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Volcanically Induced Transient Atmospheres on the Moon: Assessment of Duration, Significance, and Contributions to Polar Volatile Traps
Author(s) -
Head James W.,
Wilson Lionel,
Deutsch Ariel N.,
Rutherford Malcolm J.,
Saal Alberto E.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl089509
Subject(s) - outgassing , volcano , basalt , geology , atmosphere (unit) , lunar mare , magma , stratosphere , astrobiology , polar , atmospheric sciences , earth science , geochemistry , meteorology , astronomy , physics
A transient lunar atmosphere formed during a peak period of volcanic outgassing and lasting up to about ~70 Ma was recently proposed. We utilize forward‐modeling of individual lunar basaltic eruptions and the observed geologic record to predict eruption frequency, magma volumes, and rates of volcanic volatile release. Typical lunar mare basalt eruptions have volumes of ~10 2 –10 3 km 3 , last less than a year, and have a rapidly decreasing volatile release rate. The total volume of lunar mare basalts erupted is small, and the repose period between individual eruptions is predicted to range from 20,000 to 60,000 years. Only under very exceptional circumstances could sufficient volatiles be released in a single eruption to create a transient atmosphere with a pressure as large as ~0.5 Pa. The frequency of eruptions was likely too low to sustain any such atmosphere for more than a few thousand years. Transient, volcanically induced atmospheres were probably inefficient sources for volatile delivery to permanently shadowed lunar polar regions.