New findings on moon formation: What the oxygen isotopes reveal!

A research team from the University of Göttingen and the Max Planck Institute have published new measurements that question a common theory for the creation of the moon. The generally accepted hypothesis states that the moon was created by a collision between the early earth and a protoplanet named Theia. This theory assumes that Theia has contributed around 70% of the moon material and the earth 30%.

The current results published on December 24, 2024 in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” journal, however, show a remarkable similarity in the distribution of the oxygen isotopes of earth and moon. The research team analyzed 14 moon samples and carried out 191 measurements on the earth's minerals. According to co -author Andreas Pack, this similarity could indicate that their cocks lost his rock with previous collisions and collided with the earth as a metallic cannonball. This hypothesis could explain why the oxygen isotopes of earth and moon are so similar.

knowledge about the origin of the water

In addition, the new data gives insight into the origin of the water on earth. The new knowledge could be questioned by the new findings that water came to earth by impacts after the moon. According to the researchers, due to the more frequent impacts on earth compared to the moon, there should be a measurable difference in the oxygen isotopes, but this is not the case. First author Meike Fischer explains that many meteorite classes can be excluded as possible causes. However, the meteorite class of the Enstitit chondrites in particular could be responsible for the water balance of the earth.

In addition, previous studies, based on rock samples of Apollo missions, show significant differences in the isotope distribution of oxygen in the moon rock compared to earthly rock. This analysis supports the perspective that the moon was created from a collision of the urge with a Mars -sized planet. With a assumed proportion of 70 to 90 percent, the isotope composition of the earth and the moon should differ significantly. Instead, a difference of only 0.0012 percent between the oxygen isotopes 16o and 17o was demonstrated, which questions the theory of a common origin, as was reported in previous studies.

The research team plans to further examine the mixing ratio of their material to urerde material in the moon. The first data indicate that the mixing ratio is around fifty to fifty, which is lower than previously assumed.