Santa Cruz, CA (January 2, 2025) - A recent study proposes a potential explanation for the Moon's age, suggesting it could be around 4.35 billion years old due to a remelting event caused by Earth's tidal forces. This hypothesis challenges previous assumptions regarding the timing of the Moon's formation.
Professor Francis Nimmo and colleagues from UC Santa Cruz published their findings in the journal Nature on December 18. They argue that the Moon underwent a significant geological upheaval approximately 4.35 billion years ago, which may have obscured its true age. This remelting process could have reset the geological clock of lunar rocks, masking older formations.
Nimmo emphasized that this global heating event would likely have affected all lunar rocks, making it improbable to find any significantly older than 4.35 billion years. This research draws parallels between the Moon's history and current volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io, suggesting that tidal heating was a crucial factor in shaping the Moon's geology.
The study also posits that fewer impact basins exist on the Moon due to this remelting process, which would have erased evidence of early bombardments. The authors suggest that the Moon's formation likely occurred between 4.43 and 4.53 billion years ago.
Future research will focus on more complex simulations to further understand tidal heating's effects. The recent lunar samples returned by China's Chang'e 6 mission are expected to provide additional insights into these geological processes, potentially supporting the idea of a global resetting event.