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Story summary
- The Chang’e-4 lander found layers of dust, soil, and lava on the Moon, indicating volcanic activity ceased between 1 billion and 100 million years ago.
- Prof. Hengci Tian led analyses of basalt from the South Pole-Aitken Basin, finding unusual potassium isotopes linked to a massive impact.
- From China’s Chang’e-4 and Chang’e-6 missions, the impact likely altered Moon’s internal chemistry and volcanic activity, implying magma may still lie beneath the surface.
