About age of the lunar surface

Abstract

Most part of the lunar surface relief was formed during the last 5 Ma. This conclusion was received on the basis of detail analysis of large craters of the Moon, Earth, Mars and Mercury. Falling of the galactic comets in the period 5-0.6 Ma, and the tectonomagmatic processes induced by the comets falling played major role in shaping of the Moon topography. Processes of tectonics and volcanism are occurring on the Moon today also. We found volcano in the Tsiolkovsky crater on the reverse side of the Moon that can serve as good example of that. The volcano has a height of 102 m and is located almost in the bottom center of the crater with a diameter of 180 km on a low oval elevation of plume nature 24-26 km in size. Introduction. It is believed that the relief of the lunar surface, as well as Mercury and Mars have formed more than 3000 Ma as a result of falls on these celestial bodies planetesimals that remained in the interplanetary space after the Solar system formation (Hiesinger et al., 2010). To substantiate this view are used data on the craters, as well as measurements of the isotopic age samples of lunar rocks delivered to Earth and testifying to their formation more than 3000 Ma (Hayes, Walker, 1975). The planetary exploration by spacecraft made in recent years, however, cast doubt on such an ancient age of the surface topography, in particular, the Moon and Mars. Large masses of frozen water were discovered at the poles this celestial bodies. Moreover recently dry riverbeds can be seen on the Mars (Wikipedia). These and many other facts do not find a convincing explanation within the framework of existing concepts. We suggest another interpretation of the observed facts. It is based on attracting galaxycentric paradigm (Barenbaum, 2010) to analyze the distribution a cometary craters on surface planets as well as on the discovery in one of them (in the Tsiolkovsky crater on the reverse side of the Moon) modern volcano (Shpekin, 2009). Our studies show that most of the surface of the Moon, Mars and Mercury are completely saturated by such craters. Owing to that formation the craters is associated with ejection of rocks from depths of ~ 3 km or more large age of the lunar rocks samples says in the first place about the time of solidification of their material but not about the actual age of the formation of the lunar surface. Below we present arguments and evidence that the age of lunar surface is hardly older 5 Ma and the process formation of surface the Moon continues today. General characteristics of the Moon relief. The main topographical features of the topography of the Moon, Mars and Mercury are uplifted the areas of surface - and the more lower areas of the surface -seas. Continents uninterruptedly dotted with large craters, while the seas covered by craters to a much lesser degree. It is significant that the continents tend to be located the southern hemisphere of the celestial bodies whereas marine surfaces is mainly located in its northern hemisphere. There is also an important specificity in the morphology and distribution of craters. According to (Pike, 1977) on the moon we can distinguish two different populations of craters - with a diameter D 15 km. The first are the most numerous in the seas, and the second - on the continents. The depth H of the first is approximately equal to 1/5 of their diameter, while depth craters of the second type is smaller. The first type of craters has a simple structure and is best described by the dependence H = 0.196 D 1.01 , whereas the second type is more complicated. The second type craters has central hills and gentle slopes. In the diameter range from 11 to 400 km these craters are followed the depending H = 1.044D 0.301 . Thus in the process of impact origin craters on the surface may be ejected rocks from a depth