Thermal evolution of the moon |
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| Authors: | M Nafi Toksőz Sean C Solomon John W Minear David H Johnston |
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| Institution: | (1) Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., USA |
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| Abstract: | The thermal history and current state of the lunar interior are investigated using constraints imposed by recent geological and physical data. Theoretical temperature models are computed taking into account different initial conditions, heat sources, differentiation and simulated convection. To account for the early formation of the lunar highlands, the time duration of magmatism and presentday temperatures estimated from lunar electrical conductivity profiles, it is necessary to restrict initial temperatures and abundances of radioactivie elements. Successful models require that the outer half of the Moon initially heated to melting temperatures, probably due to rapid accretion. Differentiation of radioactive heat sources toward the lunar surface occurred during the first 1.6 billion years. Temperatures in the outer 500 km are currently low, while the deep interior (radius less than 700 to 1000 km) is warmer than 1000°C, and is of primordial material. In some models there is a partially melted core. The calculated surface heat flux is between 25 and 30 erg/cm2 s.Presently at the Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle, North Carolina 27709, U.S.A. |
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