Abstract
Various types of energy released or consumed during the moon's evolution are analyzed and the energy balance of the moon is discussed. The total heat accumulated during the moon's evolution is about 1.8×1036 ergs (assuming no heat escaped by thermal convection).A linear stability problem for the moon's interior is considered. For appropriate values of physical parameters it is found that the moon's interior should be in a convective state. The internal temperature distribution in the presence of the convection current is given. The thermal convection within the moon prevents its internal temperature from reaching the melt temperature. The temperature within the convecting moon is about 1500°C at the center, and about 900°C at the 200-km depth. There are two types of temperature-depth profile within the moon, i.e.;(1)heat transfer by conduction above 400-km depth, and (2) heat transfer by convection below 400-km depth. The temperature gradient within the moon's convecting region differs very little from the adiabatic gradient.
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