Chinese scientists have confirmed the hypothesis of a magmatic ocean on the surface of the moon

The Chinese Chang'e-6 space mission, which brought rock samples from the far side of the Moon to Earth, confirmed the hypothesis that the planet's satellite was previously completely covered by an ocean of magma. This was reported on February 28 by the newspaper Global Times with a link to the journal Science.

As specified in the material, the study shows that the composition of basalt in samples from the far and near sides of the Moon was similar. Their primary age is 2.823 billion years, and their characteristics confirm the so-called lunar magmatic ocean model. The results indicate that a collision with a celestial body responsible for the formation of the South Pole-Aitken basin could have changed the geological structure of the Moon.

The newspaper reports that scientists, based on studies of samples from the near side of the Moon, have developed a model of its magmatic evolution. According to her, in the early stages of the satellite's formation, a global meltdown occurred, forming a magmatic ocean. As it cooled and crystallized, less dense minerals rose to form the lunar crust, while denser minerals sank to form the mantle.

The alloy, saturated with incompatible elements, formed the KREEP layer, whose name comes from the initial letters of the key components — potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE) and phosphorus (P), between the crust and the mantle.

The article notes that a joint research group organized by the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) has promised to continue to organize research on lunar samples in the future and share scientific achievements of China in the field of satellite research with the international community.

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On July 16, 2024, Chinese scientists reported that they had discovered traces of water in lunar soil samples from the Chang'e-5 spacecraft. According to them, based on the discovery, it can be concluded that water molecules can exist on the surface of the satellite in the form of hydrated salts.