Apollo-era analysis of rocks from the lunar maria suggests they formed roughly during which time span?

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Multiple Choice

Apollo-era analysis of rocks from the lunar maria suggests they formed roughly during which time span?

Explanation:
Rocks in the lunar maria were formed when basaltic lava erupted and then cooled to solid rock. The ages come from radiometric dating of those rocks, which tells us when the lava last solidified. Apollo-era analyses show mare basalts with ages clustered in roughly 3.9 to 3.0 billion years ago, meaning most maria volcanism occurred during that interval. This window sits after the Moon’s formation and during the later part of the era when volcanic activity was still possible on the Moon. The other dates given would place formation either too early (near the Moon’s birth) or too late to account for the bulk of mare volcanism observed in the Apollo samples. So, the 3.9 to 3.0 billion-year window best describes when the lunar maria formed.

Rocks in the lunar maria were formed when basaltic lava erupted and then cooled to solid rock. The ages come from radiometric dating of those rocks, which tells us when the lava last solidified. Apollo-era analyses show mare basalts with ages clustered in roughly 3.9 to 3.0 billion years ago, meaning most maria volcanism occurred during that interval. This window sits after the Moon’s formation and during the later part of the era when volcanic activity was still possible on the Moon. The other dates given would place formation either too early (near the Moon’s birth) or too late to account for the bulk of mare volcanism observed in the Apollo samples. So, the 3.9 to 3.0 billion-year window best describes when the lunar maria formed.

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