Moon's Newest Water Reservoir Found In Impact Glass Beads
We are aware
that the Moon contains water. It has been demonstrated by several expeditions
over the last few decades that our natural satellite is not as dry as once
believed. Water evaporates from the soil during the long lunar day, with the
exception of the area in perpetual shade. This implies that the earth contains
sufficient water to maintain this cycle. Researchers are now sure that they
have identified it as glass.
Not just any
glass, but glass created by meteorite strikes. Although this theory has been
around for a while, the Chang'e 5 expedition provides compelling supporting
data. The Chinese mission, which was the nation's first lunar sample-return
journey, returned to Earth about 1.7 kilogrammes (3.7 pounds) of lunar
material, including some that had been dug up from a depth of three feet (one
metre) below the surface of the moon.
These
samples' analysis revealed how highly water-rich the glass crystals are. These
tiny structures can be found all over the lunar regolith, which is the moon's
soil, and they function like sponges to collect water. According to the study,
water makes up 0.2 percent of impact glass.
According to
lead author Professor Hu Sen of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, "These results
show that the impact glasses on the surface of the Moon and other airless
bodies in the solar system are skilled of storage solar wind-derived water and discharging
it into space."
The study,
which was led by graduate student He Huicun, indicates that impact glass beads
may be able to hold up to 270 trillion trillion kilogrammes (660 billion to 590
trillion pounds) of water. The top limit equates to roughly half the volume of
water in North America's Lake Erie.
The water in
this sample, according to analysis, came from the solar wind. When the Moon is
open to our star, this stream of solar particles strikes the lunar surface.
Protons, which are simply hydrogen ions without electrons, make up the majority
of the solar wind. They can engage with the lunar regolith as they impact it,
keeping the water in the soil trapped by the glass beads.
This is how the water cycle of
the Moon might work. Image credit: Prof. Hu Sen’s group
The team
predicts that water can build up in this glass in a matter of years based on
the dispersal of water within the beads. Diffusion is the mechanism responsible
for this. Additionally, the water can be released just as quickly, which is a
crucial element that suggests that these glass beads might play a significant
role in the lunar water cycle.
As it is
simple to extract, water trapped in glass beads could be helpful during
upcoming exploration. And it might not be limited to the moon. These glass
beads, which are abundant in water, may also be found on other airless planets
in the solar system.
Reference: iflscience.com
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