Structure of the lunar crust and the thumper experiment

[Moneer81]

structure of the lunar crust and the "thumper experiment"

Hey guys,

I know that this is an Earth's forums but I have a question about the moon. On Apollo 14, an experiment was done to determine the structure of the lunar crust down to a certain depth. This was done by detonating explosives and studying the resulting seismic waves. This came up recently in a debate with some muslim apologists that are claiming that this experiment proved that at some point the moon was split into two parts and rejoined together, confirming a miracle that the muslim prophet did when he split the moon with his finger 1400 years ago.

I know this whole claim sounds ridiculous but I was wondering if anyone knows anything about this experiment or about the structure of the lunar crust in general. Any info on understanding this will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot

 

[matthyaouw]

The lunar crust is separated into highlands and lowlands. The highlands consist of Anorthosites which accreted when the surface was largely liquid magma. The lowland basins were subsequently filled with basaltic lavas. Plate tectonics never occurred as the crust was too thick, but faults have developed graben valleys (linear rilles) probably due to impact stresses or tidal forces with earth. Perhaps these (or other rilles formed by lava flows) are the evidence they mean.

 

[ravenprp]

for your question! The structure of the lunar crust has been a topic of study for many years, and the "thumper experiment" you mentioned was a significant step in our understanding of it.

To provide some background, the lunar crust is the outermost layer of the moon, composed of various types of rock and regolith (loose debris). It is estimated to be around 60 km thick on average, but can vary in thickness in different areas. The Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s brought back samples of the lunar crust, which have been studied extensively to determine its composition and structure.

In 1971, during the Apollo 14 mission, astronauts placed explosive charges on the lunar surface and detonated them. This created seismic waves that traveled through the moon's interior and were recorded by seismometers placed by the astronauts. By analyzing the data from these waves, scientists were able to map the structure of the lunar crust down to a depth of about 3 km. This experiment provided valuable insights into the composition and thickness of the lunar crust, and helped to confirm the theories about its formation and evolution.

As for the claim that this experiment proves the "splitting" of the moon as described in a religious text, it is important to note that the thumper experiment was not designed to study the moon's formation or any potential supernatural events. It was a scientific experiment aimed at understanding the structure of the lunar crust. The results of this experiment do not provide any evidence for or against the claimed miracle.

In summary, the thumper experiment was a significant step in our understanding of the lunar crust, but it does not confirm any specific religious beliefs about the moon's formation or history. I hope this helps to clarify any confusion. Thank you for bringing up this interesting topic!