Knowledge of the Moon's thermal environment can help in planning future lunar experiments. Credit: Stockbyte Royalty Free Photos
A three-dimensional model provides a realistic insight into the thermal behaviour of the Moon by analysing its surface and subsurface temperatures1.
The model shows that the lunar surface structure, including the thickness of the uppermost layer, plays a vital role in controlling surface and subsurface temperature variations.
This knowledge can help understand the thermal environment of any location on the Moon and is essential for planning future lunar experiments, say researchers at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad.
Previous experiments, including Apollo heat-flow experiments, analysed the thermal behaviour of the lunar surface at equatorial regions. To capture surface and subsurface temperatures across the entire lunar landscape, the scientists developed their model using a commercially available software tool.
The model-derived results were validated using those from experiments measuring the thermal profile within a 10 cm column of soil under a simulated lunar environment, and Apollo 15 and 17 data.
The researchers, led by K. Durga Prasad, found that the fluffy uppermost layer strongly inhibits heat propagation into the interior. The model can help track lateral heat transport in three dimensions from a few centimetres to several kilometres – a feature absent in earlier studies.
The model can be used to determine depths for deploying heat-flow probes for future geophysical experiments on the Moon. It could also help locate water-ice at its poles and interpret thermal data recorded by devices to be flown with Chandrayaan-3 or any other future spacecrafts.
