So as I understand it the moon was formed when a chunk of earth was blown into orbit when a mars like planet collided with earth, if this is the case why is the composition of moon rock not similar to the composition of rock found on earth, when the moon if just a piece of the earth its self?
In: Planetary Science
Most of the surface rock on Earth wasn’t formed that long ago, geologically speaking, and certainly long long after both the Earth and moon cooled and formed their own relatively stable surface layers. The rocks we have on the surface of the Earth are formed from a lot of geological processes that involve not only the pressure from the earth itself (Granite) but also the presence of life (Limestone) and the actions of active volcanoes (Basalt). It’s also greatly affected by weathering from wind and water.
What makes the rocks from the moon so different is that they didn’t really have the same situation as there is on Earth. So the dust on the moon is sharp and jagged like fiberglass because there’s no weathering. Some of the rocks were formed from impacts with meteors or comets and, because there’s not much turnover, they’ve essentially stayed there the whole time unless moved by something else.
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