A new theory for the formation of the maria and cayley type lunar regions

A new liquefaction theory for the origin of the flat marial and Cayley areas on the lunar surface is described. It is supposed that the flat terrain in these areas resulted from periods in the development of the Moon when these regions, although not liquid, had a sufficiently low viscosity for the surfaces to relax more or less completely to a level form. To account for this low viscosity a model is developed in which, within these regions and for relatively short periods in the early history of the Moon, preferentially high temperatures were maintained close to the lunar surface. The paper examines in some detail the possibility that these high temperatures may have resulted from instabilities in the lunar heat flow pattern caused by the presence of a surface layer of very low thermal conductivity produced by the debris of early meteorite impacts.A comparison is made between current models for the formation of the lunar surface and the theory here proposed: the advantages of the latter are enumerated and discussed.Normally at Queen Mary College, University of London, England.