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Moon’s radius shrank about 45 meters over 400–800 million years, study estimates
Researchers identified more than 10,000 young faults in images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), estimating that the Moon’s radius decreased by about 45 meters over the past 400 million to 800 million years. The study links this gradual contraction to cooling inside the Moon and finds that areas with thicker crust have fewer faults and greater geological stability.
What to know
- 01
The Moon lacks plate tectonics; faults caused by contraction are scattered across its surface.
- 02
The researchers conclude that the early Moon’s thick crust inhibited cooling, while most of its widely distributed surface fractures formed later in its evolution.
Why it matters
These geological features offer clues to the Moon’s long-term evolution through cooling and contraction.
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