[Rockhounds] Moon is more geologically active than previously believed

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

The moon's surface has long been a subject of study, offering clues about
its geological and evolutionary history. Dark, flat regions known as lunar
maria, which are filled with solidified lava, were thought to have formed
through significant compression billions of years ago. Many researchers
concluded that these regions have remained dormant ever since. However, a
new study indicates that the moon's subsurface activity may still be
ongoing.

Scientists from the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Maryland
have found evidence suggesting that small ridges on the moon's far side are
much younger than the previously studied formations on its near side. Their
findings, published in The Planetary Science Journal on January 21, 2025,
challenge the assumption that the moon has been geologically static for
billions of years.

"Many scientists believe that most of the moon's geological movements
happened two and a half, maybe three billion years ago," said Jaclyn Clark,
assistant research scientist in the Department of Geology at UMD. "But
we're seeing that these tectonic landforms have been recently active in the
last billion years and may still be active today. These small mare ridges
seem to have formed within the last 200 million years or so, which is
relatively recent considering the moon's timescale."

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Moon_is_more_geologically_active_than_previously_believed_999.html