Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Internal Friction in Moon and Earth Rocks

Nature volume 234, pages 461–463 (1971)Cite this article

Abstract

RECENT measurements of the quality factor, Q, for mechanical vibrations generated by dropping parts of the Apollo lunar module and by moonquakes1 indicate that the Q of the Moon for these vibrations is of the order of 3,000, but seismological measurements of the Earth's rocks indicate Qs of 110 for the outer mantle2, with higher values for the inner mantle. It is the purpose of this report to indicate that these lunar results are consistent with a dislocation source for internal friction.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Latham, G., Ewing, M., Dorman, J., Press, F., Tokusoz, N., Sutton, G., Meissner, Rolf, Duennebier, F., Nakamura, Y., Kovach, R., and Yates, M., Science, 170, 620 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Knopoff, L., Physical Acoustics (edit. by Mason, W. P.), 3, B, ch. 7 (Academic Press, New York, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Mason, W. P., J. Geophys. Res., 74, 4963 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Mason, W. P., Beshers, D. N., and Kuo, J. T., J. Appl. Phys., 41, 5206 (1970); Mason, W. P., and Kuo, J. T., J. Geophys. Res., 76, 2084 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Peselnick, L., and Zeitz, I., Geophysics, 24, 285 (1959).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Krishnamurthi, M., and Balakrishna, S., Geophysics, 22, 268 (1957).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Birch, F., Handbook of Physical Constants, 92, No. 36 (Geophysical Society, 1942).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Gordon, R. B., and Davis, L. A., J. Geophys. Res., 73, 3917 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mindlin, R. D., Trans. Amer. Soc. Mech. Eng., 71, 259 (1949).

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. Warren, N., et al., Proc. Apollo 12 Conf. (MIT, 1971).

  11. Simmons, G., J. Geophys. Res., 69, 1117 (1964).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Jeffreys, H., The Earth, ch. 12 (Cambridge Press, 1929).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. Mason, W. P., and Wood, W. A., J. Appl. Phys., 39, 5581 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Henry Krumb School of Mines, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027

    WARREN P. MASON

Authors
  1. WARREN P. MASON
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MASON, W. Internal Friction in Moon and Earth Rocks. Nature 234, 461–463 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/234461a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/234461a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing