#USA #Houston #Lunar Institute #Grand Canyon #Impact Event

Discovery of Lunar Canyons

In a groundbreaking research article published in Nature Communications, a team from the Universities Space Research Association’s Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) has revealed the presence of two monumental canyons located on the Moon’s far side. This intriguing discovery highlights features that bear a striking resemblance in both size and depth to the Grand Canyon on Earth.

Lead researcher David Kring, an expert in planetary science, explained that these canyons were formed during a dramatic epoch in our solar system's early history, nearly four billion years ago. During this time, catastrophic impacts from asteroids and comets significantly reshaped the surfaces of both the Earth and the Moon. The research indicates that an asteroid or a comet approached the Moon at a staggering velocity of roughly 55,000 kilometers per hour (35,000 miles per hour), striking the lunar surface. Notably, this impact created the expansive 320-kilometer-wide Schrödinger impact basin.

The canyons, officially named Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck, were sculpted in a remarkably short span of time, estimated at a mere ten minutes, in contrast to the millions of years it took to form the Earth’s Grand Canyon. Measurements reveal that these lunar canyons vary between 20 and 27 kilometers in width, with depths reaching 2.7 to 3.5 kilometers.

Artistic Impressions and Scientific Analysis

The research team leveraged high-resolution images as well as elevation data obtained from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to analyze the morphology of these canyons. The scientists meticulously calculated the trajectory of debris ejected during the impact event, which resulted in secondary impact craters that contributed to the formation of these striking canyons. Co-author Gareth Collins draws a parallel between the Schrödinger crater and the infamous Chicxulub crater, known for its association with the extinction of the dinosaurs, grounding their findings in a broader context of impact geology.

Kring compared the energy required to create these lunar canyons to an astounding 130 times the total energy of the existing global nuclear arsenal. This emphasizes both the magnitude of the lunar geological processes and the raw power of cosmic impacts that have shaped celestial bodies.

Implications for Future Lunar Exploration

With Artemis missions poised to explore the lunar south pole region, this research opens numerous avenues for scientific inquiry. The fact that the impact debris has not buried this crucial area is advantageous, as it allows future astronauts easier access to collect geological samples that can inform our understanding of the Moon's ancient history. Both Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck serve as remarkable geological features that could yield insights into materials that once lay two or three kilometers below the lunar crust.

As Dr. Kring noted, the visual panorama that these canyons offer is compelling. If these canyons were situated on Earth, they would stand as potential candidates for national or international parks, illustrating the extraordinary geological beauty of our lunar neighbor.

In sum, the identification of these grand canyons on the Moon signifies not only a profound recognition of the Moon's geological past but also highlights the ongoing potential of lunar exploration to enhance our understanding of the solar system's early history. The research undertaken by the team at LPI reaffirms the Moon as a captivating research target, serving as a living archive of our solar system’s primordial epochs.