2007-10-09 16:01:13 · 7 answers · asked by ChEMIsTrY ChICkiE 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Because there is no weathering or volcanic activity going on on the Moon to change those rocks into new forms, where the rock on Earth is constantly being changed and destroyed and rebuilt.
2007-10-09 16:07:17 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The determine the age of a rock by comparing the proportion of various radioisotopes to their decay products within a mineral grain. When the rock is melted, the parent and daughter elements get separated, so the "clock" is reset. Most Earth rocks have been reprocessed due to volcanoes, plate tectonics, etc., whereas parts of the Moon are still essentially as they were when the Moon was formed.
2007-10-09 18:41:27 · answer #2 · answered by injanier 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The rock on the Earth's surface is like a meat grinder spitting out sausage links, and the chain of them is being fed back into the hopper of the very same grinder.
New material is coming up from below the surface through volcanoes and through fissures such as the one in the Atlantic. Old material is being churned under at places like the west coast of North America.
The moon is not 'geologically' active anymore. What you see is what you get. Some gets changed a little during impact events, but the majority of it just sits there unchanged as there's not much else to disturb it. No atmosphere or water to erode it. So all that dust on the Lunar surface is from impacts - kinda makes you think how old the Moon is for nothing but impacts to make all that dust!
2007-10-09 17:32:30 · answer #3 · answered by ZeroByte 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should take into account the fact that the moon has been impacted by many meteors, thats why it has so many craters. Some rocks from the moon are not from the moon, there's other space debris that occupies the moon's surface, and that space material may be older than the earth.
2007-10-09 16:17:31 · answer #4 · answered by Lucio C 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Several rock samples have been tested and they are the same age as the earth, not older.
2007-10-09 16:09:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The rocks on Earth have been "recycled" several times - volcanoes, earthquakes, and tectonic plate movements have moved surface rocks into the interior to melt and to come out later in volcanoes, earthquakes, and tectonic plate movements.
2007-10-09 16:07:24 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not older, rather "unprocessed".
2007-10-10 06:29:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋