The recent discovery of a substantial granite formation beneath an ancient lunar volcano provides further support for the notion that the far side of the moon once experienced intense volcanic activity.

This granite deposit was identified beneath a prominent lunar surface feature known as Compton-Belkovich, which is believed to have originated from the cooling of magma that fueled volcanic eruptions on the moon approximately 3.5 billion years ago.

While the presence of volcanic remnants in this moon region was already anticipated due to earlier hypotheses suggesting the existence of an ancient volcano complex, the size of the cooled magma patch uncovered has taken the research team by surprise, Space .com has reported.

It spans an estimated width of around 31 miles (50 kilometers).

The identification of this extensive granite body beneath the Compton-Belkovich volcanic complex holds the potential to provide valuable insights into the formation of the lunar crust during the moon’s early history.

Written by staff