•Water on the Moon has two potential sources: water carried by comets and other bodies that impact the Moon, and in situ production. The latter is theorized to be produced in small amounts by the chemical combination of hydrogen ions (protons) in the solar wind with oxygen atoms in the Moon’s minerals (oxides, silicates, etc.), forming water or its possible precursors, hydroxyl groups, trapped in a crystal lattice. These minerals, in the form of hydrates and hydroxides, are chemically bound to water (rather than free water) and are present in large parts of the Moon’s surface at low concentrations. Indeed, adsorbed water has been estimated to be present at trace concentrations, on the order of 10 parts per million to 1,000 parts per million. This mineral-bound water, or hydroxylated regolith, should not be confused with water ice.
Uncertain evidence of the presence of liquid water on the Moon has been found in various models that assume the presence of bound hydrogen. Moon scientists have debated the possibility of water deposits for decades. Now, they write in a report that they are “confident that the decades-long debate is over.” “There is water on the Moon everywhere, not just in minerals, but in fragmented form on the surface and probably in the form of ice blocks or slabs deep down.”
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