Researchers in the Department of Planetary Sciences, Earth and the Environment at Brown University in charge of the report have indicated that the water contained in these ancient deposits supports the idea that Earth's natural satellite mantle is Surprisingly rich in water. It is considered that the water would have the form of crystals formed by an explosion of magma coming from the deep interior of the Moon.
Ralph Milliken, a scientist at the university, said that the orbit data have been used to examine the large pyroclastic deposits (materials emitted by some kind of volcanic explosion) from the Moon. For the detection of water in these deposits have been used orbital spectrometers, which help to measure the light that bounces off the lunar surface in order to know components or minerals that may be in the satellite. Researchers have found evidence of water in almost all observed and mapped pyroclastic deposits, including those near the landing site of the Apollo 15 and 17 missions, where samples of crystals were collected.
"The distribution of these water-rich deposits is the key," Miliken said. "They are distributed on the surface, which tells us that the water found in the Apollo samples was not isolated. Lunar pyroclastics appear to be universally rich in water, suggesting that the same may occur in the mantle, "he said.
The fact that the Moon has water inside it completely changes the theory of how the Moon appeared, since it was originally believed that it appeared after an object the size of Mars hit the Earth and from it the Moon.
"Increasing evidence of water inside the Moon suggests that the water survived in some way, or came shortly after the impact of asteroids or comets before the Moon had completely solidified," said Shuai Li, Scientist at the University of Hawaii and collaborator of Milliken
"Other studies have suggested the presence of ice water in the dark regions of the lunar poles, but the pyroclastic deposits are in a place of easier access," Li said.
