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posted by martyb on Tuesday July 25 2017, @04:10PM   Printer-friendly
from the water-water-everywhere dept.

A study using data collected by the Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter has found evidence of elevated water content in some pyroclastic deposits on the Moon:

The inside of the moon is wetter than previously thought, research suggests, opening up fresh possibilities for manned missions to the lunar landscape.

While the moon was once thought to be bone-dry, in recent years water has been found trapped in lunar volcanic glasses – material formed from magma ejected from the moon's interior. But it has remained a topic of debate just how wet the lunar innards are, with some arguing that the water content of lunar samples may not be representative of the majority of the moon's mantle – the layer beneath the crust.

Now researchers say a new analysis of satellite data has unpicked the puzzle, revealing "hotspots" of trapped water right across the moon's surface in deposits from ancient eruptions. "The lunar mantle is wetter than our previous thoughts [suggested]," said Shuai Li, co-author of the study from Brown University.

Also at Brown University, National Geographic, NPR, The Verge, and Space.com.

Remote detection of widespread indigenous water in lunar pyroclastic deposits (DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2993) (DX) (supplemental)

Here we demonstrate that, for a number of lunar pyroclastic deposits, near-infrared reflectance spectra acquired by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument onboard the Chandrayaan-1 orbiter exhibit absorptions consistent with enhanced OH- and/or H2O-bearing materials. These enhancements suggest a widespread occurrence of water in pyroclastic materials sourced from the deep lunar interior, and thus an indigenous origin. Water abundances of up to 150 ppm are estimated for large pyroclastic deposits, with localized values of about 300 to 400 ppm at potential vent areas. Enhanced water content associated with lunar pyroclastic deposits and the large areal extent, widespread distribution and variable chemistry of these deposits on the lunar surface are consistent with significant water in the bulk lunar mantle. We therefore suggest that water-bearing volcanic glasses from Apollo landing sites are not anomalous, and volatile loss during pyroclastic eruptions may represent a significant pathway for the transport of water to the lunar surface.


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  • (Score: 2) by Sulla on Tuesday July 25 2017, @05:01PM (2 children)

    by Sulla (5173) on Tuesday July 25 2017, @05:01PM (#544236) Journal

    Could we mine this, pack it into some sort of disintegrating bubble, and fire it at the atmosphere? OH- is useful in breaking down CO2.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 25 2017, @05:10PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 25 2017, @05:10PM (#544241)

    Pretty sure it would be easier to transition away from oil and gas. Cheaper too since you supposedly care about good financial planning.

    • (Score: 4, Funny) by Sulla on Tuesday July 25 2017, @06:03PM

      by Sulla (5173) on Tuesday July 25 2017, @06:03PM (#544258) Journal

      I just want to leave a really convoluted story for our ancestors (if there are any)

      - So why did the people of the 21st century ship OH- from the moon?
      - Too much CO2 on Earth
      - Why not use less fossil fuels?
      - Because that would mean the terrorists won
      - But it was harder
      - "We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard"

      --
      Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam