers, mainly consisting of dust, soil, and fragmented rock. Among these layers, their analysis showed the presence of a crater formed by a significant impact event in the moon's history. Jianqing Feng, an astrogeological researcher involved in the analysis, explained this finding sheds light on the processes that have shaped the moon over billions of years. Beneath the layers of impact debris, the team identified five distinct layers of ancient lava that had spread across the moon's surface billions of years ago. The moon itself is believed to have originated around 4.51 billion years ago, arising from the remnants of a colossal impact between Earth and a Mars-sized object. Subsequently, for about 200 million years, the moon was subjected to continuous bombardments from space debris, resulting in numerous surface impacts and cracks. These geological events facilitated volcanic activity during the moon's early years, which included magma that flowed into these cracks due to volcanic eruptions. However, the findings suggested that volcanic activity on the moon ended between 1 billion and 100 million years ago, leading scientists to categorize it as largely geologically inactive today. Despite this classification, Jianqing Feng and his colleagues have hypothesized that magma pockets might still exist deep beneath the lunar crust, implying the potential for further volcanic research. The work carried out by the Chang'e 4 team represents just the beginning of a more comprehensive mapping and analysis of the moon, allowing scientists to piece together aspects of its geological history and evolutionary timeline moving forward.