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The Close Approach - A New Lunar Model

A Lunar Model

  • The Calm
  • Tidal Heating
  • Great Dying
  • Siberian Traps
  • Dinosaur Rise & Fall
  • Pangean Breakup
  • Global Warming
    • Seasonality
  • Lunar Origins
    • Apollo History

The Siberian Traps

The close approach of the moon had a staggering impact on Earth’s volcanic heat balance. One outcome was the Siberian Traps.  Even today volcanic activity caused by the once closer moon is a substantial part of our dynamic biosphere. During the terminal Permian extinction, tidal heating led to the beginning of a series of massive flood basalts. These flood basalts have often been compared to the mare on the moon. Tidal friction caused the lava to erupt from within the earth.

Lunar flood fronts designated by blue arrowsTraps is a Swedish term used to describe the stair stepped appearance of continental flood basalts.  Flood basalts are different than the typical lavas associated with Earth’s subduction volcanoes. Whereas subduction volcanoes form cones, flood basalts form large flat “floods” of basalt. These build on top of each other, building layer upon layer, thus the name traps. Continental flood basalts cover huge areas and can be thousands of feet deep.  The Siberian traps for example are 10,000 feet thick.

The Siberian Traps are the greatest known flood basalt on Earth and were unprecedented; nothing like it had been seen on Earth in eons. The Siberian traps were erupted onto the ancient continent of Pangea and very well may have been part of the initial disruption and break up of the great continent.  These flood basalts are similar to mid ocean ridge volcanism, which are the engines of continental rifting and spreading.Deccan Plateau, India This shows Deccan Traps

The important thing to note is that flood basalts mirror the pattern of dissipation of tidal heating energy, as seen throughout the solar system. As the cycle of tidal heating changes through time, layer upon layer of flood basalts build up the trap surface. There have been 11 major flood basalt events continuing into the present.  These flood basalts have, through time, decreased in intensity, reflecting a retreating moon.  The most recent flood basalt is the Columbia River flood basalt which has covered much of eastern Washington and Oregon.  The hot spot volcanism associated with Yellowstone National Park is thought to be a lasting legacy of this most recent flood basalt. The north American plate has moved westward over the hot spot so that now its activity is seen in the park in Wyoming.The stair stepped layering that gave the name "traps" to these basalt flows. Trap is the norwegian word for steps.

The Siberian traps and Permian extinction essentially happened at the same time. It is generally assumed that the Siberian traps (and the associated basalt flooding, eruptions, and off-gassing) was the major contributor to the Permian extinction.  The volcanic off-gassing of this massive flood basalt would have had a devastating impact on both the atmosphere and oceans of Earth.  But there is no good explanation for why this sudden eruption of flood basalts happened.  Why after billions of years of geologic calm did the earth suddenly, volcanically erupt back into life again?

The only known source of planetary reheating is tidal heating and the product of this heating is serial basalt flooding.  The best explanation for how the flood basalts on Earth were produced is this very process of tidal heating.  The close approach of the moon can and does present the only reasonable means of re-energizing the earth. Ultimately this led to the greatest extinction in the long history of life on earth.

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ABOUT LUNAR ORIGIN

Journey to Discovery

The CALM (Close Approach Lunar Model) takes us back to the dawn of the Apollo age and shows us where science took the wrong turn that changed Earth and lunar science, and left us with more questions than answers.

The intellectual buildup leading to the Apollo missions brought on some of the greatest engineering and scientific achievements of mankind. Scientific collaboration and speculation were at a fever pitch as the first manned excursions to the moon approached. It was thought that science was on the verge of the “big one” and that the Apollo missions would answer the question of how the earth-moon system came to be.

Alas, it was discovered that the situation was much more complex than ever imagined. Though the Apollo missions provided valuable scientific data, samples and knowledge, it was roundly agreed that Apollo failed to answer the most important question of all, “How did the earth-moon system come to be?” Interest in the moon as well as the questions of the origin of the earth and moon as a system, drifted off into the many labs and scientific facilities which handled and catalogued the material and information of the Apollo missions. NASA and the scientific community moved on to the space shuttle, space station, and interplanetary exploration, leaving our nearest neighbor to the backyard astronomer.

In reality a small cadre of lunar scientists still exists. The Lunar and Planetary Science Institute and its university partners promote and facilitate the continuing pursuit of lunar science.

Presented here is my model which is based on our current understanding of, “How did our earth-moon system come to be and how might the moon impact global climate today?”

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