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This article comes from Weixin Official Accounts: SF Chinese (ID: kexuejiaodian), author: SF

As previously reported, scientists envision using electrolyzed water technology to split liquid water on Mars into hydrogen and oxygen to produce oxygen to meet the needs of future human settlements on Mars. Coincidentally, scientists have also discovered "reservoirs" on the moon, the only planet humans have ever set foot on. It seems more feasible to settle on the moon than on mars. Could the discovery of a "lunar reservoir" advance the process of human settlement on the moon?

Wen| Merlin

When you read that scientists have discovered a "reservoir" on the moon, you might think that scientists have discovered a lot of liquid water on the moon, even if it is a lot of ice. Actually, that's not the case. The so-called lunar reservoir discovered by scientists is actually hydrogen.

Recently, Chinese and British scientists studied lunar soil samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 lunar probe and found impact glass beads containing traces of water.

On December 1,2020, Chang 'e 5 began a two-day lunar surface work north of the Rumke Mountains in the lunar frontal storm ocean to collect lunar soil samples. Most of these samples are stored at the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for scientific research. (Credit: Hui Ren)"This study reveals that the impact glass beads in the lunar regolith are a reservoir of water that can maintain the water cycle on the lunar surface," said Hui Hejiu, a planetary and geochemist at Nanjing University who led the study. Our team, combined with a global scale lunar soil thickness analysis, estimated that the lunar soil could hold up to 270 billion tons of water. "

See here, perhaps some friends will ask: What is the impact glass bead? How does it contain moisture?

Unveiling the moon's unique "reservoir" For many people, hitting glass beads is an unfamiliar concept. In fact, the formation of impact glass beads in lunar soil is well understood. Meteorites, asteroids, comets in space sometimes hit the moon's surface, bringing a lot of energy to produce huge heat, melting the soil and rocks on the moon's surface. Under the impact of the impact, the molten material was splashed into the air, cooled rapidly and formed impact glass beads, which fell to the lunar surface again.

These are two impact glass beads found on Earth. They are usually spherical, droplet, dumbbell, etc. They look especially like obsidian. (Image credit: Brocken Inaglory) Impact glass beads look like obsidian (a natural glass formed as a result of volcanic eruptions) and are therefore called "glass beads." Impact glass beads are not unique to the moon, but have also been found on Earth. In the media, impact glass beads are often referred to as "glass meteorites," and there have been rumors that impact glass beads formed in space and fell to the surface of the earth, which has long been proved false by scientists.

One idea is that about 66 million years ago, a giant asteroid crashed into what is now Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, killing off the dinosaurs. The impact created a large number of impact glass beads, and now scientists can study these impact glass beads to find clues to the mass extinction of dinosaurs and reconstruct the great disaster.

A conceptual map of an asteroid hitting Earth 66 million years ago. The impact wiped out 75% of all life on Earth. (Photo source: Science Photo Library) What is the use of "Moon Reservoir"? Since there are hundreds of billions of tons of water on the moon, does that mean that human settlement on the moon is just around the corner?

Hui said that this "water" can be made from hydrogen through a series of chemical reactions. For future missions to the moon, and even for plans to colonize the moon, this water can meet the needs of these missions and plans. Such abundant "water" resources can also be used for irrigation and other needs of lunar life. "But only if the collection of the impinging glass beads and the extraction of water are efficient. "Hui He Jiu said.

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