1 – Craters formed when rocks from space collided with the moon. 2 – Maria formed when lava flowed out of the moon, filled large craters, and cooled to solid rock. The composition of the moon and the composition of Earth’s mantle are similar.
How did maria form on the Moon’s surface?
The maria were formed after large impacts from meteors carved out basins in the lunar crust. When the Moon was volcanic, magma seeped to the surface, filled the basins and eventually hardened, resulting in the relatively smooth flat areas seen today.
How were the maria of the Moon formed quizlet?
maria formed when, before the moon’s crust completely solidified, several large bodies struck the surface, making huge craters. molten material from within the moon flooded the crater and congealed to become the smooth, dark law plains of the maria.
How did the maria and highlands form on the Moon?
The highlands are heavily cratered and mountainous. We have learned that the maria are relatively young areas on the Moon which were generated after very large impacts penetrated the crust of our Moon and excavated basins. During later volcanic episodes, liquid magma came to the surface and filled these basins.
What is the distribution of maria on the Moon’s surface quizlet?
What is the distribution of maria on the Moon’s surface? Maria are largely confined to the hemisphere facing Earth; there is only one small mare on the distant side. far side has no large maria.
What are the maria seas on the Moon made of?
The lunar maria are impact basins created by collisions with cosmic debris that filled with lava and other lunar material between 1-4 billion years ago.
What is the maria that form the features of the man in the Moon?
These ‘seas’, also known as maria, are actually huge hardened lava plains, made up of volcanic rock that is less reflective than other parts of the lunar surface.
What kind of rock makes up the Moon’s maria?
basaltic lava
The lunar maria are made of layers of basaltic lava, not unlike the basaltic flows of the Columbia River Plateau or of Iceland. The orange glass found on the Moon’s surface is another product of volcanic activity. Moon rocks are not exposed to weather nor are they eroded by wind, water, or ice.
How did the lunar maria most likely originate quizlet?
How did the lunar maria most likely originate? : Huge impact craters filled with frozen carbon dioxide and dark-colored silt and dust/huge impact basins that were nearly filled with basaltic lava flows/Massive, basaltic comets melted when they hit the lunar surface/The solar wind eroded very wide, shallow basins that
What are the maria composed of quizlet?
The maria are composed chiefly of basalt. Basalts are also found on Earth, Venus, Mars—and to a much lesser extent—Mercury. The mountains on the Moon were formed by what process?
What caused the highlands on the Moon?
These meteorites formed from fragmental debris near the surface of the Moon. The lunar highlands represent the ancient lunar crust that has been gardened extensively by meteoritic bombardment, particularly during the early period of intense bombardment around 3.9 Ga ago, resulting in extensive brecciation.
What caused the craters maria and other surface features of the Moon?
They were created when the lunar mare was all magma. Lava tubes collapsed and hardened at the same time the lunar mare did, so they have the same age. Shape and Radiometric Dating: ● Old craters have a rounded look to them whereas the younger ones have sharp edges with debris around them.
Why more maria are found on the near side of the Moon than on the far side?
During the formation of the Moon, lava flows were able to move through this thinner crust and flood the basins on the near side, but not as much on the far side of the Moon. The areas of these lava flows are what we now call maria, which is Latin for “seas”.
Why do no maria exist on the far side of the moon?
In contrast, impacts on the far side’s thicker crust failed to penetrate deeply enough to cause lava to well up, instead leaving the far side of the moon with a surface of valleys, craters and highlands, but almost no maria.
Why is there very little maria on the far side of the moon?
Further study shows an odd anomaly: The crust on the far side is a lot thicker than it is on the near side. That explains the lack of maria; the thicker crust means it was harder for giant impacts to pierce the crust and get darker basaltic lava bubbling up.
What material is the surface of the Moon made of?
The average composition of the lunar surface by weight is roughly 43% oxygen, 20% silicon, 19% magnesium, 10% iron, 3% calcium, 3% aluminum, 0.42% chromium, 0.18% titanium and 0.12% manganese. Orbiting spacecraft have found traces of water on the lunar surface that may have originated from deep underground.
Is the maria the original crust of the Moon?
When the Moon first formed, it was hot enough for the surface to be covered by a great ocean of molten rock. As this solidified, on occasion large meteors would hit the Moon and crack the thin, still-forming crust. Then molten rock came to the surface once more, becoming the maria we see today.
Why are the dark spots on the Moon called maria?
Those spots are called maria, from the Latin word for sea, because early astronomers mistakenly thought they were lunar seas (they’re actually volcanic plains). The smooth and dark maria cover 17 percent of the surface of the moon. Almost all of them are visible from Earth.
How were the characters formed on the surface of the moon?
There are many craters on the surface of the moon. They were formed due to collision of asteriods and meteors with the lunar surface.
How were the surface features of the moon created?
A few scientists over the following centuries correctly predicted they were impact craters from meteorites smashing into the lunar surface. But most thought they came from ancient volcanic eruptions right up to the mid-20th century.
What is the main type of rock found in the maria?
The two most common kinds are basalts and anorthosites. The lunar basalts, relatively rich in iron and many also in titanium, are found in the maria.