Moon internal structure, and similarities/differences of earth and the moon

Structure of the Moon

The moon is a differentiated body, consisting of a

• Crust
• Core
• Mantle

Core: It is small, has a radius of 350km or less. Metallic iron alloy with some quantity of less sulphur. Density of the (outer core) which is liquid, and its about 5g/cm³ and this could contain as much as 6% sulfur by weight.

Mantle: Zone of partial melt, it has a radius of 587km

Internal structure of the moon

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• Moon has a mean density of 3,346Kg/m³.

• Energy required to melt the outer portion of the moon was associated with the giant impact theory event which was postulated to have formed the earth-moon system, and the subsequent re-accretion ( re-accumulation of cold, minute, homogeneous particles) of material in earth orbit.

The crystallization of this magma ocean would give rise to a mafic mantle and a plagioclase-rich crust.

• The lunar surface has a complex geomorphology having been formed by a combination of several forces which include:

• Impact cratering

• Volcanism

Impact cratering: Theories postulated that several/large meteriotes fell from outside space and hit the moon lithosphere and created a hole in the moon lithosphere/crust and that result created what we call porch, as a result of the hitting the surface.

Volcanism: The moon is tectonically inactive, by tectonism we mean (ground motion). While most volcanoes on the Moon appears to have occurred between 3/4 billion years ago. Typical mare samples are ~3.5billion years old.

Properties of earth and the moon

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Differences between moon and earth.

• Earth is bigger than the moon.

• Earth is a planet, while Moon is a satellite orbiting around planet earth.

• Volcanism on the Moon differs from that of the moon, Volcanism on the Earth is an ongoing process, we have active, inactive, and sleeping vocanoes on planet earth. Many of Earth's volcanoes are quite young in geologic terms, often less than a few 100,000 years old.

While most volcanoes on the Moon appears to have occurred between 3/4 billion years ago. Typical mare samples are ~3,500,000,000 years old.

• Earth has oxygen and water which support life here, but moon there is no oxygen nor water on the surface of the moon.

• The geology of the moon is quite different from that of planet earth mainly due to the fact that there is no atmosphere, Hence the phenomena such as weather or erosion due to weather does not apply to the moon.

• The moon is tectonically inactive, by tectonism we mean (ground motion).

• It has low gravity than the earth because of its relative small size.

• Moon has no atmosphere, while Earth has atmosphere.

Similarities of the moon and the earth

• They both possess the same internal structures like the crust, core and the mantle, moon core looks more like Earth's core.

• They both have craters on their surfaces.
Believed to have been formed by meterorites.

• The earth and the moon are both similar in elemental composition.

• They are both in the milky way.

• They actively involved in lunar and solar eclipses.

• They are made of rocks.

• They are both spherical in shape.

Read more articles of the moon:

• https://steemit.com/geology/@barineka/geologic-history-of-the-moon

• https://steemit.com/geology/@barineka/lunar-geology-part-1

References: Wikipedia

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