Scientists Discover Mysterious ‘Door’ to Giant Moon Cave, Unlocking Secrets of Lunar Volcanism

Scientists are reporting the discovery of a mysterious “entrance door” to a giant cave on the Moon. Thanks to them, they can better understand the volcanic processes taking place on the Silver Globe.

– We found something like a front door to go underground moon – said the main author of the study, Leonardo Carrer from the University of Trento in Italy. The scientist says that access to the interior of the Earth’s satellite is an interesting area for future robotic exploration. At the same time, it is expected that the “door” on the moon will provide a lot of information about the volcanism of the Silver Globe.

Scientists have long suspected that the Moon is a place full of volcanic formations, including: lava tunnels. There are similar places on Earth too. More than 200 craters have been identified so far on the Moon in which rocks and regolith have sunk to unknown depths.

Research carried out by Leonardo Carrera shows that one of these pits collapsed in the area of ​​the Sea of ​​Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis) and created an underground cave channel that can be accessed from the surface of the moon.

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Caves on Silver Globeie surface collapse, are valuable evidence for scientists who confirm the existence of lava tunnels. These are the strongest shapes next to lunar craters and elliptical craters. So, Carrer decided to investigate further with his team what the newly discovered “door” on the Moon hides – informing the Living Science portal.

Together with Lorenzo Bruzzone, he decided to try to map the hidden cave using orbital aperture radar (SAR) instruments. Scientists used SAR data to create three-dimensional reconstructions of two Earth caves near their entrances.

“We were able to find a reflection that clearly showed that there was a hole at the bottom and an entrance to a cave that was probably part of a lava tube,” Buzzone explains. Using special computer model it was decided that the entry would be on the Moon it is at least 45 m wide and reaches a depth of 135-175 m below the surface of the satellite.

“The study definitely shows that there is a transition that goes deeper than we had seen,” said another scientist on the study, Robert Wagner from Arizona State University in Tampa. The next step scientists want to take in response to the discovery is: sends a mission to a new “door” on the Moon. The goal of the researchers is to enter and directly examine the interior of the cave.

Carrer and Bruzzone, according to Live Science, are excited to learn about the moon’s geological history. That cave can help them a lot with this. According to scientists, it is inside and on the rocks that are protected from erosion and changes caused by the wind of the sun they will discover what is important for their scientific work.

– By studying the local rocks, which have not been affected by the rough surface, it will provide a lot of information about lunar volcanism, says Carrer. The scientist also does not claim that during further research, it will be possible to find a whole lava tube in which lunar magma moved and settled once.