In this chapter, we present and discuss in detail current and novel advances in our
understanding of the processes that drove primordial differentiation of the Moon. This …

BACKGROUND It is unknown whether the Moon has a fully differentiated and melted
structure with a metallic core or retains a partially primordial, unmelted interior. The …

The Chang'E-5 (CE5) mission has demonstrated that lunar volcanism was still active until
two billion years ago, much younger than the previous isotopically dated lunar basalts. How …

The lunar crust and mantle formed through the crystallization of a magma ocean,
culminating in a solid cumulate mantle with a layer of dense ilmenite-bearing cumulates rich …

The spatial distribution of mare basalts, titanium and KREEP (potassium, rare earth
elements and phosphorus) on the Moon is asymmetrical between the nearside and farside …

Just as the use of new tools revolutionized lunar science in 1610 (Galileo's telescope), 1840
(photography), and 1960s–1970s and 1990s (over 45 robotic and human missions to the …

The internal structure of the Moon, from surface to core, preserves a record of its evolution
from accretion to present-day. The structure of the Moon is unique in the Solar System by …

The earliest dynamic and thermal history of the Moon is not well understood. The hydrogen
content of deposits near the lunar poles may yield insight into this history, because these …

Magnetic studies of lunar rocks indicate that the Moon generated a core dynamo with
surface field intensities of~ 20 to 110 μT between at least 4.25 and 3.56 billion years ago …

The energy sources involved in the early stages of the formation of terrestrial bodies can
induce partial or even complete melting of the mantle, leading to the emergence of magma …