Wgłębne wody Księżyca

• Main Authors: Katterfeld, Genadij Nikołajewicz, Frołow, Piotr Michajłowicz
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Polish
• Published: Państwowy Instytut Geologiczny - PIB 1968
• Subjects: Finn; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: https://gq.pgi.gov.pl/pg/article/view/24230

INTERNAL WATERS ON MOON Summary The problem of formation of internal waters on moon arose due to a necessity of securing life of its future explorers and of use of natural resources of the satellite. According to the opinions of the present authors, on planets and on their satellites water comes into being, during the first stage of their formation, upon the following scheme: Me + 2H → MeH2, Me + O → MeO, MeH2 + MeO → 2Me + H2O. During a definite period of development and under adequate conditions water may be created on the surface of planets simultaneously with atmosphere and hydrosphere. On the moon both atmosphere and hydrosphere are absent, mainly due to its specific conditions, e.g. small mass, low velocity of flight a.o. However, the authors are of an opinion that water exists inside our satellite in gaseous and liquid states. In solid phase, water may occur in the hard bed of permafrost, the thickness of which can range from 30 to 800 metres, although it is also possible that it reaches no more than from 1 to 20 m only. Taking into account a fact that due to its mobility in stable state, particularly, however, in gaseous state under the influence of horizontal pressure and owing to other reasons, we may accept that water ascends from deep and hot layers towards the cool horizons situated close to the surface of moon. Coming into contact with the layers characterized by stable negative temperature, water passes into a hard phase and stops moving. In this layer of permafrost water occurs in pores and fissures of rocks as ice. The present authors draw a conclusion that prospections for water on moon should be carried on within the warmest regions of the moon surface. In such regions water may occur in 1iquid state, at relatively small depths. Here, it may be exploited by drilling methods using hermetic pipes. The authors discuss the opinions stated by J. Green, J. C. Finn and O. D. C. Brown who suggest that water in the form of surface or subsurface ice may rather be expected to occur within the polar regions of our satellite. The authors recommend to select the site of the future research base, mainly as concerns water supply for the moon prospectors, not in the polar but in the equatorial regions, where the most intense volcanic phenomena appear. Moreover, the equatorial zone of the moon is more suitable for astronomical observations than the polar regions of the satellite, the authors conclude.