Early formation of the Moon 4.51 billion years ago
Melanie Barboni, Patrick Boehnke, Brenhin Keller, Issaku E. Kohl, Blair Schoene, Edward D. Young, and Kevin D. McKeegan
Science Advances, 2017: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1602365
Abstract:
Establishing the age of the Moon is critical to understanding solar system evolution and the formation of rocky planets, including Earth. However, despite its importance, the age of the Moon has never been accurately determined. We present uranium-lead dating of Apollo 14 zircon fragments that yield highly precise, concordant ages, demonstrating that they are robust against postcrystallization isotopic disturbances. Hafnium isotopic analyses of the same fragments show extremely low initial 176Hf/177Hf ratios corrected for cosmic ray exposure that are near the solar system initial value. Our data indicate differentiation of the lunar crust by 4.51 billion years, indicating the formation of the Moon within the first ~60 million years after the birth of the solar system.
Suggested citation:
Barboni, M., Boehnke, P., Keller, C.B., Kohl, I., Schoene, B., Young, E.D., and McKeegan, K.D. (2017). Early Formation of the Moon 4.51 billion years ago. Science Advances 3, e1602365.