Is the moon hot or cold.

Abstract

Basic observations are discussed which do not demand a presently cold moon and are consistent with a hot moon. It is suggested that an iron-deficient, highly resistive, hot lunar interior, capped by a cool, rigid lunar lithosphere with a thickness of several hundred kilometers, can explain the relevant observations and is a reasonable model of the moon today. The strength of the moon, lunar electrical conductivity profiles, the relative absence of present-day volcanic activity, and thermal history considerations are examined. Whether the deep interior of the moon is hot or cold has an important bearing on the overall composition of the moon and its origin.