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Chang'e-6 lander reveals local hour-scale temporal variations in lunar surface water
Honglei Lin1, Heng-Ci Tian2, Sheng Gou2
1Key Laboratory of Planetary Science and Frontier Technology, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Science Bulletin
|April 25, 2026
Summary
Lunar surface water (OH/H2O) content varies significantly within hours, decreasing by up to 58% between 10:00 and 11:03 AM local time. Temperature strongly controls these diurnal water variations.
Area of Science:
- Lunar Science
- Astrogeology
- Planetary Science
Background:
- Lunar surface water is primarily formed by solar wind irradiation.
- Previous studies using remote sensing indicated diurnal water variations but lacked high temporal resolution.
- In-situ measurements were needed to accurately quantify these variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze in-situ infrared spectra from the Chang'e-6 lander to understand diurnal variations in lunar surface water.
- To investigate the relationship between temperature and OH/H2O content on the lunar surface.
- To provide insights into the distribution and recycling mechanisms of lunar water.
Main Methods:
- Acquired in-situ infrared spectra at a single location across different local times using the Chang'e-6 lander.
- Calibrated spectra for thermal contributions using laboratory measurements of returned lunar soils.
- Analyzed absorption signals to quantify OH/H2O content and its temporal variations.
Main Results:
- Detected clear OH/H2O absorption signals in the in-situ spectra.
- Observed significant hourly variations in OH/H2O content, decreasing by 37%-58% between 10:00 and 11:03 AM local time.
- Found that the rate of OH/H2O decrease is temperature-dependent, being faster at higher temperatures (349-358 K).
Conclusions:
- Confirmed and extended diurnal water variations to the hourly scale, consistent with remote sensing data.
- Established temperature as a dominant factor controlling OH/H2O content on the lunar surface.
- Indicated that solar wind replenishment is insufficient to account for observed OH/H2O depletion, highlighting temperature-dependent processes.
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