The case against early melting of the bulk of the Moon

Recent data suggest that the source region of mare basalts became compositionally closed at 4.42 Gy. presumably some 170 My. after the Moon accreted. Thermal-history models indicate that the outer part of the Moon could not have cooled to temperatures low enough to cause closure unless only the outer few hundred kilometers were initially molten. A total early lunar differentiation is therefore prohibited. The bulk of the Moon was therefore pristine and undifferentiated at the time of mare basalt formation. bl