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Nature 436, 631-632 (4 August 2005) | doi:10.1038/436631a; Published online 3 August 2005

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Geochemistry:  On the Moon as it was on Earth

Bernard Marty1

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Does the Moon's surface contain an archive of the early history of Earth? According to an intriguing idea, based on recently published analyses of lunar soils, it might do — and the proposal can be tested.

The onset of the terrestrial dynamo, resulting from slow cooling of the core and crystallization of its inner part, led to the development of the geomagnetic field that shields Earth's surface from extraterrestrial material and cosmic rays. The mechanism and timing of this event are unknown, but Ozima et al.page 655 of this issue)1 argue that the problem can be tackled from a fresh perspective.

  1. Bernard Marty is at the Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, 15 Rue Notre Dame des Pauvres, BP 20, 54501 Vandoeuvre Cedex, France.
    Email: bmarty@crpg.cnrs-nancy.fr

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