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Remote detection of magmatic water in Bullialdus Crater on the Moon

Nature Geoscience volume 6, pages 737–741 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Once considered dry compared with Earth, laboratory analyses of igneous components of lunar samples have suggested that the Moon’s interior is not entirely anhydrous1,2. Water and hydroxyl have also been detected from orbit on the lunar surface, but these have been attributed to nonindigenous sources3,4,5, such as interactions with the solar wind. Magmatic lunar volatiles—evidence for water indigenous to the lunar interior—have not previously been detected remotely. Here we analyse spectroscopic data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) and report that the central peak of Bullialdus Crater is significantly enhanced in hydroxyl relative to its surroundings. We suggest that the strong and localized hydroxyl absorption features are inconsistent with a surficial origin. Instead, they are consistent with hydroxyl bound to magmatic minerals that were excavated from depth by the impact that formed Bullialdus Crater. Furthermore, estimates of thorium concentration in the central peak using data from the Lunar Prospector orbiter indicate an enhancement in incompatible elements, in contrast to the compositions of water-bearing lunar samples2. We suggest that the hydroxyl-bearing material was excavated from a magmatic source that is distinct from that of samples analysed thus far.

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Figure 1: Context and spectral parameter maps of Bullialdus Crater.
Figure 2: Spectra of Bullialdus Crater and the surrounding region.
Figure 3: Geology of Bullialdus Crater central peak.
Figure 4: Thorium content of Bullialdus Crater central peak.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the NASA Lunar Advanced Science and Engineering Program (NNX10AH62G to RK/JHUAPL), the NASA National Lunar Science Institute Polar Exploration Node (NNA09DB31A to JHUAPL) and the NASA Planetary Mission Data Analysis Program (NNH09AL42I to JH/USGS) for supporting this research. We are also grateful to the NASA Discovery Program, Indian Space Research Organization and M3 team.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland 20723, USA

    R. Klima, J. Cahill & D. Lawrence

  2. US Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001, USA

    J. Hagerty

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  1. R. Klima
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  2. J. Cahill
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Contributions

All authors contributed extensively to this work. R.K. wrote the main manuscript with comments and feedback from the whole team. R.K. led analysis and modelling of M3 data, J.C. led processing and analysis of LROC data and J.H. and D.L. contributed the thorium analyses and forward modelling.

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Correspondence to R. Klima.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Klima, R., Cahill, J., Hagerty, J. et al. Remote detection of magmatic water in Bullialdus Crater on the Moon. Nature Geosci 6, 737–741 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1909

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