Two vast chasms on the moon, comparable in size to the Grand Canyon in the United States, formed within minutes. In contrast, the Grand Canyon on Earth was shaped over millions of years by river erosion.
Researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Communications, based on observations from multiple lunar missions. The chasms emerged immediately after a meteorite struck the moon 3.81 billion years ago, an impact still visible today as the Schrödinger crater, named after physicist Erwin Schrödinger.
Debris from the impact was ejected at speeds exceeding a kilometer per second, creating the chasms. The larger chasm, Vallis Planck, is 280 kilometers long and 3.5 kilometers deep, nearly twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, while the smaller Vallis Schrödinger is 2.7 kilometers deep.
The formation of the chasms occurred between 5 and 15 minutes, likely under 10 minutes. Initially, they appeared as two rows of craters, the result of multiple impacts.
Over time, sections of the crater walls collapsed and eroded, forming the long chasms observed today. Marc Heemskerk, an exogeologist, called the research “very interesting,” noting the use of various techniques and models.
This study is significant for the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon in 2027. The mission will search for water reserves and investigate the moon’s early history.
The meteor impact melted some lunar rocks, which inhibits precise age determination. Thanks to this study, the location of the melted rocks is now better understood.
Researchers also assessed the impact’s magnitude as equivalent to simultaneously detonating 130 times all nuclear weapons on Earth. Despite this force, the impact had minimal effect on the moon’s orbit, with changes potentially as small as 0.1 meters per second, which is insignificant compared to natural variations.
Source: NOS