Scientists Create a New Map of Our Moon's Massive Volcanic Eruption

In the distant past, our planet's moon was volcanically active. Now, scientists have produced a new map of the moon's most unusual volcano, revealing that its explosive eruption spread debris over an area much greater than previously thought.

The researchers created the new map by mapping the radioactive element thorium. The researchers used data from NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft, which first spotted the volcanic site in 1999 when it detected an isolated deposit of thorium on the moon's far-side between the Compton and Belkovich impact sites.

The researchers then used the information in addition to a "pixon" image enhancement technique, which was originally designed to peer into the distant universe. This sharpened the map and revealed the enormous size of the thorium deposit from the volcanic eruption.

Most people know that the moon has low gravity. With the help of this element in addition to the powerful eruption, the volcano spewed debris that covered an area the size of Scotland. In fact, the eruption threw rock five times further than the pyroclastic flow of molten rock and hot gases that buried the roman city of Pompeii.

"Volcanoes were common in the early life of the moon and in fact the dark 'seas' you can observe on the lunar surface were created by runny, iron-rich lava that flooded large areas, filling in impact craters and low-lying ground," said Jack Wilson, one of the researchers, in a news release. "By mapping the radioactive content of the lava from this volcano we have been able to show that molten, radioactive rock was thrown far beyond the slopes of the volcano reaching several hundred miles in one direction."

Currently, the researchers plan to apply the new mapping technique to the largest known volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons on Mars.

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