Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion Physics Forum Multiplying Moon Water

"Moonwater"...Look it up, you wont find that word in the dictionary.
That's because we thought, that the Moon was just about the driest place in the solar system. But not anymore.

Rcently, reports of moonwater started "pouring" in. Starting with estimates of scant amounts on the lunar surface, then it was gallons in a single crater, and now its 600 million metric tons distributed among 40 craters near the lunar north pole.

Since both Lunar poles have craters that never see the Sun.

Mixtures of ice and lunar soil, cannot be registered as ice, by the spectrometer.

The Moon used to support vast seas and rivers, so there is a possibility that there are underground patches of damp soils, even deep underground reservoirs at the South pole.

The Neutron Spectrometer used to measure the thickness of ice, can only measure to a depth of one-half meter.

All the above, means the amount of water ice on the Moon could very easily be doubled.

In fact the Moon has so much water, that it has a recently discovered...."lunar hydrosphere"
International spacecraft have recently discovered no fewer than three "flavors" of moonwater, so no-one knows when the discoveries will end.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2010/18mar_moonwater.htm?list111547

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/Mini-RF/multimedia/feature_ice_like_deposits.html

hey

thanks for sharing great informations.

We can hope. Water on the moon would make permanent stations a possibility, as water can be used for the obvious biological needs, plus to make hydrogen gas and oxygen - AKA rocket fuel.

How much is buried in the crust is still a mystery, but these findings tell us there is water near the surface, at least in some locals, and opens up the possibility that there may be quite a bit more in the sub-surface.

Bryan

[Mike=Kremer]

Yes ever the optimist, I feel like yourself that there is more water to be found, 10, 20, or 30 feet deep within the Moon in the form of damp sand, or
similar?
Now how about Moonquakes? They are strong and able to move some of the items left on the Moon around.
No body is sure as to how Moonquakes are formed.
NASA's best guess is they are due to the tidal forces of Earth acting upon the Moon. As well as cooling effects still going on deep within the Moon.

Now I am going to stick my neck out, and suggest smaller Moonquakes might be in part be caused by water on the Moon.
No, not damp sandy water, but real water, prehaps hundreds of thousands of gallons of it trapped within a deep Moon rock cave, a hundred or more miles deep within the Moon where it would be a few degrees warmer.

Real water trapped deep within a Mooncave, that could in someway be causing a small Moonquake? Lubricating the rocks.
Water sloshing around in a Mooncave, maybe enlarging it?
No, prehaps not there are no tides on the Moon. Hmmm

The free flowing water came of course from the seeping of the Moons seas deep into the moon ....filling up the voids where it was able... as water does.

Oh and here is a blurb about those strong Moonquakes, before I forget.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060327.html


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