2007-07-28 02:30:30 · 5 answers · asked by Cleveo7 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Plate tectonics and erosion mean that the rocks on the Earth are constantly being formed, melted, eroded, reformed. There are rocks on Earth that are around a few hours old. These have just been laid down by outpourings from a volcano.
But there are no such geological processes vurrently active on the Moon. The lunar surface has lain virtually unchanged (apart from meteorite impacts) for billions of years. As someone else has said, there are rocks on Earth as old as the lunar samples, but they are in a very select set of locations and quite hard to get to.
2007-07-28 10:17:52 · answer #1 · answered by Jason T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rocks on the moon are not subjected to erosion and to plate tectonics that recycles minerals like on earth. New rocks are formed by molten lava cooling down, while the moon is not geologically active.
However, there are rocks on earth that are just as old as those found on the moon. They are just a lot harder to get to.
2007-07-28 09:36:04 · answer #2 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since Creation of the Earth was very quick ,the age of the material on the moon would be the same.
However materials age faster when exposed at higher temperature(see the Arhenius equation). Such is the case with the moon. So rocks on the moon age faster than those on the Earth.
2007-07-28 11:08:53 · answer #3 · answered by goring 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Science as we know it (jim) is not too accurate but we have a series of great masters to relay upon to guide us through the "crystal maze" as it were. They state that there are seven planets that are or will be an "earth" in a chain, briefly the moon is planet earth number 3 and we all live on planet earth number 4, so how can they be at the same age. the life of each planet is several thousand millions of years. In fact the "moon" should not be there now, it should have been obscured way way long ago! but for some weird reason there she is, until dissolved.
there is an excellent book to read on this subject. see below.
2007-07-28 09:42:57 · answer #4 · answered by david 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
No atmosphere = no wind, no rain, no erosion of rocks on the moon. Hence why there are still footprints from the moon landing up there.
2007-07-28 09:34:06 · answer #5 · answered by Duffman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋