China has unveiled an updated geological map of the Moon
Chinese researchers have presented an updated comprehensive geological map of the Moon at a scale of 1:5 million. It was released on August 6 by the Institute of Geology of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, according to Space.com.
The new version updates the 2024 map to reflect new scientific data. The researchers have proposed new boundaries for the ancient Aitekian, Nectarian, and Imbrian periods of the Moon’s geological history. The authors use the term “Aitekian” to refer to the period often called the Pre-Nectarian, which is dated to approximately 4.5 billion to 3.9 billion years ago.
The map also refines the areas of KREEP terrain—a material in the lunar crust enriched with potassium, rare-earth elements, and phosphorus. After reanalyzing the spectral data, the researchers concluded that these regions are more continuous and widespread than previously thought.
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Yang Zhimin, director of the Institute of Geology, quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency, stated that the Moon’s geological history has been refined and systematized. China’s robotic missions Chang’e 5 and Chang’e 6, launched in 2020 and 2024, respectively, returned new samples to Earth and provided additional scientific data. Chang’e 6 became the first mission to return samples from the far side of the Moon.
According to Xinhua, the map introduces China’s own cartographic standard. Its principles—including the color scheme and the approach of using lighter tones to denote younger geological formations—are planned to be applied to the geological mapping of other celestial bodies. China views this standard as a component of developing its own intellectual property system for deep-space exploration.
