Lunar farside volcanism 2.8 billion years ago from Chang’e-6 basalts

Abstract Unravelling the volcanic history of the enigmatic lunar farside is essential for understanding the hemispheric dichotomy of the Moon 1–3 . Cratering chronology established for the lunar nearside has been used to suggest long-lived volcanism on the farside of the Moon 3,4 but without sample verification. We describe two episodes of basaltic volcanism identified by Pb–Pb dating of basalt fragments returned by the Chang’e-6 mission. One high-Al basalt fragment, dated at 4,203 ± 4 million years ago (Ma), has a source 238 U/ 204 Pb ratio ( µ value) of approximately 1,620, implying a KREEP-rich (K, rare earth elements and P) source for this oldest-known example of basaltic volcanism among returned samples.…

• CN
  China National Space Administration
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 42225301, 202401, 42241105
• CA
  Chinese Academy of Sciences

  Awards: XDB0710000, IGGCAS-202401
• IO
  Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  Award: IGGCAS-202401