Understanding the Formation of Moon Rocks ⎯ Reconstructing the Geologic History of the Moon by Comparing Hawaiian Volcanic Rocks

Faculty Advisor: Researcher, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University

Research Program Introduction

Why are there both dark and bright spots on the Moon? What makes the Moon look the way it does? How is the Moon’s geology different from that of our Earth? This is a popular and highly debated research topic in the planetary science community. One consideration to investigate to understand these questions better is comparing the chemical compositions of Moon and Earth rocks. Because we understand the geological processes on Earth relatively well, we can use the similarities (or differences) between Moon and Earth rocks to infer the rock formation history on the Moon. Specifically, in this program, students will study data from Hawaiian rocks in order to compare the results with those from Moon rocks.

This program introduces students to the basic principles and theories of rock formation related to the structures of planetary bodies. Weekly meetings will consist of discussions of the readings and ideas presented in students’ exercises, including (1) background research: scientific journal reading, (2) data analysis and visualization: compiling and organizing available data, and (3) conclusions: making conclusions and inferences based on data.

Students will learn about geological processes and how different processes shape a planet. Moreover, students will demonstrate their abilities to manage big data sets and use data visualization tools to find correlations. Thus, the results will be based on what students discover independently, and observations from concrete data will support the story they conceive. At the end of the program, students will have a good sense of how planets are formed and which geological processes were involved during the formation of the Hawaiian Islands and the Moon. Exercises will be assigned weekly.

Students will also learn general and subject-specific research and academic writing methods used in universities and scholarly publications. They will focus on individual topics and generate their own work products upon completing the program.

Project Topics

• Rock formation cycle and processes

• Hawaii’s geologic history

• The Moon’s geologic history

• Comparing the data between Hawaiian and Moon rocks

• What geological processes are involved when different rocks are formed?

• Other professor-approved topics in this subject area that you are interested in

Program Details

• Cohort size: 3 to 5 students

• Duration: 12 weeks

• Workload: Around 4 to 5 hours per week (including class and homework time)

• Target students: 9 to 12th graders interested in the natural sciences, especially space and planetary science.