Beginning with the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission in 1959, human interaction with the moon has led to significant changes in the lunar environment. Researchers at the University of Kansas have proposed a new geological epoch, the lunar Anthropocene, to emphasize this impact. This concept emphasizes the need to recognize and protect lunar landscapes and artifacts, as human activities have modified the lunar surface and environment and left behind various artifacts from missions. Researchers aim to protect historic lunar sites and advocate for responsible future lunar exploration.
The "Lunar Anthropocene" proposed by researchers marks the significant impact of humans on the moon since 1959, advocating for the protection of lunar heritage and responsible future exploration.
On September 13, 1959, the Soviet unmanned spacecraft "Lunar 2" landed on the lunar surface, and humans disturbed lunar dust for the first time. In the following decades, more than a hundred spacecraft landed on the moon - some manned and some unmanned, sometimes successfully landing, sometimes failing and crashing. The most famous of these are NASA's Apollo Lunar Modules, which amazed mankind by sending humans to the lunar surface.
In the coming years, missions and projects are already planned that will change the face of the moon in even more extreme ways. Now, anthropologists and geologists at the University of Kansas believe it's time to acknowledge that humans have become the dominant force shaping the lunar environment and declare the moon has entered a new geological epoch: the Lunar Anthropocene.
In a commentary published today in Nature Geoscience, they argue that the new era may have arrived in 1959, thanks to Luna 2.
Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to set foot on the moon. The picture shows the Apollo 11 lunar module "Eagle" and the lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin in a spacesuit unfolding a long foil, which is also called a "solar wind collector." Image source: NASA
"The idea is much the same as the discussion of the Anthropocene on Earth - exploring how much impact humans have had on the planet," said lead author Justin Holcomb, a postdoctoral fellow with the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas. "Our consensus is that on Earth, the Anthropocene began in the past. At some point in time, whether it's hundreds of thousands of years ago or the 1950s. Likewise, on the moon, we think the lunar Anthropocene has begun, but we hope to prevent large-scale disruption or delay recognition of the Anthropocene until we can measure significant lunar haloes caused by human activity."
Holcomb collaborated on the paper with co-authors Rolfe Mandel, a distinguished professor of anthropology at the university, and Karl Wegmann, an associate professor of ocean, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State.
Holcomb said he hopes the concept of the "lunar Anthropocene" will help dispel the myth that the lunar environment is unchanging and virtually untouched by humans.
a) The crater formed by the impact of the U.S. "Ranger 6" lunar probe in 1964; (b) The impact site of the Saturn IVB final stage of the U.S. "Apollo 13" in 1970; (c) Israel's "Bere" in 2019 The impact site of Shet's "lunar lander soft landing"; (d) China's "Chang'e 4" lunar lander launched in 2018; (e) Astronaut Charles Duke left behind during the US "Apollo 16" mission in 1972 (f) The site of the U.S. Apollo 17 lunar surface experiment package in 1972, with the lunar surface gravimeter in the foreground and the lunar landing module in the distant view; (g) The footprints left by NASA's Surveyor 3 probe that landed in 1967 and Apollo 13 more than three years later, and some probe components were found; (h) The trajectory of the Russian Lunokhod 2 rover deployed during the "Moon 21" mission in 1973. Source: Holcombetal.
"Cultural processes are starting to override the natural context of the moon's geological processes," said Holcomb. "These processes involve moving sediments on the moon that we call 'regolith.' Typically, these processes include things like meteoroid impacts and large-scale moving events. However, when we consider the impact of rovers, landers and human movement, they can significantly disturb the debris. In the new space race, The lunar landscape will be completely different in 50 years. There will be multiple countries involved, leading to numerous challenges. Our goal is to dispel the myth of lunar statics and highlight the importance of our impact, not only in the past, but also in the present and future. Our goal is to start a discussion about our impact on the lunar surface before it is too late."
While many outdoor enthusiasts are familiar with the "leave no trace" principle, it doesn't appear to exist on the moon. According to the authors, the debris from human lunar missions includes "discarded and abandoned spacecraft parts, bags of human waste, scientific equipment, and other items (e.g., flags, golf balls, photographs, religious scriptures)."
"We know that while the Moon has no atmosphere or magnetosphere, it does have a delicate outer atmosphere of dust and gases, as well as ice in permanently shadowed regions, both of which are susceptible to exhaust gas propagation," the authors write. "Future missions must consider mitigating harmful effects on the lunar environment."
The researchers hope to use the "lunar Anthropocene" to highlight the potential negative impact humans may have on the lunar environment, but they also hope to call attention to the vulnerability of lunar sites of historical and anthropological value, which currently have no legal or policy protection from disturbance.
"A recurring theme in our work is the significance of lunar materials and footprints on the moon as valuable resources that are analogous to the archaeological record we are committed to preserving," Holcomb said. "The concept of the Lunar Anthropocene is intended to increase awareness and thinking about our impact on the lunar surface and our impact on the preservation of historical artifacts."
The Kunming University of Science and Technology researcher said the goal of this "space heritage" field is to preserve or catalog items such as lunar rovers, flags, golf balls and footprints on the lunar surface.
"As archaeologists, we view the footprints on the moon as an extension of humanity's journey out of Africa and a key milestone in the existence of our species," Holcomb said. "These prints are intertwined with the overarching narrative of evolution. Within this framework, we want to attract the interest not only of planetary scientists, but also of archaeologists and anthropologists, who may not typically be involved in discussions of planetary science."
Compiled source: ScitechDaily