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Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Simulating Imaging of Large Scale Radio Arrays on the Lunar Surface
Published on: July 30, 2020
The search for lunar mantle rocks exposed on the surface of the Moon
Daniel P Moriarty1,2, Nick Dygert3, Sarah N Valencia4,5
1NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA. daniel.p.moriarty@nasa.gov.
Abstract:
The lunar surface is ancient and well-preserved, recording Solar System history and planetary evolution processes. Ancient basin-scale impacts excavated lunar mantle rocks, which are expected to remain present on the surface. Sampling these rocks would provide insight into fundamental planetary processes, including differentiation and magmatic evolution. There is contention among lunar scientists as to what lithologies make up the upper lunar mantle, and where they may have been exposed on the surface. We review dynamical models of lunar differentiation in the context of recent experiments and spacecraft data, assessing candidate lithologies, their distribution, and implications for lunar evolution.
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